Reading Romans with Luther

The book of Romans has always been one of the books that I love in the Bible.  No matter how many times I read through its verses, God uses it to speak to my heart.  I am not one of those people who can just read through the Bible.  I am constantly asking the question, "Why?" and going on a journey to find the answer.

I have several tools in my Bible arsenal to help me grasp understanding on a certain verse or subject.  One of my favorite tools is commentaries.  I love the incredible insight they bring to the Bible but often I spend more time trying to decipher exactly what the author is saying than gaining more insight into Scripture.  The writing is written in a different vernacular than I am used to reading, since many commentaries were written centuries ago, which makes me fear that something will be lost in translation.

R.J. Grunewald has done something amazing that I know will bless many with his new book.  He as taken the incredible work of Martin Luther and put it into our language today in  Reading Romans with Luther.

Martin Luther's commentary was actually taken from the notes of a lecture that he spoke in 1515-1516 so you can imagine the style that Luther's commentary is written in.  Luther's commentary is intimidating to read but so influential.  Everyone needs to hear his insight yet so few dare to delve into its pages to grasp his understanding.

Rather than writing his own commentary on Romans, Mr. Grunewald takes "only pertinent paragraphs [of Luther's commentary] that go along with the themes outlined" and puts it into a language that we can understand today.

Many of the traditional commentaries out there go verse by verse but Mr. Gruenwald has taken more of a devotional approach which I found intriguing.  To first read Luther's words and then have the author put it into layman's terms was beautifully done.  

The book of Romans is a wonderful reminder of our freedom as believers in Jesus Christ.  Our culture is so self-absorbed but Reading Romans with Luther takes our focus off ourselves and rightly puts it on our King.  

There are so many truths that rang out to me that I was highlighting like crazy throughout this book.  I think I highlighted 95% of the book!  I plan on going back to spend more time on each individual topic as it is such a rich study.  This is the Good News for all believers and something I never tire of reading or studying.

This is the first book by R.J. Grunewald that I have read but I am now a fan.  The book was released yesterday and Amazon is already sold out!  You can get a copy on Kindle or pick up a copy from the publisher, Concordia Publishing House.  

It is a must read for all believers and for those who want to know what Christianity is truly all about.  It made me fall more in love with Romans and gave me even more of a hunger for God's Word.  I highly recommend!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.