The Gospel according to John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary (PNTC))

No change, everything good!!!

After all, this is a commentary. The very many great articles prior to the actual commentary are well indexed. Then, when it gets to the commentary portion, it is just “commentary”. There is no sub-division as to chapter, verse, etc. Very tedious in finding appropriate sections.Otherwise it is brilliant and scholarly - typical of D A Carson.

In the process of studying the writings of John I kept seeing various commentators making reference to Carson. I have a friend who is also a big fan of Carson's works so both of these things influenced me to buy this work. This book actually exceeded any expectations I had. I cannot decide what is the best work on John but it is certainly between F.F. Bruce and this one.First I would like to say that Carson is very articulate and exact. He is not given to fanciful fits of imagination of clumsy exegetical comments. He is a real scholar who approaches the topic with class and sensitivity. The book started with him giving a synopsis of past hundred and fifty years of scholarship on John. He systematically deconstructs and dismantles every objection to the authorship of the Apostle John. He does this in a cool and calm manner that takes all views into account while exposing the weaknesses of the methodology espoused by Bultmann and his school of thought. This part of the work was colossal!Carson proceeds with the narrative with reserve and caution. He talks about a variety of views and usually shows their strengths and weaknesses pointing out the one he thought was most likely. He has mastery over New Testament Greek and his command of the language makes his ideas even more plausible. There are areas where he is unsure and he leaves those areas open with a few possibilities but usually he discusses why he favors one over another. He never resorts to belittling or running another view down but always proceeds with a cool-headed approach to theology.This book is unique because he achieves a strong balance. For those who are well-versed in the Gospel of John they will find this book to be a great addition to their library and will no doubt acquire some things to add to what they are already know. At the same time, it is not an overwhelming work and one could hypothetically read this book without any previous background to John's works and still walk away with valuable insights into the overall theme of John's Gospel.I would like to offer some criticism as I often do for other works but I really can't think of anything that was big enough to bring up. It is accessible, theologically sound, well argued, exhaustive, and professional all the way around. He deals with some delicate theological issues and does so without resorting to dogma like Sproul did in his work on John. Overall, this is a must for your library. I would say that this and Bruce are two of the best works out there on the subject. Carson offers great advice for young preachers who are preaching John to their people for the first time and great devotional reflections. It is a big work so be ready to labor working your way through it but it is worth it!

This commentary has become my primary resource for a men's Bible study I'm leading on the Gospel of John. Carson conducts a thorough survey of the scholarly literature on John, ably providing solid conservative responses to liberal critiques and attacks on the historical reliability of the Fourth Gospel. What makes this commentary so good is that Carson follows the text of John very closely and relies on the text itself, and the theological themes contained therein, to answer the various questions raised by the text. Carson provides a masterful, faithful reading of John that consistently upholds the integrity of the biblical text without compromising intellectual honesty. I have several other commentaries on John from both liberal and conservative viewpoints, but this is the one I keep coming back to.

Very deep, for Heavy Duty use

So many people rate DA Carson's commentary of John as the best. I strongly agree. It is excellent ... in that it is very readable, helpful, comprehensive, and inspirational. The lack of technical details could be a tiny negative aspect to some readers. (PNCT, as far as I know, is not meant to be technical ...)

I very much appreciate Dr. Carson’s commentary on the Gospel of John. I am not a biblical scholar and was not as interested in the different academic discussions and controversy. My principal interest lies in understanding the Scriptures better to know my God better and to enjoy the Bible to a greater extent. This commentary excelled in this . Therefore I rated the book 5 stars

This commentary on the Gospel According to John by D. A. Carson is wonderful! It blends together rigorous academic scholarship with pastoral wisdom. Carson has made a career out of Biblical Theology, tracing out the major themes that unify the Biblical story. And this commentary is strongest on demonstrating how John understands and interprets the OT p in connection to their fulfillment in the person and work of Christ.

Too many commentaries doubt the authenticity of John's gospel. This is not one of them. Don Carson was a signatory to the Chicago Declaration, so he regards the Bible as inerrant. So do I. If the Bible says there were two cleansings of the Temple, there were two cleansings of the Temple. If it says that Jesus turned the water into wine, He turned water into wine. He takes issue with Barclay, who thought walking on the sea was the same as walking by the sea. He decisively proves that the meal at which Jesus washed the disciples' feet was a Passover meal, 15 Nisan.He also proves that the author is John.The work is scholarly, which means Carson must use terms that laymen like me do not understand, and which are not found in ordinary dictionaries. Very kindly, a explains them the first time he uses them!One can understand the Gospel better through reading this book. The author explains the language, context, background and spiritual meaning of everything Jesus does or says. (some commentaries explain the Bible, others explain it away. this one explains it.) He explains 3;3, about the New Birth, convincingly, as one who knows what he is talking about.One of the reviews says "everyone will disagree with the author's interpretion at one point or another. " I have complied! I do not agree with Don that Jesus was now the true Israel. The true Israel is, if you will forgive me, Israel!To finish the quotation on the back cover, "No one will read this book without gaining new insights into John's Gospel" That also is true.Also, unusually in a commentary, Dr Carson displays warmth and humour.My one cavil is that there is an index to modern authors, and an index to Biblical references, but no topical index. Perhaps at the next impression?

The bottom-line for any commentary has to be can the average Pastor who loves the Bible and wants to teach it well to his congregation get anything out of it and understand it when he has limited time among his many concerns and is probably tired as well. If that is the case then this commentary from Don Carson gets a big thumbs up from this Pastor! As I'm preaching through John's Gospel at the moment and having just had my birthday and a generous gift from my congregation I decided to purchase this as I'm coming up to some of the difficult narratives in the centre of the Gospel. Well I've use it twice now and each time I have to say, although this is not a lightweight commentary, it is written in a way that is easy to understand. Carson never avoids anything that is difficult in the text and always gets to the heart of what the narrative is about. He also never loses sight of the theological threads that are John's main concern in writing this Gospel, that is Jesus Christ, his humanity and his divinity!

Didn't understand all the words but deep, revealing insights that have really helped my understanding overall

Excellent commentary. Style is academic but accessible, meaning the kind of relevant info I need, without too much abstruse technicality. Scholarly, but at my level, and at least half an eye on a preacher's requirements. Reasonably conservative, without ignoring obvious difficulties, and excellent knowledge of competing theories, without becoming lost in the various possibilities for controversy.

Book was delivered promptly and was as described. And for a premium commentary was a good price.