The Book of Romans. Ariel’s Bible Commentary. By Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum. San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries; 2022. 408 pp. Hardcover, $19.00.
Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum is founder and head of Ariel Ministries in San Antonio, Texas. Ariel is a ministry that evangelizes and also produces discipleship resources from a Messianic Jewish perspective. The ministry emphasizes taking the message to the Jew first. Fruchtenbaum is a speaker and writer with many books to his credit.
I am a fan of Fruchtenbaum and have appreciated his writings and study materials for many years. He brings the Jewishness of the Bible alive. He challenges me to ask, “How would a Jewish believer understand this verse?” After all, in human terms, the Bible was written by Jews to Jews.
He has now written a commentary on the Book of Romans. Like many of his other works, it is detailed, logical, well-written, and generally a good resource. It has 408 pages and includes two appendices. Appendix 1 references OT verses used in Romans. Appendix 2 discusses and refutes differing views of Romans 9–11 (i.e., covenant postmillennialism, covenant amillennialism, and covenant premillennialism).
The commentary is Free Grace friendly and generally holds to belief alone in Christ alone for eternal life. However, there are instances where readers of the JOTGES will find exceptions.
In discussing verses 1:16-17, the author states that the theme of Romans is, “the gospel that saves.” He describes the content of the gospel as the “substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. Everyone who believes this simple message is saved.” So, Fruchtenbaum presents the view that in Romans, salvation or being saved, is rescue from hell. It is not deliverance from God’s temporal wrath. He also suggests that all who believe in Jesus’ substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection are born-again. However, he does not discuss people who believe this, but who also believe they must maintain their salvation by perseverance in good works.
In his discussion of Romans 4 and its OT example of belief, (i.e., Abraham), he rightly says, “Abraham was fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised. Abraham’s faith rested in a person.” In applying this, however, he writes:
The object of a believer’s faith is also God, but the content of their faith is different. It is the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua [Jesus] the Messiah, who died for their sins (1 Cor 15:1-4). Believers are still saved by grace through faith, but the content of what they believe differs from the content of Abraham’s faith.
This raises the question of why, if the content of belief has changed, Paul cites Abraham as an example. Fruchtenbaum does not make any references to the Gospel of John in “salvation” contexts.
Throughout the commentary, Fruchtenbaum works from the Greek Critical Text, not the Majority Text. This is particularly evident in his discussion of Romans 8:1. He explains that all “believers are no longer under the sentence of condemnation.” There is no mention of those who walk according to the flesh or the Spirit.
He is correct in observing that the believer’s “new nature is incapable of sinning.” This point seems lost in the evangelical writing of today. However, in discussing 8:13-14, he explains that the distinction is not between spiritual and unspiritual believers, but between believers and unbelievers. That seems unlikely in a section on how the believer is to live.
In 8:16-17, Fruchtenbaum equates children of God with sons. So, “there is no distinction between heirs and joint heirs. Since [all] believers are sons of God by adoption, they will inherit what Yeshua [Jesus] will inherit.” In discussing 8:28ff, he takes a traditional view.
His discussion of Romans 9–11 is generally very good. He introduces this portion of Romans by explaining the section’s importance in relation to Israel. If God hasn’t, doesn’t, or won’t keep His promises to Israel, then how can church age saints be assured that God will keep His promises to them? He is right in observing that Romans 9–11 presents Paul’s Israelology.
Unfortunately, Fruchtenbaum equates righteousness with salvation. His discussion of Romans 10:9-10 is, therefore, not helpful. He says, “these two verses explain exactly how one is saved.” By this he means eternally saved. In explaining this, he says that “belief will naturally flow into confession” and “confession is not a separate act from faith.” He goes on to say that “confession and believing” are “interchangeable and used synonymously by Paul.” While readers of the JOTGES may disagree with his position on 10:9-10, he does, as part of his discussion, refute Lordship Salvation.
What is surprising is that he does not mention the specific need for Jews to confess Jesus in order to avoid the wrath associated with the destruction of the nation in AD 70. In his discussion of 10:9-10 and 10:13, he abandons Israel as the intended subject.
In summarizing Romans 9–11, Fruchtenbaum correctly concludes that God will keep His promises to Israel and that this shows God will keep His promises to the church.
This commentary has some deficiencies in crucial areas. However, it also has many valuable insights and observations. So, I recommend this resource for those who are well-grounded in their beliefs, including pastors, elders, professors, and teachers.
Brad Doskocil
Board Chairman, GES
Long Beach, California