I was pleasantly surprised by this commentary. Romans by Michael Bird (The Story of God Bible Commentary) Price: $$ The more academic-minded laymen would also benefit from it greatly. I recommend this commentary for academic study as well as for teachers and preachers. Thus, a combination of Cranfield and Moo is ideal. This is often the first commentary I turn to when studying Romans and then go to Cranfield if I want more detailed exegesis. The strengths of this commentary are consistently solid exegesis and a good grasp of Biblical theology. When dealing with complex problems he balances quality and quantity well (Cranfield is so detailed that he’s not the best to turn to first if you’re looking for a quick summary of exegetical options). He is of the “old perspective” camp, though he interacts and often sees benefits of the “new perspective”. Moo is an evangelical and this is reflected in his exegetical decisions, but he interacts with many scholars who don’t share his conservative views.
Although the commentary is on the English text, Moo makes plenty of technical comments on the Greek text in the footnotes throughout. This is an exceptional commentary that is shorter (remember that this word is relative) and less expensive (and so is this word) than Cranfield. The Epistle to the Romans by Douglas Moo (NICNT) Price: $$ I also recommend it for teachers/preachers that know Greek. For any sort of academic study, this is a must. Regardless, Cranfield’s magisterial commentary on Romans is worth every penny. (2) It was written before the “New Perspective” really gained a foothold in New Testament studies.
If you have Logos…buy it now! It’s much cheaper (right now the set is $55). There are two downsides to this commentary. Admittedly, you need to have a decent grip of Greek to even be able to read the commentary because he comments on the Greek text extensively (There is a non-technical abridgment for those who don’t know Greek, but I have not read it so I can’t comment on it’s worth). Cranfield succeeds in writing an extremely detailed commentary on the Greek text that also doesn’t lose sight of the big picture of the letter. Cranfield’s commentary, though somewhat dated, is still the best overall commentary on Romans. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Two Volumes) by C.E.B. Hopefully, you’ll find one or two (It’s Romans so maybe even three!) commentaries that will help you study this magisterial letter. I’ve tried to include technical as well as non-technical commentaries and everything in between. However, I’ve formed this list by thinking through what commentaries most helped my study of Romans all the while keeping in mind a wide audience net (scholars, seminary students, pastors, teachers, small group leaders, laymen). So if any of these are your favorites, I don’t mean to hurt your feelings (I’ve benefitted from them as well). I have left off several classics (Chrysostom, Luther, Calvin, Hodge, Barth, Kasemann) and some newer commentaries that are also helpful (Dunn, Fitzmyer, Schreiner, Jewett).
Due to the importance of the letter, there are close to a billion commentaries on Romans. Making a “top commentaries” list on Romans is next to impossible (but I tried it anyway). Making a “top commentaries” list of any Biblical book is difficult.
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