Romans (2nd Edition)

Summary

Romans does not only need to be understood, it needs to be heard as a letter that confronts and comforts the church. A second edition commentary can be valuable when it helps us do that work with greater care, especially where scholarship has moved or where pastoral questions have sharpened. Thomas R. Schreiner’s Romans (2nd Edition) remains a technical, verse by verse guide, intended to support serious engagement with Paul’s argument and wording. It aims to help us handle the details responsibly without losing the big gospel movement of the letter.

Paul writes to ground the church in the righteousness of God revealed in the gospel, to humble all human boasting, and to unite believers around Christ rather than around ethnic privilege or religious performance. If we preach Romans as mere controversy, we miss its pastoral aim. If we preach it as mere encouragement, we miss its moral seriousness. Schreiner helps us keep both. He takes seriously the letter’s doctrinal core and its ethical implications, and he does so by repeated attention to context and argument.

Many pastors will find the second edition especially helpful in those passages where Romans becomes a battleground. Romans 3 and 4, Romans 5, Romans 7 and 8, and Romans 9 to 11 all require careful handling. In these sections, it is easy to speak too quickly and then spend months repairing confusion. A technical commentary is a safeguard. It slows us down, forces us to account for the text, and helps us see what is truly central versus what is secondary. Schreiner generally does this by laying out options clearly and pressing toward a reasoned conclusion.

At the same time, we should remember that Romans is not written to impress, it is written to bring sinners to worship. Paul ends his long argument with praise. He expects the mercies of God to produce living sacrifices, renewed minds, humble service, and love that is sincere. Schreiner does not replace pastoral application, but he supports it by helping us be sure we are applying the right thing. That is a quiet gift to the preacher.

Strengths

One strength is the way Schreiner repeatedly clarifies how each paragraph advances Paul’s purpose. That supports preaching units that match the text. It also helps us avoid chopping the letter into fragments. When a congregation can follow the line of argument, they gain confidence in Scripture and in the gospel. They also learn how to read their Bibles with greater maturity.

A second strength is careful engagement with key terms and phrases. Romans is full of language that has become theological shorthand. Schreiner helps us check whether our shorthand matches Paul’s usage. That is particularly important when dealing with righteousness language, justification, the role of the law, and union with Christ. Care here strengthens assurance, because assurance rests on what God has actually promised and accomplished in Christ, not on our vague impressions of grace.

A third strength is usefulness in guarding tone. Romans contains thunder and balm. It levels pride, yet it comforts the condemned who flee to Christ. Schreiner’s careful approach helps us see when Paul is exposing self righteousness, when he is proclaiming free justification, and when he is urging transformed obedience. That matters in preaching, because the wrong tone can either crush tender believers or comfort the complacent.

Finally, this work supports deeper study for those who teach and train. Pastors in training often need to see how exegetical decisions are made. Schreiner models a method that reasons from context, engages options, and then states conclusions plainly.

Limitations

The limitations are familiar to technical commentaries. The material is weighty, and it demands time. We will not always want to bring all of the technical discussion into the pulpit, and we must still do the work of clarity for our people. The commentary also cannot replace prayerful meditation and pastoral sensitivity. It strengthens our handling of the text, but it does not preach the sermon for us.

How We Would Use It

We would use this second edition as a primary reference in a Romans series, especially for confirming structure and checking key interpretive decisions. We would read the passage repeatedly first, then consult Schreiner to test our conclusions, to see where we may have missed the logic, and to ensure we are not relying on inherited assumptions. Used this way, the commentary becomes a tool for faithfulness and clarity.

Closing Recommendation

This is a substantial technical guide for serious work in Romans. If we want a commentary that supports careful exegesis and steadier preaching through difficult sections, this edition is well suited to that task.