What do you think?
Rate this book
Biblical Theology of the New Testament
A Theology of John's Gospel and Letters: The Word, the Christ, the Son of God
A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters introduces the first volume in the BTNT series. Building on many years of research and study in Johannine literature, Andreas Köstenberger not only furnishes an exhaustive theology of John’s Gospel and letters, but also provides a detailed study of major themes and relates them to the Synoptic Gospels and other New Testament books. Readers will gain an in-depth and holistic grasp of Johannine theology in the larger context of the Bible.D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) says about Köstenberger’s volume that “for the comprehensiveness of its coverage in the field of Johannine theology (Gospel and Letters), there is nothing to compare to this work.”I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) writes, “This book is a ‘first’ in many ways: the first volume that sets the pattern for the quality and style of the new Biblical Theology of the New Testament series published by Zondervan; the first major volume to be devoted specifically to the theology of John’s Gospel and Letters at a high academic level; and the first volume to do so on the basis that here we have an interpretation of John’s theology composed by an eyewitness of the life and passion of Jesus.”The Biblical Theology of the New Testament SeriesThe Biblical Theology of the New Testament (BTNT) series provides upper college and seminary-level textbooks for students of New Testament theology, interpretation, and exegesis. Pastors and discerning theology readers alike will also benefit from this series. Written at the highest level of academic excellence by recognized experts in the field, the BTNT series not only offers a comprehensive exploration of the theology of every book of the New Testament, including introductory issues and major themes, but also shows how each book relates to the broad picture of New Testament theology.
656 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
66 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 14, 2021
(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 8/10/20)
Köstenberger (AJK) looks at the genre of John's writings, the style of John's writings and the structure of his writings, and ends with a literary-theological reading his the Gospel and of the letters. The literary-theological is the sort of commentary I enjoy. AJK tells us what each section is saying, and why it fits where it does.
Throughout, Köstenberger looks at the themes of glory, the people's messianic expectation, their misunderstanding, divine judgment, death, unbelief, Jesus' signs, and more.
In Part 3 (250 pages), AJK looks at John's worldview and his use of Scripture, the Word, the trinity, salvation history, John's love ethic, theology of the cross, and his trinitarian mission theology.
In the chapter on the Word: creation and new creation, Köstenberger looks at all the references to "life" and "light" in John, and lists his observations on their use throughout John. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all posses life and light. For us to have life is a present reality and a future expectation. We are both saved and we will be saved from sin and death in the future.
Köstenberger's book is extremely valuable just for these insights. This section covers roughly 250 pages, which will give you rich connections throughout John's Gospel.
Recommended?
This is full of theological insights. AJK is evangelical and fully committed to the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture. There is a gold mine of information here. If you are a preacher, a teacher, a layperson, or anywhere in between, and you want to know and understand John's Gospel better, consider picking this one up. It is worth your time.
Köstenberger (AJK) looks at the genre of John's writings, the style of John's writings and the structure of his writings, and ends with a literary-theological reading his the Gospel and of the letters. The literary-theological is the sort of commentary I enjoy. AJK tells us what each section is saying, and why it fits where it does.
Throughout, Köstenberger looks at the themes of glory, the people's messianic expectation, their misunderstanding, divine judgment, death, unbelief, Jesus' signs, and more.
In Part 3 (250 pages), AJK looks at John's worldview and his use of Scripture, the Word, the trinity, salvation history, John's love ethic, theology of the cross, and his trinitarian mission theology.
In the chapter on the Word: creation and new creation, Köstenberger looks at all the references to "life" and "light" in John, and lists his observations on their use throughout John. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all posses life and light. For us to have life is a present reality and a future expectation. We are both saved and we will be saved from sin and death in the future.
Köstenberger's book is extremely valuable just for these insights. This section covers roughly 250 pages, which will give you rich connections throughout John's Gospel.
Recommended?
This is full of theological insights. AJK is evangelical and fully committed to the authority and trustworthiness of Scripture. There is a gold mine of information here. If you are a preacher, a teacher, a layperson, or anywhere in between, and you want to know and understand John's Gospel better, consider picking this one up. It is worth your time.
April 26, 2024
Although I had to read this for class, I throughly enjoyed his writing style and how in depth he covered topics within John’s gospels and epistles. I also appreciated how he included opposing authors and their views on various aspects especially the Johannine community theory that he disputed. I would definitely read another volume by this author.
