First, Second, & Third John (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching)

by D. Moody Smith

Publisher:

John Knox

, 1991

Overview

Commenting on First John, Martin Luther made this eloquent and true statement: "This is an outstanding Epistle. It can buoy up afflicted hearts. Furthermore, it has John's style and manner of expression, so beautifully and gently does it picture Christ to us."

Modern critical studies have often presented the Gospel and Epistles of John as the capstone of the development of theological and ethical thought within the New Testament because these writings reach exalted heights through simple language and style. But they are not without ambiguity and obscurity. Because they were written so long ago, situations familiar to the author and readers of that time may be unknown to modern people. Much of what the author and readers in the past shared went unstated in the writings.

This careful and thoughtful book unlocks the door to the theological and ethical treasures contained in the Epistle of John. It is an invitation to a journey of discovery, from the well known and familiar to the less familiar but rewarding.

Key Features

• Detailed introduction
• Bibliography

Contents

Top Highlights

“Fellowship may be understood as communion, participation, or partnership. It is set out here as the goal of the proclamation of the gospel. This fellowship is, so to speak, vertical as well as horizontal. That is, it is fellowship with God and Christ and fellowship among people.” (Page 37)

“No New Testament writing manifests the tension between the reality of sin—even in believers—and the demand of Christ for perfection more dramatically than 1 John.” (Page 45)

“It follows from the perception of God’s love that those who know love know God and obey him, and this obedience in turn finds expression in love: love for God but particularly love for one’s fellows. As God’s love is no abstraction but consists in the giving up of his Son, so the believer’s love is not merely an emotion or attitude but consists of meaningful deeds (3:17–18). Apart from such deeds the very claim to love becomes vacuous.” (Page 109)

“Are you unsure whether or not you know Jesus Christ? Well, are you obeying his commandment? Are you walking as he walked? Walking as Jesus walked means loving unconditionally and without limitation. The only limit is that imposed by our finitude and death, but even death may become the definitive and ultimate expression of that love (3:16; John 15:12–13).” (Page 54)

“John’s understanding of what it means to love is quite down-to-earth and practical (3:17–18). Will or intention is closely bound with action. Talk is cheap. Not actually doing something for brothers or sisters in need is to close one’s heart against them. Love is not just a special way of feeling; it is an orientation of life and action.” (Page 91)

Praise for the Print Edition

The Interpretation series from Westminster John Knox Press is clearly established as a rich source for teaching and preaching. They have tapped the talents of a varied and esteemed group of contributors, resulting in what is clearly the essential comprehensive commentary series on the Bible.

—W. Eugene March, A.B. Rhodes Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary

The Interpretation series is an invaluable resource for any leader or scholar interested in interpreting the biblical text to the broader church. Its works are essential for pastors, educators, and church libraries.

—Brian K. Blount, President and Professor of New Testament at Union Theological Seminary

Product Details

• Title: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching First, Second, & Third John
• Author: D. Moody Smith
• Publisher: John Knox Press
• Publication Date: 1991
• Pages: 164

About D. Moody Smith

Five years after beginning his teaching career at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio, Moody Smith joined the Duke faculty, where he taught in the Divinity School as well as the Graduate Program in Religion, in 1965. From 1974 through 1980 he was Director of Graduate Studies in Religion. In the course of his graduate teaching he directed the dissertations of two dozen New Testament Ph.D. students, most of whom subsequently taught in theological schools, from Indonesia to the Central African Republic. Although his research centered on the Gospel and Epistles of John, on which he has published extensively, he taught a wide range of New Testament courses, particularly on the Gospels and Jesus. This broader interest is reflected in the introduction, Anatomy of New Testament (6th ed., with Robert A. Spivey and C. Clifton Black, 2007), which has been in print continuously since published in 1969. Early in his career Smith spent two years in postdoctoral study, first in Zurich and Basel (1963-64; Lilly Fellowship) and then in Cambridge (1970-71; Guggenheim Fellowship). In 1990 and 1991 he was a resident member of the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton. In 1996 he was presented a Festschrift, Exploring the Gospel of John in Honor of D. Moody Smith. Edited by two former graduate students, R. Alan Culpepper, Dean of McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University and C. Clifton Black, Otto A. Piper Professor of Biblical Theology at Princeton Theological Seminary, it is still in print. In 1999 he served as President of the Society of Biblical Literature.