John Verse by Verse (Osborne New Testament Commentaries)

by Grant R. Osborne

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2018

John Verse by Verse

John is at once the most complex and the easiest to understand of all the Gospels. If we want a young seeker or new believer to read something that is both clear and filled with the gospel and good basic theology, we give them the Gospel of John. And if we want to study an incredibly deep theological masterpiece that stretches the brightest mind, we open the Gospel of John. It is the most evangelistic account of Jesus’ life and ministry, and it also gives the mature Christian deep theological truths to chew on.

In John Verse by Verse, respected New Testament scholar Grant R. Osborne invites the reader to become caught up in the dramatic masterpiece of the Fourth Gospel. He writes, “If I were teaching a course in college or seminary on creative writing, John’s Gospel would be set alongside Shakespeare as models of brilliant characterization and plot.” It is perhaps Osborne’s favorite book of the Bible, and enthusiasm for it shines on every page.

Praise for John Verse by Verse

For over two decades I have benefited from Dr. Osborne’s careful and erudite treatment of Scripture. I am excited to add this treatment of one of my favorite of New Testament books to my library, and would commend it to every preacher, scholar, and serious Bible student.

—J.D. Greear, pastor, The Summit Church (Raleigh-Durham, NC)

As a senior statesman of evangelical biblical scholarship, Grant Osborne is not only a remarkably careful exegete, but also a clear, engaging and accessible communicator. Everything he writes is for the benefit of the church, not just the ivory towers of academia. This commentary on John, like the others in this series, is a model of this balance. It demonstrates a deep awareness of the questions scholars raise about the Fourth Gospel, yet presents them in language every reader can understand. Commentaries that prove to be most enduring are those that find this balance between accuracy and accessibility. By this standard, the volumes in this series are destined to become classics.

—Mark L. Strauss, professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary San Diego

Top Highlights

“Jesus is the Living Revealer (Word) of God and is God himself. In Jesus God has taken on human flesh (incarnation), and in him the Shekinah (God ‘dwelling’ among his people) walks planet Earth.” (Page 23)

“However, sin is the great obstacle between God and humanity, and sinners must turn to Christ and be reborn to be forgiven. Many of the key terms in this Gospel are introduced here: life, light, darkness, sent, truth, world, believe, know, receive, witness, new birth, love, and glory. These terms will come up again and again throughout John’s narrative.” (Page 23)

“In these first two verses Jesus is speaking to the believers in the crowd and defines true disciples as those who ‘hold to my teaching,’ with ‘hold’ translating the verb menō, ‘remain, abide in.’ This key term appears forty times in John and connotes a permanent relationship with God and his Word, an absolute commitment and abiding faithfulness to Jesus’ teaching.” (Page 221)

“But the term menō (‘staying’) is a major concept in John and implies a desire to ‘dwell’ or ‘remain’; we will see it later in the ‘mutual indwelling’ theme of 15:4–10. At the deeper level, they are expressing a desire to follow Jesus and ‘remain’ with him.” (Page 51)

“Miracles in John are ‘signs’ because they signify who Jesus is and center on Christ more than on the supernatural healing. This story culminates the movement of the opening stages of Jesus’ public ministry with the salvation of the royal official and his entire family. John’s interest is in the conversion of this powerful public figure more than in the healing of his son. The progression of the subjects of these salvation dramas so far in this Gospel—from the disciples of John to Nicodemus to the Samaritan woman to the royal official—shows that John wants each of us to get involved in spreading the light of Christ ‘to everyone’ in the world (1:9), from the least to the greatest.” (Page 121)

The Osborne New Testament Commentaries

Lexham Press is proud to announce a New Testament commentary series from respected biblical scholar Grant R. Osborne. His seminal work, The Hermeneutical Spiral, has become a standard for biblical interpretation, and as a culmination of his life’s ministry, he's bringing his academic acumen to an accessible, application-focused commentary.

The Osborne New Testament Commentaries interpret Scripture verse by verse, bridging the gap between scholarship and the Church. This set of commentaries is for people seeking a straightforward explanation of the text in its context, avoiding either oversimplification or technical complexity. Osborne brings out the riches of the New Testament, making each book accessible for pastors and all who consider themselves students of Scripture.

Learn more about the other titles in this series.

 

Praise for the Osborne New Testament Commentaries

With this new series, readers will have before them what we—his students—experienced in all of Professor Osborne's classes: patient regard for every word in the text, exegetical finesse, a preference for an eclectic resolution to the options facing the interpreter, a sensitivity to theological questions, and most of all a reverence for God's word.

—Scot McKnight, Julius R. Mantey Professor in New Testament, Northern Seminary

The Osborne New Testament Commentaries draw from the deep well of a lifetime of serious study and teaching. They present significant interpretive insights in a highly accessible, spiritually nurturing format. This is a tremendous resource that will serve a new generation of Bible readers well for years to come. Highly recommended!

—Andreas J. Kӧstenberger, Founder of Biblical Foundations™, senior research professor of New Testament & biblical theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Contents

• Introduction to the Gospel of John
• Prologue: The Word Made Flesh
• John Witnesses about Jesus
• Jesus Begins to Form His Band of Disciples
• The New Wine and the New Temple
• Nicodemus and the New Birth
• The Baptist Testifies to the Glory of Christ
• The Samaritan Woman and Return to Cana
• Conflict after a Healing
• Two Sign-Miracles
• The Bread of Life Discourse
• The Loss of Some Disciples
• Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
• Excursus: The Woman Caught in Adultery
• Jesus the Light of the World
• The Children of Abraham
• The Cost of Discipleship: The Man Born Blind
• The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
• The Feast of Dedication
• The Raising of Lazarus
• Final Scenes Leading to Passion Week
• Jesus and the Passover Meal
• Farewell Discourse: First Discourse
• Farewell Discourse: Second Discourse, Part 1
• Farewell Discourse: Second Discourse, Part 2
• The Prayer of Consecration
• The Arrest and Trials of Jesus
• The Crucifixion and Burial of Jesus
• Resurrection, Part 1: Jerusalem Appearances
• Resurrection, Part 2: Galilee Appearances

Product Details

• Title: John Verse by Verse
• Author: Grant R. Osborne
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2018
• Page Count: 560
• Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
• Trim Size: 5.5x8.5
• ISBN: 9781683590750

About Grant R. Osborne

Grant R. Osborne (1942–2018) was an award-winning author and theologian. Osborne earned a PhD from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has also did academic research at at the University of Cambridge and the University of Marburg.

Osborne served as the professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Prior to that, he taught at Winnipeg Theological Seminary and the University of Aberdeen.

Osborne was a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Evangelical Theological Society, and the Institute of Biblical Research. His areas of expertise included the Gospels, hermeneutics, and the book of Revelation.

Along with editing The IVP New Testament Commentary Series and The Life Application Bible Commentary, Osborne also authored several titles including The Hermeneutical Spiral, the volume on Revelation in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series, and several other commentary volumes.