December 6, 2013
Noted as one of the most preeminent scholars on matters of Johannine theology, Dr. Andreas Kostenberger has provided yet another outstanding resource for the scholarly and academic community on the writings of the Apostle John. A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters is a massive work, replete with a thorough examination of matters of historical context, literary genre, and the various overarching themes discussed in the Gospel of John as well as the letters of 1, 2, and 3 John. Anyone desiring a comprehensive treatment of Johannine theology will find this book to be extremely helpful and a valuable tool for study.
Kostenberger divides his study on John’s gospel and letters into four sections, each beginning with an extensive bibliography that in and of itself will provide the reader with a plethora of further study options or points of departure from which to engage in more specific elements of the Johannine texts perhaps not covered by Kostenberger. Furthermore, this book has extensive footnotes throughout to satisfy the urge of even the “nerdiest” of scholars or layman on the issues Kostenberger engages. Before even reading what Kostenberger has to say from a theological standpoint, I was already impressed with the format of this book and what it has to offer from a textbook/study material point of view. A massive book with nothing but the thoughts of the author is just that, a massive book with nothing but the thoughts of the author. A book such as what is offered by Kostenberger is the opposite, namely that of thoughts offered by a known expert in Johannine theology supported by what is clearly a great deal of research and supportive material that itself provides an additional layer of material worth engaging.
In Part One, Kostenberger annotates the historical framework for what is considered Johannine theology, specifically an engagement of Johannine theology as compared to overall biblical theology as well as a chapter on important but often forgotten matter of the historical setting of John’s gospel and letters. Despite clearly being the shortest section of this book, this section covers what essentially are important foundational matters than must be addressed before any engagement of more specific elements of John’s gospel or letters become the point of focus. Reading about the history of Johannine scholarship was quite enlightening and extremely informative. Not being a synoptic gospel has in the minds of some, limited John’s gospel to nothing more than a spiritual text with a few matters of history thrown in to round out the book. Kostenberger aptly notes “John is a spiritual gospel”: it is the product of profound theological reflection, which, in turn, is grounded in actual historical events through which God acted in salvation history.” Others matters of importance such as the debate over the authorship of John’s gospel and the aforementioned matters of historical significance which shape the events contained in this gospel account, are also ably covered by Kostenberger in this section.
In the vein of all good scholarly biblical commentaries, Kostenberger engages in Part Two, matters of literary genre found in John’s gospel and letters. As noted by Kostenberger in the outset of this section, “The genre of John’s gospel is a widely neglected area in Johannine research.” This is likely due to the enormous amount of theological material found in this gospel with the focus on matters of theological superseding issues such as the need to first analyze what type of books John’s gospel and letters are, a piece of information that helps the reader of these books understand their place in the overall canon of Scripture and allows them to compare the writings of John in his gospel and letters to similar books of the same genre found elsewhere in the biblical corpus. This section of Kostenbeger’s book is sub-divided into four chapters, each dealing with issues of genre, linguistic and literary issues such as John’s use of vocabulary and his overall writing style, concluding with respective chapters on a literary-theological approach to reading John’s gospel and his letters. While for some readers an analysis of linguistics or writing style might seem to be some rather dull and unimportant material, since language forms the basis of writing and an understanding of that form of writing to include issues such as literary devices can often help the reader become more informed when it comes to examining matters of a more theological importance, having this important background information is vital to a larger engagement of John’s gospel and letters and Kostenberger provides the reader with excellent material in this regard.
Kostenberger works through the major thematic elements of John’s gospel and letters in Part Three, working through what amounts to around 250 pages of quite excellent material. This is really the heart of this commentary on John’s gospel and letters given the amount of time spent by Kostenberger on this subject matter. Arguably, this section will contain information more familiar to most readers, given that especially John’s gospel is often one of the first books people read when they start to read the Bible. Themes such as logos (the Word), the comparison of light and darkness, the overlooked in my opinion aspect of Jesus fulfilling the spring Feasts of the Lord as well as perhaps less familiar motifs such as cosmic trial and mission are expertly analyzed and discussed by Kostenberger. Of further note is Kostenberger’s analysis of John’s biblical worldview, an important point to engage considering his audience and given the focus in John’s letters on the impact of Gnostic thought during his day. Grasping the overall worldview of an author is vital and Kostenberger saliently notes “John’s outlook is controlled, first, by the characteristic Jewish belief in one God. Yahweh, the God who created the world, delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and gave the nation the law through Moses at Sinai. Second, John believes that the Messiah predicted in the OT Scriptures was made flesh, walked the earth, and died vicariously on the cross in the person of Jesus Christ.” This is fundamental Scriptural truth and Kostenberger nicely ties the themes found in John’s gospel and letters to the larger framework of scriptural truth in which it rests.
