In the wake of his widely appreciated commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of John, noted theologian and exegete Frederick Dale Bruner turns his attention to Paul’s letter to the Romans. In this concise commentary, he relays his findings on what he calls the “Fifth Gospel” and its central claim that “through the Father’s love, Jesus’s passion, and the Spirit’s application of this passionate love, human beings can have a perfectly right relationship with God—by simple faith in His Christ.”

As he did in his commentaries on Matthew and John, Bruner engages historical interpreters from the patristic period to the present—including Augustine, Chrysostom, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin—while also offering his own lucid translation of the text and relevant pastoral applications. The result is a holistic understanding of the book of Romans informed not only by one scholar’s lifetime of ministry, teaching, and learning, but also by the full depth and breadth of church tradition.

Table of Contents

Romans 1: Paul’s Introduction: Our Deep Need for the Gospel Good News

Romans 2:1–3:20: The Righteous Judgment of God on All Human Sin

Romans Chapter 3:21–31: God’s Good News in Classic Compactness: Because of Christ’s Perfectly Sacrificial Work, a Perfectly Right Relationship with God Is Received by Simple Faith

Romans 4: Simple Faith in God’s Gracious Word: The Even Ancient Way to the Right Relation with God

Romans 5: Our New Gospel Privileges and the Old Roots of Our Relation with God

Romans 6: Sanctification’s Presence

Romans 7: Sanctification’s Presence and Absence

Romans 8: Sanctification’s Key: Believers in Jesus Christ Have God’s Holy Spirit within Their Lives

Romans 9:1–29: God’s Election of Israel

Romans 9:30–10:21: Israel’s Initial Unbelief in God’s Plan of Righteousness by Simple Faith

Romans 11: The Mystery of Israel and the Church

Romans 12: The Practical Ethic of the Gospel, Part 1

Romans 13: The Practical Ethic of the Gospel, Part 2

Romans 14:1–15:13: How Believers Can Deal with Certain Differences among Themselves

Romans Chapters 15:14–16:27: Paul’s Letter Conclusions