Customer Reviews

John's Wisdom: A Commentary on the Fourth Gospel

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Ben Witherington has written an excellent commentary on the Gospel of John! It is well-written and argued. It is Witherington's contention (other scholars also agree with him) that the author of the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as Wisdom personified. Witherington amasses plenty of evidence to support this position. He uses evidence from the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha)and ancient Greco-Roman literature.

Witherington's commentary is very understandable and useful for the person who wants to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel of John. Each section of the Gospel of John in Witherington's commentary is covered as follows: NRSV translation, commentary on the NRSV translation, and then implications for preaching and ministry. He also has excursuses on special topics in the Gospel of John, (e.g. Pontius Pilate and symposiums).

I am currently teaching a class on the Gospel of John. I rely on this book the most,(Raymond Brown's 2 volume commentary on The Gospel of John is also excellent, but it is very academic) because not only is the scholarship very sound and current, but it also successfully bridges the gap between scholarship and faithful living.

Ben Witherington has written an excellent commentary on the Fourth Gospel (the Gospel of John)! It is well-written and argued. It is Witherington's contention (other scholars also agree with him) that the author of the Fourth Gospel portrays Jesus as Wisdom personified. Witherington amasses plenty of evidence to support this position. He uses evidence from the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha)and ancient Greco-Roman literature.

Witherington's commentary is very understandable and useful for the person who wants to have a deeper understanding of the Fourth Gospel. Each section of the Fourth Gospel in Witherington's commentary is covered as follows: NRSV translation, commentary on the NRSV translation, and then implications for preaching and ministry. He also has excursuses on special topics in the Fourth Gospel (e.g. Pontius Pilate and symposiums).

I am currently teaching a class on the Fourth Gospel. I hevily rely on this book (Raymond Brown's 2 volume commentary on The Gospel of John is also excellent, but it is very academic) because not only is the scholarship very sound and current, but it also successfully bridges the gap between scholarship and faithful living.

Very good commentary. Well written and insightful. Ben handles the symbolism and the sociology behind the 4th Gospel better than most and engages you every step of the way.

My only complaint regarding Witherington is that he too often lets his baises slip into his otherwise excellent work. His unecessary remarks about groups that practice foot-washing as an ordinence is one example (p 237). But otherwise very good.

Ben Witherington has written an excellent commentary on the Gospel of John! It is well-written and argued. It is Witherington's contention (other scholars also agree with him) that the author of the Gospel of John portrays Jesus as Wisdom personified. Witherington amasses plenty of evidence to support this position. He uses evidence from the Old Testament (including the Apocrypha)and ancient Greco-Roman literature.

Witherington's commentary is very understandable and useful for the person who wants to have a deeper understanding of the Gospel of John. Each section of the Gospel of John in Witherington's commentary is covered as follows: NRSV translation, commentary on the NRSV translation, and then implications for preaching and ministry. He also has excursuses on special topics in the Gospel of John, (e.g. Pontius Pilate and symposiums).

I am currently teaching a class on the Gospel of John. I rely on this book the most,(Raymond Brown's 2 volume commentary on The Gospel of John is also excellent, but it is very academic) because not only is the scholarship very sound and current, but it also successfully bridges the gap between scholarship and faithful living.