In the final part of this engaging book, Kostenberger compares John’s gospel to the Synoptic gospels as well as compares the Johannine epistles to the Pauline corpus and the remainder of the New Testament books. As mentioned earlier in this review, John’s gospel has often played somewhat of a second fiddle in a historical sense to the synoptic gospels, a viewpoint Kostenberger describes as wholly incorrect. He states “both the Synoptics and John are interested in both history and theology”, something he expertly elaborates on in this section with a number of helpful charts that compare the approach taken by the synoptic gospels and the book of Acts regarding various events and the approach taken by John. While a relatively short section, this final part nonetheless provides a fitting conclusion to a truly excellent commentary on John’s gospel and letters.
The book ends with a lengthy bibliography that again will provide the reader with a bevy of additional resource material with which to engage any of the subject matter Kostenberger discusses in this book as well as certain issues that while important, are perhaps outside the overall focus and framework of Kostenberger’s effort.
Any serious student of Scripture will find A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters to be top notch in its scholarship. I highly recommend this book for scholars, bible college and seminary students, and for that matter, any in the body of Christ interested in studying the background, purpose, and theology of John’s gospel and letters. Those who engage Kostenberger’s book will not be disappointed.
Kostenberger divides his study on John’s gospel and letters into four sections, each beginning with an extensive bibliography that in and of itself will provide the reader with a plethora of further study options or points of departure from which to engage in more specific elements of the Johannine texts perhaps not covered by Kostenberger. Furthermore, this book has extensive footnotes throughout to satisfy the urge of even the “nerdiest” of scholars or layman on the issues Kostenberger engages. Before even reading what Kostenberger has to say from a theological standpoint, I was already impressed with the format of this book and what it has to offer from a textbook/study material point of view. A massive book with nothing but the thoughts of the author is just that, a massive book with nothing but the thoughts of the author. A book such as what is offered by Kostenberger is the opposite, namely that of thoughts offered by a known expert in Johannine theology supported by what is clearly a great deal of research and supportive material that itself provides an additional layer of material worth engaging.
In Part One, Kostenberger annotates the historical framework for what is considered Johannine theology, specifically an engagement of Johannine theology as compared to overall biblical theology as well as a chapter on important but often forgotten matter of the historical setting of John’s gospel and letters. Despite clearly being the shortest section of this book, this section covers what essentially are important foundational matters than must be addressed before any engagement of more specific elements of John’s gospel or letters become the point of focus. Reading about the history of Johannine scholarship was quite enlightening and extremely informative. Not being a synoptic gospel has in the minds of some, limited John’s gospel to nothing more than a spiritual text with a few matters of history thrown in to round out the book. Kostenberger aptly notes “John is a spiritual gospel”: it is the product of profound theological reflection, which, in turn, is grounded in actual historical events through which God acted in salvation history.” Others matters of importance such as the debate over the authorship of John’s gospel and the aforementioned matters of historical significance which shape the events contained in this gospel account, are also ably covered by Kostenberger in this section.
In the vein of all good scholarly biblical commentaries, Kostenberger engages in Part Two, matters of literary genre found in John’s gospel and letters. As noted by Kostenberger in the outset of this section, “The genre of John’s gospel is a widely neglected area in Johannine research.” This is likely due to the enormous amount of theological material found in this gospel with the focus on matters of theological superseding issues such as the need to first analyze what type of books John’s gospel and letters are, a piece of information that helps the reader of these books understand their place in the overall canon of Scripture and allows them to compare the writings of John in his gospel and letters to similar books of the same genre found elsewhere in the biblical corpus. This section of Kostenbeger’s book is sub-divided into four chapters, each dealing with issues of genre, linguistic and literary issues such as John’s use of vocabulary and his overall writing style, concluding with respective chapters on a literary-theological approach to reading John’s gospel and his letters. While for some readers an analysis of linguistics or writing style might seem to be some rather dull and unimportant material, since language forms the basis of writing and an understanding of that form of writing to include issues such as literary devices can often help the reader become more informed when it comes to examining matters of a more theological importance, having this important background information is vital to a larger engagement of John’s gospel and letters and Kostenberger provides the reader with excellent material in this regard.
