The Gospel According to John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) [Hardcover]

Leon Morris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 1995

Recognizing the central importance of the Fourth Gospel in any series on the New Testament, Morris devoted more than ten years to preparing this volume. Written with considerable acumen and a thorough knowledge of the previous scholarly work on the Johannine text, The Gospel according to John is one of the largest and most comprehensive commentaries ever to come out of the evangelical community. This revised edition includes significant modifications and additions made in the light of more recent writings on John's Gospel. While maintaining substantially the same stance taken in his original work, Morris here references important secondary sources and studies that have appeared over the last two decades. The commentary is now also based on the New International Version.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 846 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Revised edition (June 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802825044
• ISBN-13: 978-0802825049
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

75 of 78 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scholarship + Spiritual Depth = Great Commentary, August 17, 2000

By 

Steven Cowden (Greenville, SC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel According to John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)

I have over 100 commentaries on the Gospel of John and none of them even comes close to this volume. Critical and exegetical issues are treated fully and fairly. Footnotes are jam-packed with excerpts from numerous authors holding differing viewpoints. Evaluations of other positions are peacable yet thorough. Morris brings out the richness of John's message on every page. I recently preached on John 1:1 and this commentary was eminently useful for understanding the background and meaning of the text. Massive conservative scholarship, a lucid and penetrating style, profound insight and, above all, spirtual depth make this volume a masterpiece! Morris is not the only commentator on I consult, but he is always the first and usually the most rewarding.

40 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough and Readable Commentary, February 17, 2005

By 

Matthew Gunia (Justice, Illinois) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Gospel According to John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)

Leon Morris, principal emeritus of Ridley College (Melbourne, Australia) and author of over forty books, masterfully comments on St. John's Gospel.

The two aspects of this commentary I most appreciate are the conservative nature of the commentary and its high readability. In this commentary, the reader will find no historical-criticism. Rather, the author has faith in the inerrancy of Scripture and treats this portion of Scripture accordingly. Happily, when difficulties arise between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel according to John, he acknowledges these difficulties, lists several possible ways in which they can be reconciled, then ends with a statement reminding the reading not to be unreasonably dogmatic about such a difficult thing. Morris' conservatism and respect for the text is refreshing. Morris also writes in a very readable, fluid style. I found myself reading the nearly 800 pages of text much quicker than I expected to, mainly because the narrative structure was captivating and a joy to read. Morris frequently ties John's writings to the other Gospels, the Old Testament, Jewish/Roman history, and the post-Ascension church. He also has helped my understanding of John by pointing out his unique writing style (double meanings, playing loose with quotes, fondness for numbers, time, and geography, etc.)

There were aspects of this book that I did find frustrating. The most frustrating for me was Morris' anti-sacramentarian treatment of John 6 and the account of blood and water flowing from Jesus wound. Morris argues that John 6 should be read primarily as Jesus "teaching about spiritual realities...but...there may be a secondary reference to the sacrament(313)." However, he spends the following pages arguing against each and every perceived reference to the sacrament. I have strong beliefs that Jesus teaches primarily about the sacrament in these verses--that is my bias and I would like it do be shared by Morris--but the fact that he promises to address the sacramental teachings of Christ,then argues against his own stated view! I have a similar problem with Morris' treatment of blood and water flowing from Jesus' post-death wound as he barely addresses the belief that it is some reference to Communion and Baptism. A second issue I have with this book is the poor copy editing. The final pages of this book especially have frequent misspellings, misplaced commas, and extra letters inserted within common words ("nthe").

Overall, the weaknesses of this book do not even come close to overcoming the many, many positive aspects. I feel as if my insight into the writing style and theology of John has greatly increased because of Morris' book. Furthermore, I am anxious to continue my studies of both John and the Synoptics as a result of Morris' work. Highly recommended.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clear - useful - readable, September 22, 2004

By 

Douglas VanderMeulen (Fargo, ND) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Gospel According to John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) (Hardcover)

Leon Morris commentary on the Gospel of John is a must have for anyone building a library of Biblical commentaries. I have taught through this gospel on several occasions and have collected many great works on John. However, I always find myself comming back to this commentary by Leon Morris. It is not the only commentary to have of this great book but it is one that will contribute to your insight and understanding of John's message and meaning. Other key Bible commentaires on John are the classic by Godet, Beasley-Murray in the Word Bible Commentary and Ridderbos' theological commentary on the gospel of John. If you are just beginning to build your library, start with Morris. He covers all the major issues, doesn't hide from difficult questions and fairly present alternative positions. As a supplement to this work pick up Leon Morris' "Reflictions on the Gospel of John". More devotional in nature, it was originally written to compliment his NIC commenatry on John. However, last I checked this work is out of print but it can still be found via Amazon's out of print service. Morris' commentary on John and the Reflections offer the reader a great one-two punch. Either work can stand alone. These works make great gifts for the Bible student or your pastor if he doesn't already have them. You won't be disappointed!! Enjoy!