The Gospel of John: A new commentary

In 1971 Leon Morris’s commentary on John was published and for a good two decades was the standard go-to commentary for evangelicals. Since then many others have appeared, but none of those by evangelicals has involved the painstaking work that we find in J. Ramsey Michaels’ decades-long efforts: The Gospel of John (New International Commentary on the New Testament).

What’s your favorite study of John?

Here’s what I will say: this Commentary will become standard; it is both conservative and original — it is exegetical, readable, and massively learned. What I like most is that Ramsey’s Commentary is really his own reading of the text and neither a summation or critical interaction with what others have said. It is more fulsome than those of late — Beasley-Murray, Carson, Koestenberger — and yet the G John deserves fulsomeness, and only Craig Keener (a student of Ramsey’s) has a commentary that rivals completeness. Not only is this Gospel 21 chps long, it is loaded with terms and themes that cry out for fuller explanation. Brief commentaries don’t do the job.

I predict it will be the go-to Commentary for expository preachers for at least a decade, perhaps more. I know this: it will my first, and I just bumped it ahead of R.E. Brown’s work on my shelf.

Why is it called “The Gospel according to John“? Read John chps 1-3 and you will see why.