The

Story of God

Bible Commentary

ROMANS

Michael F. Bird

Tremper Longman III & Scot McKnight

General Editors

ZONDERVAN

Romans

Copyright © 2016 by Michael Bird

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bird, Michael F.

Romans / Michael F. Bird.

pages cm. — (Story of God Bible commentary)

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-310-32718-9 (hardcover)

1. Bible. Romans—Commentaries. I. Title.

BS2665.53.B56 2015

227'.1077—dc23

2015026775

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Ron Huizinga

Cover image: iStockphoto®

composition: Greg Johnson/Textbook Perfect

Editorial Board

of

The Story of God Bible Commentary

Old Testament general editor

Tremper Longman III

Old Testament associate editors

George Athas

Mark J. Boda

Myrto Theocharous

New Testament general editor

Scot McKnight

New Testament associate editors

Lynn H. Cohick

Michael F. Bird

Joel Willitts

Zondervan Editors

Senior acquisitions editor

Katya Covrett

Senior production editor, Old Testament

Nancy L. Erickson

Senior production editor, New Testament

Verlyn D. Verbrugge

In gratitude to the many pastors who have shared the love of

Christ with me and my family in both word and deed.

Craig Corkill

Joey Huggins†

Craig Lloyd

David D’Amour

Angus Macrae

Dan Bigg

Contents

The Story of God Bible Commentary Series

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction to Romans

Resources for Those Teaching or Preaching the Book of Romans

Commentary on Romans

Scripture Index

Extrabiblical Literature Index

Subject Index

Author Index

The Story of God Bible Commentary Series

The Word of God may not change, but culture does. Think of what we have seen in the last twenty years: we now communicate predominantly through the internet and email; we read our news on iPads and computers; we can talk on the phone to our friends while we are driving, while we are playing golf, or while we are taking long walks; and we can get in touch with others from the middle of nowhere. We carry in our hands small devices that connect us to the world and to a myriad of sources ...