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Leaven Leaven
Volume 3 Issue 2 Gospel of John Article 12
1-1-1995
Resource Reading Guide, The Gospel of John Resource Reading Guide, The Gospel of John
Ron Tyler [email protected]
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Recommended Citation Recommended Citation Tyler, Ron (1995) "Resource Reading Guide, The Gospel of John," Leaven: Vol. 3: Iss. 2, Article 12. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol3/iss2/12
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Gospel of John 39
Resource Reading Guide:The Gospel of John
By Ronald L. Tyler
The fourth gospel has been likened to an eaglesince its portrait of Jesus flies so high. Hence, fewNew Testament writings have had somany articles,commentaries and books published on it. The fol-lowing suggestions are but a small selection.
Three Main ProblemsBefore exploring the relevant secondary lit-
erature, the reader needs to be aware of three majorproblems in studying the fourth gospel. The first isthe question of "historicity" and the second is theconnected issue of the "symbolism" of the fourthgospel. Howmuch really happened as describedandhow much symbolism does one draw from the book?The third difficulty concerns the community beingaddressed. Certain contemporary scholars have re-constructed the group being addressed and theninterpreted the gospel in light of this. While theaudience addressed is always the central backgroundfeature, some of these reconstructions are highlyspeculative.
OrientationFor a quick orientation to recent study ofthe
fourth gospel, Gerard S. Sloyan, What Are TheySaying About John? (1991), is excellent. Sloyanmentions the "landmark" commentaries, the studyfor sources, and the religious and theologicalnatureof the fourth gospel. The latter will be found mostserviceable by students.
Robert Kysar's article on the gospel ofJohnin the recent Anchor Bible Dictionary, volume 3
(1992),is outstanding sinceKysar reflects a digest ofhis lifetime ofstudy in the history ofresearch in thefourth gospel.
A. M. Hunter's According to John: .TheNew Look at the Fourth Gospel (1968),though inneed ofupdating, does a fine job ofpopularizing theissues and showing how many recent scholars viewthe fourth gospel quite differently than scholars inprevious generations by taking the historicity ofthefourth gospel much more seriously. His subtitleaccurately describes what Hunter does with the"NewLook"of the fourth gospel.
M.M.Thompsonhas an up-to-date article onthe GospelofJohn in the recent Dictionary of Jesusand the Gospels (1992). It treats origin, structure,genre, character and theology of the fourth gospeland appends a fine bibliography.
Martin Hengel's small volume, TheJohannine Question (1989),is a superb entry intothe world of Johannine scholarship and its intro-ductory questions. It is a non-technical summationhighly recommended for its brevity and clarity.
Commentaries on the Greek TextThere is a masterpiece by C.K. Barrett, The
Gospel According to St. John: An IntroductionWith Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text,revised edition (1978). It is a clearly written theo-logical commentary making it especially useful forthe preacher and teacher. Barrett is not caught up inmany of the modern literary and historical recon-structions of the fourth gospel and is, correctly,
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skeptical about many of them. Even if you cannotread Greek, it is still possible to find the texts inwhich you are interested and discovermuch relevantmaterial.
Marcus Dods in The Expositor's GreekTestament, 5 volumes, remains useful. Dods isalways a goodwriter whose practical suggestions canbe utilized by an alert student. The editor, Sir W.R.Nicoll, did an admirable job ofselecting scholars andhaving them comment on the grammar and syntax ofthe Greek. James Denney's contribution on Romansremains one of the best critical works ever done onthat book. Although these volumes on the NewTestament were done years ago, they provide a solidnucleus for New Testament study. They are avail-able in reprint and can often be found used.
AlfredPlummer did the analysis ofthe fourthgospel in the oldCambridge Greek Testament forSchools and Colleges (1893).Characteristic ofthatseries is that when there is a controversy of inter-pretation, various options are listed. Plummer givesa careful interpretation based on the Greek text.
One other work based on the Greek textdeserves mentioning. It is the exhaustive two-volumecontribution of J. H. Bernard to the InternationalCritical Commentary (1923) and is one of thebetter works ofthat series. Bernard is always worthchecking on difficult texts or problems.
Commentaries on the English TextOlder ClassicsB.F.Westcott stands out; although written in
1908,it remains an outstanding example ofclassicalexegesis. Westcott wrote a commentary on both theEnglish and Greek texts but the notes are the same.Although his introduction is terribly dated today, hiscomments on the text remain insightful. His outlineanalysis of the fourth gospel is timelessly useful asare many of the "additional notes" scatteredthroughout the book.
Another older work, but one that is a master-ful example of theological exegesis, is The FourthGospel by E. Hoskyns and his pupil F. N. Davey(1947). Even though written prior to the finding ofthe Dead Sea Scrolls, I know of no more helpfulvolume for the preacher or teacher. The eight "de-tached notes" are solidly helpful, often suggesting acore for sermon study. Hoskyns was a great Cam-bridge scholar, and his book is the greatest of theEnglish commentaries after Westcott.
