Romans (Holman New Testament Commentary | HNTC)
Overview
Dr. Boa reminds us that part of the approach to understanding Romans is to discover the heart of the author, the apostle Paul. What did he want the Roman church to know and learn? This letter delivered some very profound doctrinal and practical truths to the first-century church that remain relevant to Christians today. The church at Rome contained Jews and Gentiles who were in need of apostolic guidance and teaching. They needed to know the purpose and power of the gospel. The goal Paul had in mind in writing this letter was to teach, equip, and unite the Roman believers in the faith, to prepare them to be co-laborers with him in an extraordinary task—spreading the gospel.
Top Highlights
“The person who has truly sacrificed himself or herself to God will be distinguished by one overriding characteristic that informs the rest of life. That characteristic is the unwillingness to be conformed to the pattern of this world.” (Page 364)
“But how exactly is the renewing to take place? What is to ‘fuel’ the metamorphosis that takes place in the believer’s life? Transformation (‘conformation’ to the image of Christ) happens when the renewed mind begins to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. It is the will of God—his standards, his desires, his motives, his values, his practices—which gradually pull the monarch butterfly of the believer out of the world’s cocoon into which he or she has been squeezed. It is a knowledge and practice of the will of God that leads to spiritual growth and maturity in the Christian’s life.” (Page 366)
“The root of worship is latreuo, to serve. God was served in the Old Testament by sacrifices of property owned by the believer, but he is served in the New Testament by the sacrifice of the believer himself or herself. Paul does not tell believers to ‘make’ a sacrifice, but to ‘be’ a sacrifice.” (Page 363)
“Three things characterized Paul: he was a servant, he was called to be an apostle, and he was set apart for the gospel.” (Page 20)
“‘There’s no sense in declaring that you’re not ashamed of something unless you’ve been tempted to feel ashamed of it’” (Page 30)
- Title: Holman New Testament Commentary: Romans
- Authors: Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier
- Publisher: Broadman & Holman
- Publication Date: 2000
- Pages: 480
Kenneth Boa is President of Trinity House Publishers and Reflections Ministry, Inc. He is engaged in a ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship, teaching, writing, and speaking. He holds a B.S. from Case Institute of Technology, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from New York University, and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford, England. He is the author of Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation.
William Kruidenier is a freelance writer/editor who, for six years, served as Editorial Director for Walk Thru the Bible Ministries. He is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary.
