Basic commentary on John. Good for those who want something that gives good overviews and is short. Not good for verse by verse study ( )

The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective. That’s the subtitle, that’s what attracted me to the book, and that’s why it gets a five-star review. Because it delivers exactly what it promises, without turning into monstrous tome.

This is a classroom text, complete with tables, charts, pictures, study words, fascinating sidebars, keywords, and some very helpful appendix topics. I’m thinking that perhaps the best way to convey the flavor of this book is to list some of the sidebar headings:

The Double Amen in John’s Gospel
Irony in John’s Gospel
The Significance of Jewish Festivals in John’s Gospel
Did Jesus Come to Bring Judgment or Not?
The Chronology of the Passion Narrative in John and the Synoptics
The Eternal Subordination of the Son
The So-called Johannine Pentecost

The writing is interesting and inspiring, and the topic of John’s Gospel is well covered from several angles. I have a couple shelves of books about Johannine writings, and if I were to pick one as a stand-alone introduction, this would be it. The most highly recommended overall learning tool about John’s Gospel in my library. ( )