Kostenberger works through the major thematic elements of John’s gospel and letters in Part Three, working through what amounts to around 250 pages of quite excellent material. This is really the heart of this commentary on John’s gospel and letters given the amount of time spent by Kostenberger on this subject matter. Arguably, this section will contain information more familiar to most readers, given that especially John’s gospel is often one of the first books people read when they start to read the Bible. Themes such as logos (the Word), the comparison of light and darkness, the overlooked in my opinion aspect of Jesus fulfilling the spring Feasts of the Lord as well as perhaps less familiar motifs such as cosmic trial and mission are expertly analyzed and discussed by Kostenberger. Of further note is Kostenberger’s analysis of John’s biblical worldview, an important point to engage considering his audience and given the focus in John’s letters on the impact of Gnostic thought during his day. Grasping the overall worldview of an author is vital and Kostenberger saliently notes “John’s outlook is controlled, first, by the characteristic Jewish belief in one God. Yahweh, the God who created the world, delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and gave the nation the law through Moses at Sinai. Second, John believes that the Messiah predicted in the OT Scriptures was made flesh, walked the earth, and died vicariously on the cross in the person of Jesus Christ.” This is fundamental Scriptural truth and Kostenberger nicely ties the themes found in John’s gospel and letters to the larger framework of scriptural truth in which it rests.
In the final part of this engaging book, Kostenberger compares John’s gospel to the Synoptic gospels as well as compares the Johannine epistles to the Pauline corpus and the remainder of the New Testament books. As mentioned earlier in this review, John’s gospel has often played somewhat of a second fiddle in a historical sense to the synoptic gospels, a viewpoint Kostenberger describes as wholly incorrect. He states “both the Synoptics and John are interested in both history and theology”, something he expertly elaborates on in this section with a number of helpful charts that compare the approach taken by the synoptic gospels and the book of Acts regarding various events and the approach taken by John. While a relatively short section, this final part nonetheless provides a fitting conclusion to a truly excellent commentary on John’s gospel and letters.
The book ends with a lengthy bibliography that again will provide the reader with a bevy of additional resource material with which to engage any of the subject matter Kostenberger discusses in this book as well as certain issues that while important, are perhaps outside the overall focus and framework of Kostenberger’s effort.
Any serious student of Scripture will find A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters to be top notch in its scholarship. I highly recommend this book for scholars, bible college and seminary students, and for that matter, any in the body of Christ interested in studying the background, purpose, and theology of John’s gospel and letters. Those who engage Kostenberger’s book will not be disappointed.
April 28, 2021
2021 reads: #14
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Comprehensive Johannine scholarship from an evangelical perspective. It is so refreshing to read a believer exploring this kind of subject material. Will definitely be using this volume as a trusted resource.
Sound method leads to sound theological and thematic reflections and conclusions.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Comprehensive Johannine scholarship from an evangelical perspective. It is so refreshing to read a believer exploring this kind of subject material. Will definitely be using this volume as a trusted resource.
Sound method leads to sound theological and thematic reflections and conclusions.
November 26, 2012
I found Köstenberger's book to be a valuable addition to my bookshelf. The meat of the book in part 3 is something I will probably come back to frequently and may even blog some of Köstenberger's charts and lists. Particularly interesting to me was his case for the cleansing of the temple as the first sign thus making the raising of Lazarus the seventh sign to appear in the Gospel. Köstenberger present his case as tentative and awaiting "further scholarly discussion" (335), which gives his work the virtue of not just a collecting and systematizing of themes but actually bringing to light new insights into John's message that can generate a response. Also interesting in this regard are Köstenberger's comparison of the days of creation with the new creation inaugurated by Jesus at the start of his ministry (349-354), and how John "developed his theological presentation of Jesus" from the "quarry" of salvation historical themes such as creation, exodus, the exile, and various Jewish festivals and institutions (405-412).
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in really exploring the theology of John's Gospel and Letters. As Köstenberger displays, there is a richness to John's writing that comes out upon close literary and theological analysis. If you're interested in seeing that more for yourself, then this the book for you.
For the full review, visit my blog
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in really exploring the theology of John's Gospel and Letters. As Köstenberger displays, there is a richness to John's writing that comes out upon close literary and theological analysis. If you're interested in seeing that more for yourself, then this the book for you.
