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Product Description

"2004 Christianity Today Book Awards" Award of Merit, Biblical Studies Category

Keener’s commentary explores the Jewish and Greco-Roman settings of John more deeply than previous works, paying special attention to social-historical and rhetorical features of the Gospel. It cites about 4,000 different secondary sources and uses over 20,000 references from ancient literature.

"Craig Keener''s academic commentaries are among the most important in print, because they not only summarize former scholarship but add so many new insights from primary literature of the time."
— David Instone-Brewer, Senior Research Fellow in Rabbinics and the New Testament, Tyndale House

“Keener’s commentary on the Gospel of John is a work of stunning erudition. Aimed primarily at situating the Gospel in its intellectual, theological, and historical context, this monumental commentary cites an unparalleled array of ancient sources. Scholars will be mining its references and citing its interpretations for decades to come.”
—R. Alan Culpepper, McAfee School of Theology

“Keener’s new commentary on the Gospel of John represents a striking achievement in the history of Johannine scholarship. It is meticulously researched, cogently argued and clearly presented, and will not soon be surpassed either in comprehensiveness or in depth. Keener’s commentary on John belongs on the shelf of every student of the Fourth Gospel.”
—Prof. David E. Aune, Professor of New Testament, University of Notre Dame

"Sixteen hundred pages is a lot of pages for a commentary on the Gospel of John, surpassing Raymond Brown and almost matching Rudolf Schnackenburg’s three volumes. But Craig Keener has given us far more than a commentary. He has invited us into the world of that Gospel and made it a magnificent window into the thought and practice of early Judaism and, to a lesser extent, the whole Greco-Roman world of the first century. At the same time, he has made those first-century worlds a lens through which to view the Gospel of John itself. The reader will find this work a treasure trove of information about the origins of Christianity, shedding light on such questions as what is a Gospel? how reliable are the four Gospels in their portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth? and in particular how reliable is the Gospel of John? Keener presents a compelling case for viewing Jesus himself within the framework of early Judaism, and for both the Jewishness and the essential reliability of the traditions about Jesus preserved in John’s Gospel. Keener’s introduction runs to well over three hundred pages, and his bibliography to almost two hundred.

"The book is a remarkable achievement, and all who work on early Christianity in general or on John’s Gospel in particular, whether they agree with Keener or not, will have to pay attention both to his facts and to his argumentation. In that sense, it is something of a milestone, not only in Johannine studies but also in the scholarly world’s ongoing investigation of Christian origins."
—J. Ramsey Michaels, Professor of Religious Studies Emeritus, Southwest Missouri State University

"Keener’s commentary is marked by intelligence as well as comprehensiveness. In the marshalling of relevant materials from John’s own milieu and in the canvassing of modern scholarly literature, Keener is unsurpassed in his generation of Johannine scholars. . . . Serious interpreters of the Gospel of John will not always agree with Keener’s conclusions, but they must take account of his work."
—D. Moody Smith Jr., George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament, Duke University, past President of Society of Biblical Literature

"With his comprehensive treatment of the relevant ancient literature Keener plants the Fourth Gospel deep in the soil of its time and place. The author’s meticulous and encyclopedic documentation of both ancient and contemporary literature makes this a commentary of supreme importance for any who wish to crack the Johannine puzzle. You may not always agree with Keener, but I am confident you will admire and learn from his careful scholarship."
—Robert Kysar, Emeritus Bandy Professor of Preaching and New Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University

"Keener’s detailed knowledge of the ancient sources is enviable. He provides a wealth of documentation on the ancient Mediterranean cultural, social, political, religious, and literary milieu of the Fourth Gospel. On numerous occasions his discussion of Jewish and Greco-Roman cultural conventions aids appreciation of the details of John’s narrative. His commentary is therefore a mine of illuminating background material for all students of this Gospel. Its social-historical focus makes it an excellent complement to those commentaries which concentrate more on literary and theological matters.
—Andrew Lincoln, Portland Chair in New Testament Studies, University of Gloucestershire, England