One other classic work deserves mention. Itis the commentary by F. Godet (1885). Godet'scommentary is rich in spiritual penetration going tothe heart ofeach passage. He writes soclearly and tothe point that all his commentaries remain valuable
even though onemust ignore all his material relatingto textual criticism since it is over one hundred yearsold.
ModernThis is the age of the "mega-commentary" of
which there are two outstanding examples. The firstis the two-volumework ofR. E. Brown in the AnchorBible series (1966-71). It is an outstanding student'scommentary because it is clearly written and men-tions most bibliographical materials of primary im-portance (to its date). Its notes and cross referencesare encyclopedic.However, it is a massive work andcan discourage even the most serious student. I havesome concern with his interpretation ofmuch of thereligious symbolism and his five stages of develop-ment ofthe present formofthe book. Brown lacks thetheological genius of Hoskyns.
The other large work, and superior in myjudgment to Brown, is the three volume work of R.Schnackenburg (1968-1987), translated from Ger-man. The German original nowhas a fourth volumethat updates the earlier volumes. Here is a balancedcritical work on the fourth gospel resulting in some1700 pages of interpretation. It expresses manypractical concerns and is the serious student's com-mentary.
There are two current leading "conservative"commentaries on the fourth gospel. One is LeonMorris in the New International Commentaryseries (1971). It is a large work of 936 pages whichhas recently been revised. While helpful, there aremany theological and historical issues that are nottreated with any real depth. Donald A.Carson's TheGospelAccordingto John (1991) is the other leading"conservative" treatment ofthe fourth gospel. Its 714pages are filled with careful textual comments andits introduction (pp. 21-108) is current. It is thebetter of the "conservative" works available today.He is in conversation with contemporary scholar-ship.
The best general reader's commentary onJohn is GeorgeBeasley-Murray's contribution to theWord Biblical Commentary (1987). I require thisoneofstudents in myowncourse on the fourth gospel.Beasley-Murray does not break any new ground, butthe commentary is a solid study of the text of thefourth gospel, is theologically sensitive and has athorough introduction.
A fine moderate handbook on the fourthgospelis the contribution ofB.Lindars to the The NewCentury Bible series (1981). It is a conciselywrittenwork which suggests that the fourth gospel emergedas a series of sermon notes. I have used it as a textwith students and it works well.
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Ray Summers's Behold the Lamb: An Ex-position of the Theological Themes in the Gospelof John (1979) is 300 pages of popularly writtenmaterial that always informs the serious student.Ministers should be especially aware of this book.
Frank Pack wrote an extremely useful two-volume commentary in The Living Word Com-mentary (1975-77). It is filledwith comments verseby verse without technical footnotes cluttering thetext.
The older study (1952)byA.J. Gossipand W.F. Howard in The Interpreter's Bible volume 8 isone of the better volumes of that series. Here theexegesis (Howard) and the exposition (Gossip) areboth generally solid, which is unusual in this series.
Smaller VolumesR. Tasker's contribution to the Tyndale
Commentary series (1969)is clear,brief and directlyto the point of the text. It may not provide enoughinformation for many and will need to be supple-mented with some of the larger works but is a finepoint of departure, as is A. M. Hunter's small con-tribution to The Cambridge Bible Commentary(1965). Floyd Filson's brief treatment in TheLayman's Bible Commentary volume 19(1963)isanother good entry into the study of the fourthgospel.
F. F. Bruce (1983)did a popular treatment ofthe fourth gospel that vies for the best ofthe smallervolumes. His 424 pages contain vintage expositionthough Bruce doesn't directly talk about criticalproblems. However, the informed student will knowthese issues are in the background as Bruce writes.
Carol Newsom and Sharon Ringe have ed-ited The Women's Bible Commentary (1992).Thetreatment of the fourth gospel is done by Gail O'Daywhois anAssociate Professor ofBiblicalPreaching atEmory. She, as characteristic of the commentary,treats thosepassages that are especiallyaboutwomen.This is important for the role that womenplay in thefourth gospel, especially in the resurrection narra-tives. I recommend it highly forinformation that youwill not usually find elsewhere. B. F. Westcott in hisThe Revelation of the Risen Lord (1902) recog-nized, years ago, the important role that womenplayin the resurrection narratives in John as the risenLord revealed himself to them because of their deeplove for him.
Pheme Perkins' treatment in The NewJerome Biblical Commentary (1988)is one ofthebest brief and current treatments ofthe fourth gospelto be found. It is part of the finest one-volumecommentary on the entire Bible currently available.
Gospel of John 41
Special StudiesThe study notes by Donald G. Miller in the
Oxford Annotated Bible: Revised StandardVersion (1962)are outstanding on both the fourthgospel and the Johannine epistles. Miller's structur-ing of the fourth gospel is convincing and highlyrecommended for an outline of the book.
Readings in St. John's Gospel (1961),byWilliam Temple, is a classic for pulpit work. Withsimilarities to Hoskyn's commentary, it is repletewith theological insights. Although not a commen-tary in the traditional format, it is rich in insights forpreaching. Temple's study is filled with practicalcomments and must be read by anyone teaching orpreaching through the fourth gospel. Temple does,however, in places, take some extreme liberties withthe text regarding its symbolism.