For the full review, visit my blog
December 31, 2016
The author's knowledge on the subject of John and his writings is almost encyclopedic in nature. That being said, it is so in depth, especially in academic theories, that the Bible seems to get lost in the shuffle in places.
May 8, 2019
Simply outstanding. The Gospel of John has been my favorite book of the Bible for several years now, and my understanding and affinity for it have only deepened after reading this massive work. Kostenberger expertly guides his readers through the potential mire of Johannine scholarship before delving into an exploration of the main theological themes of John's writings (minus Revelation). There were a number of topics that I either hadn't considered or was completely unaware of, such as the impact of Jerusalem's destruction on the writing of the gospel (and its connection with the fulfillment/replacement motif in John), the "Cosmic Trial" motif, and the relationship between John's trinitarian theology and his missiology, among a host of other topics.
My only major criticism is the treatment (or lack thereof) of John's letters. While Kostenberger argues convincingly for common authorship between the gospel and letters and demonstrates that many of the main themes carry over from one to the other, the theology of the letters themselves get very little overall discussion in the book. In fact, I would argue that one could take everything said about the letters and be able to fit it into an extended appendix at the end of the book. I still give it five stars since, personally, I wanted to read it for its study of the gospel, and thus was not disappointed in the least. But those wanting the same kind of in-depth study of 1-3 John may have to look elsewhere.
However, for those who are looking for a comprehensive, theologically rich study of the theology of John's gospel that is characterized by both humility and readability, this book is a MUST read.
My only major criticism is the treatment (or lack thereof) of John's letters. While Kostenberger argues convincingly for common authorship between the gospel and letters and demonstrates that many of the main themes carry over from one to the other, the theology of the letters themselves get very little overall discussion in the book. In fact, I would argue that one could take everything said about the letters and be able to fit it into an extended appendix at the end of the book. I still give it five stars since, personally, I wanted to read it for its study of the gospel, and thus was not disappointed in the least. But those wanting the same kind of in-depth study of 1-3 John may have to look elsewhere.
However, for those who are looking for a comprehensive, theologically rich study of the theology of John's gospel that is characterized by both humility and readability, this book is a MUST read.
December 9, 2017
Though some chapter lack a 5-star quality, this was a wonderful assigned reading that is thoroughly academic and steeped in many years of study. The sheer breadth of this volume is worth having and taking ones time to go through.
December 2, 2019
Solid, insightful, helpful. I would have loved to see Kostenberger explore the purpose of the book in more depth, as well as a consideration of how John sought to achieve that purpose through narrative.
April 16, 2024
Read for seminary. Struggled through it. Lost of good info, I'm sure. But just not the kind of book that reads itself, if that makes sense.
September 15, 2025
This is a really good series. Great for in-depth study of the Johannine corpus.
September 29, 2010
It ended up taking me a few months to read Kostenberger's 600+ page beast. However, I must say that the investment in time was well worth it.
Kostenberger traces out several of the more prominent themes in John's theology. Themes such as the Messiah's signs, John's trinitarian missional theology, and Jesus' fulfillment of OT feasts all receive extensive treatment. John also provides the reader with extensive introductory material to the Gospel of John (authorship, provenance, etc.) and concludes the book by briefly exploring the relationship between John's Gospel and other NT works.
Kostenberger is no doubt one of the finest Johannine scholars today and this work, along with his commentary on John, are extremely valuable to those who will preach/teach extensively in John's Gospel.
Kostenberger traces out several of the more prominent themes in John's theology. Themes such as the Messiah's signs, John's trinitarian missional theology, and Jesus' fulfillment of OT feasts all receive extensive treatment. John also provides the reader with extensive introductory material to the Gospel of John (authorship, provenance, etc.) and concludes the book by briefly exploring the relationship between John's Gospel and other NT works.
Kostenberger is no doubt one of the finest Johannine scholars today and this work, along with his commentary on John, are extremely valuable to those who will preach/teach extensively in John's Gospel.
August 11, 2015
This is a model of conservative, well-researched, and readable biblical theology. Köstenberger deals with introductory issues , such as the authorship of John's gospel and writings. For instance, he has an excellent defense of the authorship of the apostle John and cogent critique of Richard Bauckam's argument that a different elder John wrote the Gospel. He also deals with the structure of John and its major themes. The book is thick, but it covers so much ground that some discussions are surprisingly brief. Nonetheless, I never felt as though the brevity was hindering the depth of the argument.
