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

by Leon Morris (Author) "The first eighteen verses of this Gospel form a Prologue to the whole..." (more)
Key Phrases: introducing slight variations, simple credence, strong adversative, Old Testament, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Morris's revised study on the Gospel According to John is part of The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Prepared by some of the world's leading scholars, the series provides an exposition of the New Testament books that is thorough and fully abreast of modern scholarship yet faithful to the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 888 pages
• Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Rev Sub edition (September 16, 1971)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802825044
• ISBN-13: 978-0802825049
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #233,864 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 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 (REAL NAME)

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.

27 of 29 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 (REAL NAME)

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.

18 of 19 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 (REAL NAME)

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!