Letters of John, The

Rating:
Summary: Devastatingly accurate!
Review: Dr. Burge goes to the heart of John's letters. His examination of the cultural millieu of the church adds depth to the exposition.

The applications are especially pertinant to the pastor and are likewise timely.

An excellent commentary of John's letters.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful with context
Review: PROS: (1) Burge does an excellent job "setting the scene" of John's late-first-century struggles against incipient Gnostic heresies. Because Burge is so knowledgeable about historical context, he can accurately bridge that context to today's needs. (2) Just enough Greek is involved to be insightful but still very easy to read. (3) The font is easy to read and allows enough room for notetaking. (4) Secondary resources are cited and described, should the reader want to probe something further. (4) Many of Burge's application points are very insightful and challenging, particularly when applying the realities of Christ's ongoing incarnation.

CONS: (1) Some of Burge's application seems "out there," as if he went on some stream-of-consciousness tangent. I don't have the book on hand, otherwise I'd give examples. (2) The interpretive treatment of the text is brief at best. But then again, this is not an in-depth, technical commentary. Pick up the NICNT series for that.

I would also recommend the IVP New Testament Commenaries for laypersons and teachers looking for a somewhat thorough exposition with practical, pastoral application. Grant Osborne's IVP commentary on Romans is excellent.