Hundreds of commentaries have been written on Romans, including over six dozen just since the year 2000. The eight below deserve special mention for the reasons given. Many others could be listed by authors either recent (e.g., Michael Bird, Robert Jewett, Richard Longenecker, John Stott, Frank Thielman, Stanley Porter, Ben Witherington) or from past centuries (e.g., Martin Luther, Johann Albrecht Bengel, Charles Hodge, William Sanday and Arthur Headlam, Adolf Schlatter [who wrote two different Romans commentaries], Karl Barth, C. K. Barrett, Ernst Käsemann).
Calvin, John. The Epistles of Paul the Apostle to the Romans and to the Thessalonians. Translated by Ross Mackenzie. CNTC 8. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1960.
It is important to hear from interpreters of eras besides our own, and Calvin is among the best. He balances exegetical observations and a keen feel for literary flow with theological acumen and pastoral application. Calvin’s location in an era of gospel rediscovery aids him in resonating with Paul’s analogous breakthroughs in the seminal generation when Christ “brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10) that Romans presents.
Cranfield, C. E. B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. ICC. Vol. 1, I–VIII. Vol. 2, IX–XVI. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1975–1979.
A British academic commentary that draws on insights from commentators in other eras. Interacts extensively with Karl Barth but allows Paul’s theology and the gospel message to receive primary attention overall.
Harvey, John D. Romans. EGGNT. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2017.
Valuable for pastors and others who have studied Greek in the past but may need review. This commentary explains the Greek text line by line, giving parsing details and lexical basics. It also contains sermon outlines and over ninety bibliographies for further study on matters like “In Christ,” “Peace,” “Holy Spirit,” and “Women in Paul’s Churches” as these topics pertain to Romans.
Kruse, Colin G. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. PNTC. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2012.
This work by a distinguished Australian scholar features clear organization, dozens of brief excursuses in order to explore knotty issues, extensive interaction with other scholars, and a commitment to the gospel message that Romans itself seeks to articulate.
Moo, Douglas J. The Letter to the Romans. 2nd ed. NICNT. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018.
Moo is widely regarded as the top American Romans scholar of his generation. His commentary draws on a wide range of authors from many centuries while interacting extensively with current leading thinkers and theories. Among Moo’s strengths is his ability to mine scholarship’s riches for the sake of heightening, not blunting or obscuring, the gospel message set forth in Romans.
Peterson, David G. Commentary on Romans. BTCP. Nashville: Holman Reference, 2017.
Like Kruse (above), Peterson’s Australian vantage point allows insights missed by interpreters from other locales. Also, the format of this commentary calls for attention to the place of Romans within “biblical theology.” Biblical theology refers to the overall structure and substance of the theological truths that Scripture contains, seen in their mutual relations and progressive unfolding. Pastors seeking brief and preachable theological exposition of Romans will find it here.
Schnabel, Eckhard. Der Brief des Paulus an die Römer. Vol. 1, Kapitel 1–5. Vol. 2, Kapitel 6–16. HTA. Witten: SCM R. Brockhaus, 2015–2016.
German scholarship since the Enlightenment has a reputation for skepticism toward the gospel message. Schnabel’s massive (about 1,700 pages) treatment affirms Jesus as God’s Son and the gospel message, like all of the Bible, as true. Among the most scholarly of Romans commentaries, this is also highly expositional and pastoral, in part due to the author’s extensive experience in missional and pastoral teaching around the world.
Schreiner, Thomas. Romans. 2nd ed. BECNT. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2018.
Vies with Moo’s commentary (above) for the blue ribbon among top American evangelical commentaries at present. Schreiner interacts with hundreds of interpreters from across the centuries. This commentary’s format and clear writing help readers follow Paul’s sometimes complicated train of thought. Schreiner highlights God’s glory in the many ways that Romans reveals the “power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).