"Jesus' resurrection plays a central role in the narrative and theology of John's gospel. In these essays, leading Johannine scholars explore the relationship of Jesus' resurrection to his signs, crucifixion, and the faith of later generations. The embodied quality of the resurrection and its importance for Johannine eschatology and life within the Christian community receive special attention. Studies explore the interplay between the Farewell Discourses and the resurrection narratives, the role of John 21, Jesus' ascension, and Jesus' commission to forgive and retain sins. The essays give a rich sense of the many facets of Jesus' resurrection and its importance for the study of John's gospel and Christian theology."--BOOK JACKET.

"The Gospel of John and the Religious Quest argues that at its origin the Fourth Gospel was part of a dialogue with various religious traditions, and that to this day it is being used in active dialogue with those who live in traditions other than the Christian. In the first part of the book, Johannes Nissen analyzes a number of texts selected both for their central importance to John's theology and for their special relevance in today's religious quests and encounters. These texts focus on John's images of Life--water, bread, light, way, and tree--but also treat concepts that are crucial to the Fourth Gospel--Word, Truth, and Love. In the second part, Nissen focuses on significant issues for current readers of the Gospel: the relation between incarnation and inculturation; models for dialogue with other religions; images of Christ; truth and love as criteria for dialogue; and the experience of faith in the light of the Fourth Gospel. "

The author of a much-loved two volume Matthew commentary (1990) that he greatly revised and expanded fourteen years later, Frederick Dale Bruner now offers The Gospel of John: A Commentary -- more rich fruit of his lifetime of study and teaching. Rather than relying primarily on recent scholarship, Bruner honors and draws from the church's major John commentators throughout history, including Augustine, Chrysostom, Aquinas, Luther, Calvin, Bultmann, Barrett, and many more. Alongside this "historical interpretation" is Bruner's own contemporary interpretation, which incorporates a lucid translation of the text, references to recent scholarship, and his pastoral application of the Gospel to present-day experience. Like Bruner's other work, this commentary is rich in biblical insights, broadly historical, and deeply theological. Here is what Eugene Peterson said about Bruner's earlier work on Matthew: "This is the kind of commentary I most want -- a theological wrestling with Scripture. Frederick Dale Bruner grapples with the text not only as a technical exegete (although he does that very well) but as a church theologian, caring passionately about what these words tell us about God and ourselves. His Matthew commentary is in the grand traditions of Augustine, Calvin, and Luther -- expansive and leisurely, loving the text, the people in it, and the Christians who read it." The same could well be said about the present John commentary, which promises to be another invaluable resource for pastors, teachers, and laypeople alike.

Accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date, Interpreting the Gospel and Letters of John is an ideal text for students new to the discipline of biblical studies. Sherri Brown and Francis J. Moloney present a broad overview of the story of Christianity arising out of its Jewish foundations and proceed to guide readers expertly through the contents of the Gospel and Letters of John. Maintaining that Johannine literature is best understood against the background of the Old Testament covenant metaphor, Brown and Moloney focus on the central role of covenant in the narrative of John's Gospel and highlight the Evangelist's use of fulfillment language. Helpful sidebars, maps, questions for review, and further-reading lists are placed throughout the text, making this volume well suited for classroom use.

Do the miracles in the gospel of John really prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God? In a carefully-researched study, a seasoned preacher and teacher examines the signs recorded in the gospel of John, explores whether they provide definitive proof of the deity of Jesus Christ, and analyzes the background of the audience during the time period of Jesus as well as that of the implied readers of the gospel. While explaining the text in John’s gospel, specifically the passages related to the traditional seven signs and the other nontraditional miraculous signs, Dr. Solomon Fields also analyzes the acceptance or lack of acceptance of the signs that John incorporates as reasons for believing in Jesus Christ and considers the post-resurrection perspective of the uniqueness of the signs within the early church and the present-day church in regard to the Christian faith—all while giving honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ so that souls may be saved and strengthened in the kingdom of God. The Signs of Jesus’ Deity in the Gospel of John provides a concise resource tool for those who minister through preaching, teaching, and leading bible studies around the signs within this important Christian teaching. “I thank Dr. Fields for presenting such a fresh view on the Signs (miracles) of Jesus. These Signs are a testament of the Divine powers of His attributes shown to man during His ministry here on earth. No one else within the historical times of man on earth could possibly exhibit these things except the Son of God. Being a student of history I appreciated the book’s use of the Old Testament to give strength to the acts rendered by our Lord Jesus Christ. The Old Testament connection expounds on the fact that the Word (Jesus) was preexistent from the beginning, as indicated in the first verse of the Book of John. The Word was God prior to the beginning and so in essence these powers of Signs were existing prior to the beginning. Again thank you Dr. Fields for this persuasive view on the Signs of Jesus, it is a good resource for study. I will recommend the book for my students.” —Dr. Bill Odems, Mount Olive Bible Institute “Whether you are a pastor, minister, or layperson, you will find this in-depth exposition of the miracles of Jesus, as chronicled in the Gospel of John, to be inspirational, insightful, and provocative. The meticulous examination and brilliant writing of Dr. Fields reinforce the truth regarding the deity of Jesus as The Christ.” —Cory S. Powell, Pastor, New Dimensions Tabernacle, Lubbock TX

Diving into the Gospel of John displays the rich and diverse arguments John presents for his thesis that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, readers/listeners will find eternal life. John's arguments are developed in four parts. The first two chapters develop the author's literary techniques that are often based on ambiguity and his key symbols and concepts, the understanding of which are essential to fully appreciate the Gospel. Chapters 3 through 6 progressively portray the author's evidence for his thesis in the form of signs, testimony of those who encounter Jesus, Jesus's self-identification, and Jesus's relationships to others. Chapters 7 and 8 show how the author uses theatrically patterned dialogues and triadic discourses to convey Jesus's identity and mission. Finally, chapters 9 through 11 provide important hints that the author gives for his thesis: Jesus's appeals to time, the indirect use of seven as the number of completeness, and invocation of parentage in pointing to salvation. Through diving into the Gospel, readers will discover the richness of John's argument, the Jesus he portrays, and the God Jesus reveals. The book aims to stimulate commitment, challenge mind and spirit, and encourage further reflection and conversation.

Keener's commentary explores the Jewish and Greco-Roman settings of John more deeply than previous works, paying special attention to social-historical and rhetorical features of the Gospel. It cites about 4,000 different secondary sources and uses over 20,000 references from ancient literature.