So many gifted people have published articles, monographs and commentaries on Romans that it would be impossible to read and assess even half of them! But there is always a need to re-engage with the text of biblical books in the light of current questions and to do so in the light of the most recent research. My commentary, however, does not simply pursue academic issues. Rather, it aims to provide pastors and other Bible teachers with resources to expound and apply the message of Romans to contemporary audiences.
In particular, I have provided a thorough discussion of the most important themes of Romans in relation to the biblical canon as a whole. Here is an outline of the introductory chapter on Biblical and Theological themes in Romans:
Romans and the Story line of the Bible
1.1 Creation, sin, and judgment
1.2 God’s promises to Abraham and his offspring
1.3 Israel and God’s electing grace
1.4 Israel and the Law
1.5 Israel’s failure and God’s judgment
1.6 Promises of ultimate deliverance
Other significant themes
2.1 The Gospel
2.2 The Scriptures
2.3 God as Trinity
2.4 Righteousness and justification
2.5 Israel and the Church
2.6 Worship, sanctification, and holy living
2.7 Apostolic ministry
The body of the commentary is divided into “preachable” units, whether paragraphs, chapters, or sections that complement the book’s structure. Each one of these units is structured as follows:
I. English text
II. Context
III. Structure (grammatical, rhetorical, thematic)
IV. Exegesis of individual verses, paragraphs, or sub-paragraphs, including discussion of thematic relationship to other passages in the canon and references back to the introductory chapter on Biblical and Theological Themes
V. Bridge, commenting especially on the contemporary relevance of the unit
David G. Peterson 