THE GOSPEL OF JOHN has always been the “beloved Gospel” of the church. Every pastor knows that a series of sermons from John—or an adult education course on John—will be greeted with enthusiasm. I have asked audiences to tell me their favorite verses from the Gospels, and they will always recite a dozen or more from John’s Gospel. “For God so loved the world. . . .” “I am the resurrection and the life. . . .” “In my Father’s house are many rooms. . . .” John is the beloved Gospel because John probes the depth of Christ’s character with a simplicity and majesty that cannot be forgotten. This is why, perhaps, this Gospel gained a reputation (thanks to Clement of Alexandria) for being the “spiritual Gospel.” And why medieval scribes symbolized the Gospel with an eagle. Profundity is matched with clarity in a manner not found elsewhere in the New Testament. When the earliest theological councils in the fourth and fifth centuries worked to define Christian beliefs about the Trinity and the Incarnation, it was John’s Gospel that gave critical guidance.
My initial interest in the writings of John came almost twenty years ago when I began a doctoral program in Scotland under the mentorship of Prof. I. Howard Marshall. I now realize that my present instincts for the wedding of history and theology in this Gospel were shaped under Dr. Marshall’s wise leadership. I will always be in his debt. That early study on John’s view of the Spirit (published in 1987) launched a fascination with the Gospel that has not ended. A variety of articles, a seminary primer on John (1992, 19982), and a commentary on John’s three letters in the present NIV Application Commentary series (1996) have each permitted me to pursue these interests further. The present commentary is written for the pastor/teacher laboring in the church. I have always kept in mind the man or woman who works week after week feeding the flock of Christ from pulpit and lectern. If this book brings some gift of insight or inspiration, I will be deeply gratified.
While every commentary should provide solid exegesis to get at John’s original meaning, this series posed a new challenge. Each chapter explains how John’s ancient text can be “bridged” to the present modern context. Then specific examples are given that show how these passages can be applied in preaching and teaching. Most commentaries give cursory attention to modern application, but in this series writers have been challenged not only to show examples of application but to explain the interpretive (or hermeneutical) method at work. This task was the most difficult—and the most exhilarating aspect of writing. Like never before, I became aware of the power and relevance of this Gospel for our present age.
It remains to thank many who have rendered remarkable support over the course of two years of writing. Marianne Meye Thompson and Terry Muck read the manuscript with great care, providing countless corrections and advice. They improved the commentary immeasurably. At Zondervan Publishing Jack Kuhatschek wins the award for the most patient editor. And Verlyn Verbrugge’s expert editorial skill has helped the manuscript on every page. Finally, special thanks are due to Ashley Burge, who compiled the Scripture index with care and accuracy—a difficult task indeed.
Much of my research was completed during a sabbatical in 1998, when I worked at Tyndale Library in Cambridge, England. To be surrounded by one of Europe’s best theological libraries with its tremendously helpful staff has to be every writer’s dream. Special thanks belong to Tyndale’s administrative staff: Bruce Winter (Warden), Fiona Craig, Denise Jillions, and Bruce Longenecker; to Lyn Winter, for her cheerful hospitality and advice about British cooking and ironmongers; and in the library to David Instone Brewer and Kirsty Corrigall, who were never too busy to help track down obscure articles or rabbinic texts. Above all, I owe my greatest debt to my wife, Carol, whose unending support has always sustained and encouraged me.
Most of my students know that J. B. Lightfoot will always remain one of my personal heroes. Born in 1828, Lightfoot’s gifts of intellect were quickly recognized at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was tutored in classics by B. F. Westcott. From 1859 till 1879 he taught at Cambridge, defending the historicity of the New Testament against “new” historical criticism coming from Tübingen, Germany.1 In 1879 Lightfoot became Bishop of Durham, which meant leaving the academy and ministering in the church. From 1879 till his death in 1889 he lived at Auckland Castle and over the years discipled eighty-six young men who lived at the castle with him and became “sons of Auckland”—or perhaps more accurately, sons of “the Bishop.”2
John’s Gospel was deeply important to Lightfoot. He recognized its theological value for the theology of the church and defended its historicity when many other voices gave John limited serious attention. But above all, John’s Gospel fed this great scholar’s soul. Lightfoot summed up its value in a lecture given in 1871, and his words are a fitting reminder of the treasure this Gospel offers to any who study it:
I believe from my heart that the truth which [St. John’s] Gospel more especially enshrines—the truth that Jesus Christ is the very Word incarnate, the manifestation of the Father to mankind—is the one lesson which duly apprehended will do more than all our feeble efforts to purify and elevate human life here by imparting to it hope and light and strength; the one study which alone can fitly prepare us for a joyful immortality hereafter.3
Gary M. Burge
Epiphany, 2000
Wheaton, Illinois