"This exhaustive commentary on the Gospel of John is an example of evangelical scholarship at its best. Keener relentlessly pursues all the possible sources for the Johannine story. The historical Jesus, early Christian tradition, Palestinian, rabbinic, and the Mediterranean worlds are his regular points of extensive reference. Keener’s reading of the Fourth Gospel as a story written for a rejected Jewish community, claiming they are the true Israel, and that Jesus is the perfection of the gift of Torah, raises questions that must be taken into account by future Johannine scholarship."
—Francis J. Moloney, SDB, Katharine Drexel Professor of Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America, past President of Catholic Biblical Association

Reviews

"Warned that mature scholars who began full-scale John commentaries have usually died before they finished them, Keener (New Testament, Eastern Seminary) decided to start young, and did indeed outlive his endeavor. He admits that the Fourth Gospel is a text, and so provides attention to literary and similar issues, but says his main contribution to the scholarship is the social data he presents and his overall awareness of the social and historical context. He analyzes the book section by section. The two volumes are paged and indexed together."
—Book List, Inc.

“Keener has compiled a massive commentary on John’s Gospel. The introduction alone is over 300 pages long and is educational in itself. This commentary does not concentrate so much on theology but one the social, political, religious, literary, and historical milieu of the Fourth Gospel period. Keener invites the reader into that intriguing world to see the practice and thought of early Judaism, the origins of Christianity, and the entire Greco-Roman world of the first century. Keener asks, What is a Gospel? How reliable are the four Gospels in their portrayal of Jesus of Nazareth? How reliable is the Gospel of John? He also examines the Jewishness and the essential reliability of the traditions about Jesus as preserved in John’s Gospel.

“Keener’s commentary is a mother lode of illuminating source material in this Gospel and the era in which it was written. The mine includes a bibliography of almost 200 pages, footnotes on every page, and indexes of modern authors, scripture, O.T. Apocrypha, and other ancient sources. Kenner’s writing style is clear, engaging, and readily understood.”
—Church and Synagogue Libraries

“If there is one word to describe this commentary, it is ‘mammoth.’ I don’t know any other way to describe a commentary that includes an indices section (bibliography, textual and scholars indexes) which stretches to nearly 400(!) pages. . . . I have great respect of Keener as a scholar; his judgments are sound, his assessments of the issues and the opinions of others are accurate and helpful, his desire to bring the meaning of the Gospel of John to bear in the modern world commendable. . . . If you are looking for a good all-rounder, one which keeps abreast of serious scholarship without forfeiting readability, then this is worth the investment. I am happy to recommend it warmly. Even if you already have a good, older commentary on John, this one is a worthy replacement.”
—Regent’s Reviews

“Most modern commentaries on the Gospel of John are massive, and this new commentary is no exception. However, a substantial number of pages are devoted to introductory issues (330 pages of Volume 1) and bibliography and index (393 pages of Volume 2). That is an indication of the character and strength of this particular Johannine commentary. Keener gives particular attention to the background and context of John’s Gospel within first-century Judaism. While situating the final redactor of John in Diaspora Judaism, Keener believes that the wider context of Palestinian Judaism and its first-century tensions are also important for understanding the Fourth Gospel. Far from being anti-Jewish, John’s Gospel is actually claiming that his Christian community is the true emergent of Judaism, unlike the “Jews” (John’s ironic name for the community’s opponents) who oppose the Johannine community. This is a serious commentary that will also serve as a rich bibliographical resource.”
—The Bible Today

“The publication of a major new commentary on John’s Gospel is always a significant event in NT studies. While somewhat different in orientation, the scope of Keener’s two-volume work puts him in the league of the likes of Raymond Brown and Rudolph Schnackenburg, each of whom produced multi-volume commentaries on the Gospel. As the accolades on the dust jacket from a “Who’s Who” of Johannine scholars attest, Keener’s commentary is set to make a major contribution to the field for years to come.”
—Journal of Evangelical Theological Society

". . . Craig S. Keener’s The Gospel of John: A Commentary has provided an excellent resource for students of the Fourth Gospel. This commentary, though easily accessible in format, would be less applicable in its subject matter to a layperson or ministerial leader attempting to find resources for applying John to the present. Far from even attempting to do that, Keener has tried to take us from the present to the past, specifically the first-century social-historical context in which the Gospel was originally read. He has certainly taken us to the past and by doing so has met a need in Johannine research."
—Review of Biblical Literature

“Students of this Gospel must remain grateful for what K. has accomplished. Well done!”
—Theological Studies

