Though the Letters of John appear to be among the simplest books in the New Testament, beneath their superficial simplicity lies a minefield of complexities that have generated difficult debates among Christians over the centuries. This commentary by Colin Kruse provides an excellent exposition of John's letters for teachers and pastors working at all levels of Christian ministry; at the same time it offers students and general readers clear insight into the meaning of these Scriptures for the contemporary Christian life.
Concentrate on the biblical author's message as it unfolds. Designed to assist the pastor and Bible teacher in conveying the significance of God's Word, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series treats the literary context and structure of every passage of the New Testament book in the original Greek. With a unique layout designed to help you comprehend the form and flow of each passage, the ZECNT unpacks: The key message. The author's original translation. An exegetical outline. Verse-by-verse commentary. Theology in application. While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Greek, all who strive to understand and teach the New Testament will benefit from the depth, format, and scholarship of these volumes. 1-3 John In her commentary on John's letters, Karen H. Jobes writes to bridge the distance between academic biblical studies and pastors, students, and laypeople who are looking for an in-depth treatment of the issues raised by these New Testament books. She approaches the three letters of John as part of the corpus that includes John’s gospel, while rejecting an elaborate redactional history of that gospel that implicates the letters. Jobes treats three major themes of the letters under the larger rubric of who has the authority to interpret the true significance of Jesus, an issue that is pressing in our religiously pluralistic society today with its many voices claiming truth about God.
This selection from Dr. Boice's popular commentary series brings into focus three of John's major themes: righteousness, truth, and love. This commentary not only explains the meaning of the text, but it relates the concerns of the text to the world, the church, and the realities of Christian life.
The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context. John weaves together themes of light and darkness, falsehood and truth, and what it means to be children of God in community. He explores the theme of love as central to God's nature and thus as the defining characteristic of those who follow him. The Letters of John teach us about handling conflict, discerning orthodox belief, and measuring Christian conduct. Gary Burge shares perspectives on John's letters that reveal their enduring relevance for our twenty-first-century lives. To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's context, each passage is treated in three sections: Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context. Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible. Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved. This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.
In this Tyndale commentary, John Stott provides insight into the books of 1, 2, and 3 John. Exploring John's hope for his past and present readers to be firmly established in faith, love, and holiness, Stott shows how John challenges us to remember what we already know and stay loyal to the teachings we've heard.
This commentary on what the author calls "a singular, irreplaceable gem among the books of the New Testament" is written with a balance of theological orthodoxy, reverent scholarship, and evangelical warmth. It is a work which provides the preacher, teacher, and layman with a clear and concise discussion of the meaning of the biblical text yet never ignores the devotional purpose with which the Apostle John wrote. - Back cover.
Out of a background of syncretism, confusion, and heresy came three of the most hard-hitting writings of the New Testament. As first-century Christianity entered its last decade, mystery religions, Judaism, fertility cults, Platoism, astrology, religious and philosophical dualism, Stoicism, magic, and many other confusing voices clamored for the popular ear. To refute those heresies and confirm young believers in their knowledge of the truth, the apostle John wrote three powerful letters of encouragement and exhortation. This exhaustive commentary is a significant reference tool for the pastor studying and teaching the three epistles of John and for the student who wants to become more familiar with the apostle's writings. - Back cover.