"The Gospel is," as Martin Luther said, "the very heart of the Bible. And the Book of Romans is the very heart of the Gospel."

I am glad that I chose Reading Romans with Luther to take the place of our Bible Study meetings no longer allowed due to the pandemic. This book is a great accompaniment to the Book of Romans. It is well organized and easy to read with artwork strategically placed to allow meditation.

Pastor RJ Grunewald offers highlights from Martin Luther's commentary on the Book of Romans and explains how these themes from centuries ago are still very relevant to our lives.
The author uses - Scripture - Paul's words quoting from the Old Testament to the Romans, Luther's words and ideas and then using his own words, explains what it means and how it relates to us in today's world.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book:-
"The proper distinction between Law and Gospel is quite possibly one of the most important emphasis in Luther's teaching. It's one that we see developed early on in his writing and one that continues to be repeated in our own day.
This distinction is a matter of life and death.
... The Law commands us to have love and Jesus Christ, but the Gospel offers and presents them both to us.
God's law and Gospel are both necessary. They function in different ways, yet work together...
The gospel promises that we are given everything we need in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Gospel promises that our sins are forgiven freely – not by our own obedience but by the perfect obedience of Jesus."

"Law and gospel function differently but work in tandem so that sinners will recognize their sin and cling to their Savior."

"We need churches that use the power of the Gospel to bring people life."

'The primary message of the Church is a message of grace, hope, and love. Paul writes in Romans 1:16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes."

"The intent of the apostle is that the total righteousness of man leading to salvation depends on the Word through faith and not on good works through knowledge."

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, "Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame." (Romans 10:9-11)

"The grace given to us in the death and resurrection of Jesus gives us the hope and peace of knowing our sins are forgiven."

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

I highlighted many phrases and sentences, and plan to periodically reread this book. 'Reading Romans with Luther' is a fabulous resource that will help you better understand the Book of Romans, and I highly recommend it to all believers, anyone wanting to know about Christianity, and those interested in theology.

*Thanks to Concordia Publishing House, and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this book, which allowed me the opportunity to read it and write an unbiased review. The thoughts expressed here are my own.

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First sentence: When I was a kid, I dreamed I could fly like Superman.

I love, love, love, love, love the book of Romans. I am currently working my way through seven different commentaries of it. (Barnes, Calvin, Clarke, Henry, MacLaren, Spurgeon, Wesley) I wanted to love R.J. Grunewald's Reading Romans with Luther. I did. I have read several of Luther's books in the past--including his commentary on Galatians. I ended up slightly disappointed with Reading Romans with Luther. Grunewald's stated intent was to make Luther accessible and good theology within reach. He wants to explain Luther in such a way that all intimidation is removed.

If you're looking for a good, basic book on the themes of Romans you probably won't be disappointed. It is well laid out and quite good.

I was reading an ARC of Reading Romans with Luther provided through Netgalley. At least in the ARC, it was not clear which words were Grunewald's and which words were Luther. I had a hard time distinguishing between Luther quotes--I am assuming there are some--and Grunewald's summaries and "cliff notes" of Luther's commentary. Luther does require translation, I realize that. Unless you read German or possibly possibly Latin--I'm assuming those are the two languages you might find him writing in--you're going to need a translation. I wanted to be able to tell Luther from Grunewald. Now this might not be an issue in the actual actual book.

As a devotional it is mostly excellent. As a commentary, well, it disappoints because it's like you're expecting a meal and are handed a breath mint.

Essentially I am conflicted because it was a nice enough devotional organized around a handful of main themes found in the gospel of Romans. It depends on what you're looking for.

This book is a wonderful tool in learning and growing in knowledge in the book of Romans. This book is one that any Christian would find helpful and interesting. It would also make for a good Bible Study or for a book club to read and discuss together. Very well done!

What an excellent introduction to Luther's thoughts for laypeople! I especially like how the author also added his own comments into the mix. He is absolutely right that Christians today should be reading the giants of the faith and not be afraid of them. I would recommend this book to anyone afraid to wade into the waters of our spiritual forefathers.

R.J. Grunewald has done something amazing that I know will bless many with his new book.  He as taken the incredible work of Martin Luther and put it into our language today in  Reading Romans with Luther.

Rather than writing his own commentary on Romans, Mr. Grunewald takes Luthers commentary and puts it into a language that we can understand today.

Many of the traditional commentaries out there go verse by verse but Mr. Gruenwald has taken more of a devotional approach which I found intriguing.  To first read Luther's words and then have the author put it into layman's terms was beautifully done.  

The book of Romans is a wonderful reminder of our freedom as believers in Jesus Christ.  Our culture is so self-absorbed but Reading Romans with Luther takes our focus off ourselves and rightly puts it on our King.  

It is a must read for all believers and for those who want to know what Christianity is truly all about.  It made me fall more in love with Romans and gave me even more of a hunger for God's Word.  I highly recommend!