December 4, 2016
This was a very insightful and helpful read. I am glad my professor assigned it because I probably would not have attempted to read it otherwise. The chapter on the love of God was extraordinary. I plan to use these insights in future preaching opportunities.
March 31, 2017
This book covers a great deal of territory on the Gospel of John. Prolific commentator, Andreas Kostenberger, has written an outstanding volume here. Think of it as a book that summarizes all the issues and themes that scholars often talk about involving John’s Gospel to put beside your commentaries on John. Zondervan is putting out a whole series called the Biblical Theology of the New Testament (BTNT) in eight volumes to cover the New Testament. Authors in the series are required to have already written a commentary on one of the books in their section. Mr. Kostenberger has already written a highly-rated commentary on John in the Baker Exegetical Commentary series. Though its stated audience is for upper college and seminary-level students, I found it, as a pastor, accessible and easier to read than many volumes of its kind.
Part 1 of this book provides the historical framework for Johannine theology. He begins in chapter 1 by explaining how John is a “spiritual gospel” and breaks down how he intends to approach his subject in this book. In chapter 2 he approaches the much-discussed subject of the Johannine community. That hypothesis has a lot of baggage and he expertly guides us through it. There’s a great deal of scholarly interaction in this section too. Next, he tackles typical introductory matters including authorship, date, provenance, and destination. He arrives at conservative conclusions while well surveying the field. In every section of this book, remember he addresses both John’s Gospel and the Epistles of John. In a sense, it’s a two-for-one deal.
In part 2, he wades through what he calls literary foundations for Johannine theology. That involves a discussion of genre which he carries out in great detail. Don’t miss chapter 3. It’s a motherlode of extraordinary information of what he calls linguistic and literary dimensions of John’s Gospel and letters. I found so much information there that greatly expanded my thinking on the Gospel of John.
Chapter 4 is a nice, lengthy literary-theological reading of John’s Gospel followed by a chapter in the same vein on John’s letters. Part 3 discusses major themes in John’s theology. There’s a chapter on John’s worldview and use of Scripture, one on the Messiah and His signs, one on the word as creation and new creation, one on the Trinity, one on the festivals and the symbolism involved, one on the trial of Christ, one on the new messianic community, one on John’s love ethic, one on his theology of the cross, and finally one on mission. Part 4 is basically a summary and a discussion of how John’s theology fits in with the rest of Scripture. The book ends with a lengthy bibliography.
This is now the third volume in this series that I have reviewed, and the quality is high. In fact, in this volume on John, I can’t think of another volume that covers the subject so broadly and so well. This is an indispensable volume for the student of John.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Part 1 of this book provides the historical framework for Johannine theology. He begins in chapter 1 by explaining how John is a “spiritual gospel” and breaks down how he intends to approach his subject in this book. In chapter 2 he approaches the much-discussed subject of the Johannine community. That hypothesis has a lot of baggage and he expertly guides us through it. There’s a great deal of scholarly interaction in this section too. Next, he tackles typical introductory matters including authorship, date, provenance, and destination. He arrives at conservative conclusions while well surveying the field. In every section of this book, remember he addresses both John’s Gospel and the Epistles of John. In a sense, it’s a two-for-one deal.
In part 2, he wades through what he calls literary foundations for Johannine theology. That involves a discussion of genre which he carries out in great detail. Don’t miss chapter 3. It’s a motherlode of extraordinary information of what he calls linguistic and literary dimensions of John’s Gospel and letters. I found so much information there that greatly expanded my thinking on the Gospel of John.
Chapter 4 is a nice, lengthy literary-theological reading of John’s Gospel followed by a chapter in the same vein on John’s letters. Part 3 discusses major themes in John’s theology. There’s a chapter on John’s worldview and use of Scripture, one on the Messiah and His signs, one on the word as creation and new creation, one on the Trinity, one on the festivals and the symbolism involved, one on the trial of Christ, one on the new messianic community, one on John’s love ethic, one on his theology of the cross, and finally one on mission. Part 4 is basically a summary and a discussion of how John’s theology fits in with the rest of Scripture. The book ends with a lengthy bibliography.
This is now the third volume in this series that I have reviewed, and the quality is high. In fact, in this volume on John, I can’t think of another volume that covers the subject so broadly and so well. This is an indispensable volume for the student of John.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews