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The NIV Application Commentary, New Testament #17
The Letters of John
This commentary focuses on understanding the significance of John's letters when he wrote them and the power they still have today.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2011
About the author
Gary M. Burge
63 books32 followersGary M. Burge (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is dean of the faculty and professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary. He previously taught for twenty-five years at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Among his many published books are The New Testament in Seven Sentences, Theology Questions Everyone Asks (with coeditor David Lauber), A Week in the Life of a Roman Centurion, Mapping Your Academic Career, The New Testament in Antiquity (coauthored with Gene Green), and the award-winning Whose Land? Whose Promise? What Christians Are Not Being Told About Israel and the Palestinians.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 12, 2017
As usual, the NIVAC series is very good for sermon prep. I just finished a series on 1 John and found Burge's commentary and applications very timely and thoughtful. Where the applications were dated, there were thoughts and trajectories that allowed me to think through my own context and current issues that John's message addresses. Overall, very helpful and insightful.
One of my practices is now to email authors who have contributed significantly to my education and sermon preparation to express my appreciation for their service to the Church. I encourage other pastors to do the same. Those called to academic ministry need encouragement too :)
One of my practices is now to email authors who have contributed significantly to my education and sermon preparation to express my appreciation for their service to the Church. I encourage other pastors to do the same. Those called to academic ministry need encouragement too :)
October 1, 2023
I love this series. The unique format just stands out from other commentary series. It takes a Bible book — or in today’s commentary, it takes all three of John’s letters — and breaks down the text into chunks of verses expounded in chapters. So far, nothing new, that’s what every commentary does.
The difference is every chapter starts with the Scripture passage followed by three sections:
Original Meaning,
Bridging Context and
Contemporary Significance.
Original Meaning looks at the text and asks, “What would this text mean to the original audience?” Let’s get into the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the grammar, the historical, geographical, social, cultural background.
Bridging Context makes explicit the transition from the people there and then, to us here and now. In those days, John was warning Christians of Gnostic teachers and their Gnostic ways. Okay, how do we bridge that to today when Gnostic people don’t exist. Or do they?
The final section, Contemporary Significance takes what we learn from the Original Meaning and Bridging Context sections to bring the passage home. What does this mean for our family, work and church.
This is what I tell people, “Read any commentary from this series because it makes you a better Bible reader.”
There are many ‘good’ preachers out there, great with the feels, ticks all the boxes in the Tiktok crowd. That’s an awesome(?) sermon but that’s not what the text says. And people don’t like it when you tell them that the sermon which they enjoyed so much is problematic, it’s like you are putting down their children or they just ignore your comment, they shrug and say, hey, to each his own.
But I am not commenting on the subjective experience which can be impressive, I am saying beneath all the boom-boom-boom, testimonies, dreams and visions is a faulty interpretation of the passage. If the passage was even expounded. Sometimes passages are just used in the beginning as a jumping point, somehow as a prop to legitimise it is a sermon. So we get feel-good emotions but we may not be getting the Truth of the passage.
And knowing what is the Truth is important. Just ask John. The Apostle of Love was not a hippie singing “love, love, love”, he was driven by the deep deep conviction of Who he witnessed and Who he followed, the God-Man Christ Jesus.
...
In conclusion, the NIV Application Commentary series is a standout series. One volume from this series that I recommend is the commentary on Acts by Ajith Fernando. If you have to get a commentary on Acts get this Fernando’s, not Wagner’s.
Every student of the Bible should learn how to separate interpretation from application. Don’t rush to application. Put more effort in understanding what the text says. Because Truth matters. God is light. God is love. How Great is Our God.
Full review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...
The difference is every chapter starts with the Scripture passage followed by three sections:
Original Meaning,
Bridging Context and
Contemporary Significance.
Original Meaning looks at the text and asks, “What would this text mean to the original audience?” Let’s get into the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, the grammar, the historical, geographical, social, cultural background.
Bridging Context makes explicit the transition from the people there and then, to us here and now. In those days, John was warning Christians of Gnostic teachers and their Gnostic ways. Okay, how do we bridge that to today when Gnostic people don’t exist. Or do they?
The final section, Contemporary Significance takes what we learn from the Original Meaning and Bridging Context sections to bring the passage home. What does this mean for our family, work and church.
This is what I tell people, “Read any commentary from this series because it makes you a better Bible reader.”
There are many ‘good’ preachers out there, great with the feels, ticks all the boxes in the Tiktok crowd. That’s an awesome(?) sermon but that’s not what the text says. And people don’t like it when you tell them that the sermon which they enjoyed so much is problematic, it’s like you are putting down their children or they just ignore your comment, they shrug and say, hey, to each his own.
But I am not commenting on the subjective experience which can be impressive, I am saying beneath all the boom-boom-boom, testimonies, dreams and visions is a faulty interpretation of the passage. If the passage was even expounded. Sometimes passages are just used in the beginning as a jumping point, somehow as a prop to legitimise it is a sermon. So we get feel-good emotions but we may not be getting the Truth of the passage.
And knowing what is the Truth is important. Just ask John. The Apostle of Love was not a hippie singing “love, love, love”, he was driven by the deep deep conviction of Who he witnessed and Who he followed, the God-Man Christ Jesus.
...
In conclusion, the NIV Application Commentary series is a standout series. One volume from this series that I recommend is the commentary on Acts by Ajith Fernando. If you have to get a commentary on Acts get this Fernando’s, not Wagner’s.
Every student of the Bible should learn how to separate interpretation from application. Don’t rush to application. Put more effort in understanding what the text says. Because Truth matters. God is light. God is love. How Great is Our God.
Full review: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast...
January 19, 2023
While this book was very difficult for me to read at times, I’m not sure if it was because it was too difficult or just because I’m in my last month of pregnancy and everything is hard 😅 But I certainly learned from this commentary and specifically I feel as though I understand the context and churches of John and why he wrote these letters far better than I did before. Overall I’m glad I read it but probably won’t read another commentary like this for a while…expecting my brain to turn to mush as baby is born and I get less sleep 🤣
November 9, 2019
John's Letters
These set of commentaries have been a great help in understanding the context and applications for use in our lives today. It doesn't leave back in the first century. It helps to live our lives for today.
These set of commentaries have been a great help in understanding the context and applications for use in our lives today. It doesn't leave back in the first century. It helps to live our lives for today.
December 29, 2019
Wow. Read this and have a paradigm shift.
June 28, 2022
This is not a long read, quite good and straightforward. Also many examples here for the real life.
March 28, 2025
A great commentary of Johns letters
May 13, 2025
Great original meaning and contemporary significance sections.
May 14, 2012
Excellent study. Accessible to most everyone
July 31, 2015
Quite enjoyable; another more than acceptable entry in this series, but the author does tend to go off on tangents. Nicely complemented Stott and Barclay.
July 17, 2016
Clear, concise, thoughtful, faithful. Excellent commentary.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews