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Andreas J. Köstenberger's new commentary on the Gospel of John draws on extensive research and engages the best of contemporary scholarship, yet provides a readable study that will be beneficial to students, pastors, and scholars.
After considering the historical context of the letter as well as its relation to other New Testament writings, Köstenberger turns to his exegetical work. An introduction to each exegetical unit is provided along with the author's own translation of the Greek text. In the course of his verse-by-verse comments, Köstenberger incorporates references to other ancient writings that help explain the book's theological, cultural, and social context. Where appropriate, he draws upon the work of other commentators and provides extensive notes for further reading and research.
After considering the historical context of the letter as well as its relation to other New Testament writings, Köstenberger turns to his exegetical work. An introduction to each exegetical unit is provided along with the author's own translation of the Greek text. In the course of his verse-by-verse comments, Köstenberger incorporates references to other ancient writings that help explain the book's theological, cultural, and social context. Where appropriate, he draws upon the work of other commentators and provides extensive notes for further reading and research.
720 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2004
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127 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 2, 2019
Readable and very thorough, but I didn't find Kostenberger contributing anything significant in comparison to Carson, Brown, or Ridderbos. Not nearly as technical as the other commentaries, and he does a great job of presenting the material in an easy to read/understand format.
December 2, 2024
Very good expostion on many topics in John. Well rounded but never seemed to be in excess.
This series suffers from the lack of practical and devotional applications and can sometimes be more targeted at higher (textual) criticism issues. Nevertheless, still a worthy resource for pastors and layleaders alike.
P/S: Kostenberger is writing a John commentary for EEC (Lexham Press). Would be interesting to see if it is an update or revision of this commentary with better formatting.
This series suffers from the lack of practical and devotional applications and can sometimes be more targeted at higher (textual) criticism issues. Nevertheless, still a worthy resource for pastors and layleaders alike.
P/S: Kostenberger is writing a John commentary for EEC (Lexham Press). Would be interesting to see if it is an update or revision of this commentary with better formatting.
November 11, 2010
Over the past year I've been working my way through Kostenberger's commentary on John.
There are certainly many commentaries on John that one could recommend (Carson, Morris, Keener). However, I find Kostenberger's work to be one of my favorites. I have three reasons for this.
First, Kostenberger writes with clarity and concision. Second, while he deals with heavy theological/textual issues he never misses "the forest for the trees." This makes the commentary very valuable for pastors and Bible teachers. Third, Kostenberger possesses an excellent knowledge of the field of Johaninie studies and this shines forth in his commentary.
If you're teaching/preaching through John, I would recommend this work along with Kostenberger's excellent "A Theology of John's Gospel and Letters."
There are certainly many commentaries on John that one could recommend (Carson, Morris, Keener). However, I find Kostenberger's work to be one of my favorites. I have three reasons for this.
First, Kostenberger writes with clarity and concision. Second, while he deals with heavy theological/textual issues he never misses "the forest for the trees." This makes the commentary very valuable for pastors and Bible teachers. Third, Kostenberger possesses an excellent knowledge of the field of Johaninie studies and this shines forth in his commentary.
If you're teaching/preaching through John, I would recommend this work along with Kostenberger's excellent "A Theology of John's Gospel and Letters."
February 19, 2017
I liked Kostenberger as my #3 commentary on John (after Carson and Morris) because it seemed like he was very familiar with the works of many other commentators (there were lots of citations). Also, there were times in which Kostenberger would contradict both Carson and Morris (who tended to take the same view a lot of times), so he was a good "reality check" for me to make sure I considered other interpretations. If I had to recommend just one commentary on John, I might recommend Kostenberger, depending on the situation. Carson is the best, but Kostenberger is simpler and more succinct. Morris would be too long and detailed for many people to handle.
October 1, 2024
Decent. After reading Carson and Morris, there's just not much here.
June 20, 2025
Kostenberger is a gifted writer and reliable exegete. However, I think his historical reconstruction is flawed.
April 14, 2015
My full review can be read here: spoiledmilks dot wordpress dot com/2015/04/08/review-john-becnt/
K’s Introduction is a mere 20 pages (compared to Carson’s 90 and Michaels’ 42), and moves through the Significance and Interpretation of John, and second through Hermeneutical Presuppositions, expressing his full reliance on the Holy Spirit through his active, born-again faith in Jesus Christ.
Next he covers the Historical Setting, Literary Features, an Outline of John, a Chronology of Jesus' Ministry in John, Theological Emphases, and John's Place in the Canon, all under 20 pages. This brevity is seen all throughout K's commentary. There is nothing wrong with a commentary being "long" (like Keener's two volume 1700 page set on John). But K's brevity is immensely helpful when the pastor does not have the time to read and note 1700 pages, especially when we know K's Hermeneutical Presuppositions are from a conservative, evangelical standpoint.
The Spoiled Milk
K's brevity is a two-edged sword. Where there is brevity, elaboration remains lacking. We must remember this is an exegetical commentary in the BECNT series and not a necessarily theological commentary. There is theology in here, but K has also written a book on the Theology of John.
But this commentary's page length is exactly 700 pages, less than the other Gospel commentaries in the series, and is quite less than non-Gospel commentaries. This brevity means there are many verses that are merely touched on.
As I said this is an exegetical commentary seeking to see what the text says. But since this is also for pastors, more elaboration of the text and more theology would have been well-appreciated.
Also, K seems to parrot many other commentators. In-text citations abound. It's hard to find a paragraph without a citation or quote. It can be quite the burden for the reader just to find the text.
All in all though, still a good commentary, just not the best.
3.5/5.0
[Special thanks to Mark at SPCK and Trinity at Baker Academic for allowing me to review this book! I was not obligated to provide a positive review in exchange for this book.]
K’s Introduction is a mere 20 pages (compared to Carson’s 90 and Michaels’ 42), and moves through the Significance and Interpretation of John, and second through Hermeneutical Presuppositions, expressing his full reliance on the Holy Spirit through his active, born-again faith in Jesus Christ.
Next he covers the Historical Setting, Literary Features, an Outline of John, a Chronology of Jesus' Ministry in John, Theological Emphases, and John's Place in the Canon, all under 20 pages. This brevity is seen all throughout K's commentary. There is nothing wrong with a commentary being "long" (like Keener's two volume 1700 page set on John). But K's brevity is immensely helpful when the pastor does not have the time to read and note 1700 pages, especially when we know K's Hermeneutical Presuppositions are from a conservative, evangelical standpoint.
The Spoiled Milk
K's brevity is a two-edged sword. Where there is brevity, elaboration remains lacking. We must remember this is an exegetical commentary in the BECNT series and not a necessarily theological commentary. There is theology in here, but K has also written a book on the Theology of John.
But this commentary's page length is exactly 700 pages, less than the other Gospel commentaries in the series, and is quite less than non-Gospel commentaries. This brevity means there are many verses that are merely touched on.
As I said this is an exegetical commentary seeking to see what the text says. But since this is also for pastors, more elaboration of the text and more theology would have been well-appreciated.
Also, K seems to parrot many other commentators. In-text citations abound. It's hard to find a paragraph without a citation or quote. It can be quite the burden for the reader just to find the text.
All in all though, still a good commentary, just not the best.
3.5/5.0
[Special thanks to Mark at SPCK and Trinity at Baker Academic for allowing me to review this book! I was not obligated to provide a positive review in exchange for this book.]
January 23, 2015
Shorter than Carson on John. Often parallels what Carson says. Worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews