The Letter to the Romans, written by Paul, reveals that he took seriously his task as Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul employed his Jewish training to explain what the Old Testament revealed about a promised Savior to those with no Jewish background. Notable personalities of the Old Testament, from Adam to Zachariah, had prophesied that someone was coming to restore broken laws and make people of all nations right with God again. This was the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, who had revealed himself to Paul on the road to Damascus.

This 275-page exegesis (critical interpretation) is chock-full of pithy expressions of faith along with the expected illustrations and cross-referenced explanations. For example, when covering the subject of righteousness, the author relates the experience of Job. This well-known Old Testament figure defended his own righteousness. The author rephrases using these concise words of wisdom: “Our unrighteous fades into nothingness when compared to God’s righteousness.”

After twenty-five years studying the book of Romans, Zoa first published his research as a book with encouragement from attendees of a Bible study on chapters 1-8. The “Author’s Notes” and “Important Takeaways” sections are part of a revision based on input from a 2017 study group. All quotations are taken from the King James Version.

The level of Bible knowledge a reader brings to this book can vary from having no idea what all of the words mean to being eager to learn exactly what the original Greek text said. The author attempts to serve both readers. He makes every effort to define basic concepts simply while interspersing Greek insights from Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. The addition of subheadings or font changes might have aided in differentiating these two approaches, but Zao's inclusion of Greek pronunciation and an index in the book are helpful features for any Bible study.

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