The Epistles of John: An Expositional Commentary

Hiebert Commentary

by D. Edmond Hiebert

"Throughout the various periods of the Christian era," writes D. Edmond Hiebert in the preface to this commentary, "devout believers have always cherished the Johannine Episles as a priceless portion of the New Testament. The grand simplicity of their contents has unfailingly nurtured the faith and stimulated the life of the humblest believer, while the profound depths of their teachings have challenged the most scholarly interpreters. They have been the subject of innumerable sermonic expositions and scholarly treatises; yet their inexhaustible contents continue to spur renewed examination of their God-given truths."

Genres: Reference, New Testament

371 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1991

Reviews

[Nathan Wilder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hiebert's commentary on the epistles of John reflects biblical and conservative theology with a high view of scripture by interpreting the text consistently with literal-historical-grammatical hermeneutics. His book is divided into sections based primarily on the flow of thought through each epistle, addressing each verse by verse in paragraphs throughout. One of the things he does really well is present multiple interpretations held by various commentators in consideration of their strengths and weaknesses. This kind of argumentation allows the reader to make decisions, while still presenting what the author believes to be the best interpretation. He is honest enough to double down on certainties, while still admitting where the boundaries of uncertainty lie.
This commentary is user friendly regardless of your level of scholarship. Hiebert's interactions with the Greek text consist of transliterations, making it simple for those unfamiliar with the original languages to benefit from. His commentary uses the text of the King James Version, making this an especially valuable resource for those wanting to interact with some of the similarities and differences between the KJV and newer translations, as well as between the Textus Receptus and the UBS/NA text. He accomplishes this through comparison, occasionally touching on manuscript evidence and text criticism, always siding with readings he reasonably believes to most closely align with what the Apostle John originally wrote.
This resource is excellently written, and of academic quality. I commend it for use in research and biblical scholarship as well as church ministry.

[William Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hiebert's observations on the text (fyi, he has no "settled" text as he volleys between the TR and the CT texts) is good. He brings to his 1991 commentary a vast array of perspectives from other past and contemporary Bible commentaries. This is a worthy exegetical commentary with a hint of homiletical insights though scanty pastoral/devotional wisdom. Dr. Hiebert thoroughly evaluates words and terms and makes one feel like he has left no stone unturned. His choice of the KJV/TR as a standard text is appreciated though he offers very little or even no support to that translation and text (cf. 1 John 5:7-8, the Johannine Comma, he calls "The Famous Interpolation" pp. 26-27; 238-240).

[Kristopher Schaal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this as my third commentary when I preached on 1 John in the youth group. I really appreciated Hiebert's succinct thoroughness. Hiebert leans toward the more standard interpretations (makes sense, he was an older commentator), but he always provides good reasons for his views. He didn't often provoke me to meditation in the same way that Kruse or Yarbrough did, but if I was trying to decide between view 1 and view 2, he was very helpful.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary! This edition covers all three of the Johannine Epistles thoroughly. Every page is a blessing and spiritually rewarding. For those familiar with the NT Greek, you will find this commentary also serves as a helpful aid in translation and sermon preparation. For everyone else, it works well as a devotional commentary. 5 stars and my highest recommendation.

[Tim Senter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent technical commentary.