# Commentaries on John's Epistles?



## Eoghan (Jan 12, 2016)

I am just coming to the end of a study in Ecclesiastes and decided to do John's Epistles next. Which commentaries would you recommend?

I am currently favoring FF Bruce and Colin G. Kruse (£5 and £25 respectively). Anyone got views on these commentaries or others?


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## greenbaggins (Jan 12, 2016)

Eoghan said:


> I am just coming to the end of a study in Ecclesiastes and decided to do John's Epistles next. Which commentaries would you recommend?
> 
> I am currently favoring FF Bruce and Colin G. Kruse (£5 and £25 respectively). Anyone got views on these commentaries or others?



I recommend Kruse, Stott, Marshall, Yarbrough, Jobes, and O'Donnell. Also, the structure of 1 John (always a seriously difficult thing to come up with) is no better laid out than here.


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## Adam Olive (Jan 13, 2016)

1 John by Robert Candlish 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Smith_Candlish
http://www.newble.co.uk/candlish/literature.html


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## Herald (Jan 13, 2016)

Andreas Kostenberger's, "A Theology on John's Gospel and Letters" is a good resource.


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## Eoghan (Jan 18, 2016)

Thanks everybody ,
I went with Kruse and O'Donnell


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## bookslover (Jan 18, 2016)

greenbaggins said:


> Eoghan said:
> 
> 
> > I am just coming to the end of a study in Ecclesiastes and decided to do John's Epistles next. Which commentaries would you recommend?
> ...



Lane, regarding your post #57 there, I'd say that 1 John is more elliptical in structure than cyclical.


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## greenbaggins (Jan 19, 2016)

bookslover said:


> greenbaggins said:
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> 
> > Eoghan said:
> ...



Thou hast lost me, dear Richard. Couldst thou elaborate?


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## chuckd (Jan 19, 2016)

I love J.C. Ryle's commentaries on the gospels. They are very pastoral and applicable, not technical if that's what you are looking for.


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## yeutter (Feb 17, 2016)

I am not usually a great fan of John R. W. Stott but their are some nice features to his commentary on The Epistles of John. Stott shows that one of Saint John's purposes in these epistles is to bring believers to a knowledge that they have eternal life. Saint John is equally at pains to show that unbelievers/false believers do not have eternal life.


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## Romans922 (Feb 17, 2016)

RYLE. J.C............RYLE  His commentaries on the Gospels are gold


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## bookslover (Feb 18, 2016)

greenbaggins said:


> bookslover said:
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> 
> > greenbaggins said:
> ...



More spiral than circle, it seems to me (sorry about the late answer). John makes a point, then makes it again while adding his next point. Then, he makes the latter point again, this time adding a new point. The entire letter is not like this, but large chunks of it seem to be. I probably didn't explain this very well, but I hope you know what I'm getting at.


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## Alex the Less (Feb 18, 2016)

*Remember the primary source*

When Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17 it was :"sactify them through the truth, your word is truth." Rabbis in Jesus day commented on the scriptures also and some had valuable things to say. It is the scriptures first and foremost that the Spirit illumines our heart to know Him and our hope.

Mark Dever recently lectured at The Spurgeon Center about sermon preparation (first video): http://www.credomag.com/2016/02/11/...Feed:+CredoMagazineBlog+(Credo+Magazine+Blog)

This lecture was foundational, focusing on reading and hearing the text. I believe this lecture is immensely profound and helpful.

As for John the Apostle. He was the disciple that Jesus personally taught probably more than any. John's words are plain and yet very profound, much like Jesus' words when giving teaching.

At the beginning of Acts we have Peter and John going into the Temple at Jerusalem and rightfully since this was a transitional time period. By the time 1John is written, full, New Covenant ideas fill this book. Christ as propitious, not the temple sacrifice. The New Covenantal anointing (2.20,27) signaling the break with the OT House of Aaron and the Levites as a fulfillment of Jer.31.31.

Though The New Covenant is not explicitly mentioned it is inherent in this, one of the last books closing the canon.


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## Alex the Less (Feb 18, 2016)

*Continuity also*

As 1John is discontinuous it is also continuous.

Reading Ezekiel 18 and then 1John is striking about behavior as evidence of conversion.


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## Alex the Less (Feb 18, 2016)

*Colin Kruse*

In his commentary on Romans he states that he doesn't know whose genealogy is found in Luke 3 (I think it is in the first chapter he says this in the Roman's Commentary). I would think this is foundational to recognize that its Mary's brothers' lineage (and thus Mary's and the humanity of Jesus). This is what Luke was doing, tying Jesus to Adam. So I was Disappointed with his understanding on that point. This is the only Kruse commentary I have.


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