The Navarre Bible: Romans and Galatians
Overview
In the early 1970s the theology faculty of the University of Navarre embarked on the project of making a new Spanish translation of the Bible—a volume accompanied by commentary designed for the general reader. This project was entrusted to the faculty by St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei and the university’s first chancellor. The first volume, St. Matthew, appeared in 1976; the project was completed February 2005. The Navarre Bible series is considered by many the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.
More comprehensive than the The Navarre Bible: New Testament, this volume features notes and introductions—rarely very technical—designed to illuminate the spiritual and theological message of the Bible. The Standard Edition is replete with quotations from commentaries by the Fathers, as well as excerpts from other spiritual writers—not least among them, St. Josemaría Escrivá—provided to show how they read Scripture and made it meaningful in their lives.
The epistles of Paul to the Romans and the Galatians are two of the “Great Letters” written during Paul’s third missionary journey—the other two being 1 and 2 Corinthians. Galatians was written in response to the debate among Christians of Jewish background over whether salvation was contingent on the observance of the Mosaic Law. Extending and deepening what he wrote in Galatians, Paul fleshes out the tenets of faith in Romans, addressing key aspects of the teaching and redemptive work of Christ. Paul also treats four important notions: sin, death, the flesh, and the Law, emphasizing the demands of the Christian faith in relation to moral conduct.
The Navarre Bible New Testament, Standard Edition is both scholarly and readable, presenting an intellectual, historical, and applicable survey of the riches of the New Testament. In the Logos edition of Romans & Galatians, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and is easy to study side-by-side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with split-second results!
This commentary does not include the Bible texts. The print edition cites the RSVCE and the Nova Vulgata, each available separately, or in select Verbum packages.
- Provides an introduction to Romans and Galatians
- Draws on numerous Catholic resources
- Contains a table of sources cited, maps, and informative notes
- Maps
- Preface and Preliminary Notes
- Abbreviations
- Introduction to the Letters of St. Paul
- The Life of St. Paul
- The Letters of St. Paul
- Introduction to the “theology” of St. Paul
- Introduction to St. Paul’s Letters to the Galatians and the Romans
- The Context in Which the Letters Were Written
- The Recipients
- Content and Structure of the Letters
- The Present Text of Romans
- The Letter of Paul to the Romans: English Version, with Notes
- The Letter of Paul to the Galatians: English Version, with Notes
- New Vulgate Text
- Romans
- Galatians
- Explanatory Notes
- Headings Added to the Biblical Text
- Sources Quoted in the Commentary
Top Highlights
“In this moving passage God helps us see ‘the divine interlacing of the three theological virtues which form the backing upon which the true life of every Christian man or woman has to be woven’ (St J. Escrivá, Friends of God, 205). Faith, hope and charity act in us in turn, causing us to grow in the life of grace. Thus, faith leads us to know and be sure of the things we hope for (cf. Heb 11:1); hope ensures that we shall attain them, and enlivens our love of God; charity, for its part, gives us energy to practise the other two theological virtues. The definitive outcome of this growth in love, faith and hope is the everlasting peace that is of the essence of eternal life.” (Page 86)
“Awareness of God as Father helps us see all the events of our life as orchestrated by the lovable Will of God. Our Father gives us what is best for us and expects us to discover his paternal love in adverse as well as in favourable events. ‘Notice’, St Bernard points out, ‘that he does not say that things suit our whims but that they work for our good. They serve not caprice but usefulness; not pleasure but salvation; not what we desire but what is good for us. In that sense everything works for our good, even death itself, even sin […]. Is it not the case that sins do good to him who on their account becomes more humble, more fervent, more solicitous, more on guard, more prudent?’” (Page 103)
“‘We’ve got to be convinced that God is always near us. We live as though he were far away, in the heavens high above, and we forget that he is also continually by our side.” (Page 101)
[The Bible is] presented unambiguously as the inspired Word of God and, with the help of the commentaries, we are introduced to 2,000 years of contemplative Christian reading and living of the sacred Word.
—Osservatore Romano
. . . Superb volume for adult Bible Study . . . most helpful, enlightening, and fascinating.
—Catholic Transcript
- Title: The Navarre Bible: Romans and Galatians
- Translator: Michael Adams
- Edition: Revised
- Publisher: Four Courts Press
- Publication Date: 2005
- Pages: 196
