Most helpful commentaries on the Gospel of John

I am coming to the end of a sermon series on portions of the Gospel of John. I thought today I would share which commentaries have been the most helpful to me during my study time.

For those who use the original languages, pride of place on the Greek text goes to C.K. Barrett, Gospel According to St. John. While somewhat dated in its bibliography, it remains critical without being skeptical. Barrett has a good sense of the theological continuity in the gospel, and his writing is so precise. He packs a lot into a small space.

For sheer information, Craig Keener's 2 volume, 1600 page Gospel of John is mind boggling. Keener delves into history and culture and doing so provides the framework for the narrative of the gospel. There is a lot of food for thought here. The main problem with Keener is that the amount of information can overwhelm the pastor short on time.

In theology, I recommend the work of Herman Ridderbos, The Gospel of John: A Theological Commentary. Ridderbos is an exceptional Dutch Reformed theologian, and his work is always worth a look. Even if you do not agree with Ridderbos' Calvinism, there is much in the commentary that will benefit your study.

As far as more traditional commentaries I would give top marks to Andrew Lincoln in the Black's New Testament Commentary series, as well as D.A. Carson in the Pillar series. Both of these series are almost entirely filled with well written commentaries. Carson is by far the evangelical first choice, showing that biblical scholarship and evangelical belief are not antithetical. Lincoln is moderately critical, with a dim view of the historicity of the gospel's stories. But even so Lincoln provides depth and insight. Reading these commentaries together will provide a range of scholarship in the Gospels, and open your eyes to possibilities.

So with these choices, any study of John will be off on the right track. Listen to my sermons in this series here.