There are two small guides for preacherswhich many will find suggestive: D. MoodySmith,John (1976)in the Proclamation Commentaries,and F. Craddock, John in the Knox PreachingGuides (1980). Both must be supplemented bylarger books,but these are aimed at preaching fromthe fourth gospel. Craddockis the more helpful ofthetwo probably because he is a professor of preaching.
William Morris' Studies in the FourthGospel (1969)is dated nowbut does take up discus-sion of some important issues such as history andtheology in the fourth gospel and the Dead SeaScrolls in relation to the fourth gospel.
Robert Kysar in The Fourth Evangelistand His Gospel (1975), traces the history of thestudy ofthe fourth gospel. His John: The MaverickGospel (1976) is a theological study of some majorthemes in the fourth gospel and helpful to thepreacher/teacher. His John's Story of Jesus (1984)attempts to tell the story line of the fourth gospel insome96pages and willbevery suggestive to the alertreader.
Kyle M. Yates, Preaching from John'sGospel (1964),can be useful to the preacher whensupplemented by some of the commentaries.
Suzanne de Dietrich did a series ofmedita-tions on the Gospel of John entitled, And He IsLifted Up (1969),that I recommend to one who hascarefully studied the fourth gospel and is looking forreflective meaning and help for preaching or per-sonal devotion.
Gerard Sloyan, John in the Interpretationseries (1988),is helpful because he includes a sectionentitled "Preaching On..." with each major sectionafter his exposition of the passage.
Charles Talbert's Reading John: A Liter-ary and Theological Commentary on the FourthGospel and the Johannine Epistles (1992) does
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not serve as well as his previous study of Luke'sgospel but is filled with helpful insights from thepoint ofview ofthe literary and theological structureofthe fourth gospel. He guides the serious student toancient primary texts from the classical and Jewishworld.
Since the fourth gospel gives so much of itsspace to the passion narrative of Jesus' last week,Raymond Brown'sTheDeath ofthe Messiah in twovolumes (1994)deserves pride ofplace.Here are over1600pages ofexposition on the passion narratives inall four gospels. There is nothing so complete for thevery serious student.
Theology of the Fourth GospelThe theology ofthe fourth gospel is discussed
by John Painter, John: Witness & Theologian(1975), whose book constantly addresses the Chris-tian life. The older work by W. F. Howard, Chris-tianity According to St. John (1943), while it ispre-Dead Sea Scrolls, remains essential for theologi-cal study. R.H. Lightfoot's St. John's Gospel (1956)is a theological commentary definitely worth consult-ing.
J ames Priest edited a series ofstudies honor-ing Dr. Frank Pack, Johannine Studies: Essaysin Honor of Frank Pack (1989). Many of the ar-ticles in this volume will be of important service tostudents by giving overviews of topics in the fourthgospel, such as Tom Olbricht's "The Theology of theSigns in the Gospel of John."
Alittle known but outstanding bookis HenryS. Holland's The Philosophy of Faith and theFourth Gospel (1920) dealing mainly with techni-cal issues. Published fromnotes taken byhis students,it has one of the most satisfactory discussions on therelation of the fourth gospel to the synoptic gospels Ihave ever read. The discussion of believing in thefourth gospel is excellent. Because believing is thecentral theological concern of the fourth gospel, thevalue of Holland is clear.
Edwin Abbott's Johannine Vocabulary(1905) remains a marvelous source of study for thetheology of the book. Abbott tries to compare theJohannine vocabulary with that of the other threegospels. The bookis old, part ofa set oftwo volumes,and accessible mainly in libraries.
The Man Born to Be King (1943) by Dor-othy Sayers, is a challenging series of plays, whichwere originally onBritish radio, portraying the fourthgospel's picture of Jesus. In twelve scenes, she tellsthe story of Jesus through various characters. Youwill come to appreciate better the apostle Matthewand other disciples. She is generally true to thefourth gospel and is conversant with scholarship ofthe time of her writing. The book serves well forprivate or small group study.
There are twoabsolutely indispensable booksby James Denney, not only for the fourth gospel, butfor the theological study ofthe New Testament. Thefirst isTheDeath ofChrist (1903) in which Denneystudies all the passages in the NewTestament relatingto Christ's death. There are over 40 pages given tothe Johannine writings. The second is Jesus andthe Gospel (1909)wherein Denney covers the theol-ogyofthe fourth gospel in 16pages. Donot be fooledby the seeming brevity of these pages since Denneyfills his writings with content.
One ofthe latest books on the thought ofthefourth gospel is Craig Koester's Symbolism in theFourth Gospel: Meaning, Mystery, Community(1995). It is current and written for a general audi-ence.
The words at the close of the fourth gospelcan apply to the embarrassment ofriches available tostudy this gospel. Were one to try to list them all "Isuppose the worlditself couldnot contain the books..."
Ronald L. Tyler teaches in the Religion Divi-sion,Seaver College,Pepperdine University, Malibu,California
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