“Having just completed two volumes surveying the history of the interpretation of John . . . . the more I admired not least of all K.’s clear style and engaging simplicity in dealing with the most complex issue of Johannine scholarship. . . . One is in the presence of a master interpreter who is not afraid to take a fresh look at old positions. My Johannine shelf is already overflowing, but clearly I will have to make room for Keener.”
—The Catholic Biblical Quarterly

“Conservative in orientation, this is a masterful scholarly commentary on the Fourth Gospel. There is a long introduction and an equally long bibliography of ancient sources and secondary literature. Scholars of all persuasions will use it for its rich documentation and its fresh discussions of debated issues.
—International Review of Biblical Studies

“Craig Keener has assembled in this commentary on John an impressive amount of background information that is important to the interpretation of the text. Almost half of each page consists of footnotes with a wealth of detail drawn from difficult-to-find Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. Therefore, scholars will be returning to this commentary time and again in their study and research. Likewise impressive is the bibliography extending over 150 pages and the indexes that cover over 225 pages. In his 330 pages of background information at the beginning of his commentary, Keener proves that he is a person of detail who can converse with the latest scholarship. . . . The strength of this commentary is not its new creative solutions to old problems but rather its comprehensiveness. . . . The background material is the strength of this commentary and will enable it to be used productively for many years.”
—Calvin Theological Journal

“Craig Keener’s commentary The Gospel of John is not only a brilliant work on Johannine studes, but also a major contribution to the task of applying both Jewish and Greco-Roman background material to the study of New Testament texts. Keener states from the outset that his approach in this commentary is a social-historical one. For Keener, such an approach allows him to argue that much of the material found in John’s Gospel is historical and accurately depicts the life of the historical Jesus. . . . In the end, it is difficult to say anything negative about Keener’s commentary on John. His commentary is certainly not for the faint of heart, and it is meant to join the line of numerous other well-written historical critical commentaries. . . . [F]or years to come, scholars will have to interact with Keener’s commentary on the Gospel of John.”
—Toronto Journal of Theology

“The whole commentary is awash with references to ancient literature. . . . Nor is there any shortage of interaction with modern scholarship and the interaction with so much ancient and modern literature makes this both an important resource for scholars and a demanding book to read. The amount of extra-biblical ancient literature cited in this commentary is nothing less than prodigious. Keener has done all students of John an enormous service by bringing together a comprehensive compilation of ancient sources that could influence the interpretation of the Fourth Gospel. This makes the commentary a potentially valuable reference tool. . . . Keener’s mastery of so much ancient and modern literature is inspiring. This will not be the first commentary on John for which most pastors reach, but it is the commentary to consult for extra biblical texts that relate to the interpretation of John’s Gospel.”
—Southwestern Journal of Theology

“Keener is able to exercise a critical sympathy, rather than critical distance with the text. Such critical sympathy enables Keener to write a work that is not only rigorous in its historical method, but also offers theological insight to the reader. The work is certainly not a devotional commentary, but does represent an empathy with the author and theological sensitivity not always present among commentators. The work, thus, is helpful not only on an academic level, but also to pastors who are willing to wade through the detail of the commentary to plumb the depths of John’s Gospel. This labor is only appropriate for a gospel, which, as one of the great church fathers is reported to have said, can be waded into by the simplest child, but contains more depth than the deepest sea.”
—Ashland Theological Journal

“Keener’s immense work is a substantial contribution to Johannine studies. He ahs consistently carried out his socio-historical approach on almost every page. This work will aid mainly scholars in their study of the social-historical background of the Gospel and will provide them with a wealth of source material in this regard that is normally not included in such a thorough way. Keener’s commentary should take its place next to other monumental commentaries like R. Brown and R. Schnackenburg.”
—Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses

“Craig Keener’s commentary has raised the bar for scholarship on the Gospel of John. . . . I am impressed with the manner in which the commentary is laid out. It is easy to find the desired sections of the Gospel. The commentary has a helpful table of contents of 18 pages and a bibliography of 167 pages, divided into ancient and modern sources. Detailed indices of modern authors, subjects, Scripture, and OT apocrypha, and other ancient sources make it convenient to locate items in the commentary. The commentary will be useful for seminary and university studies on the Gospel of John as well as for teachers and homileticians in the church.”
—Restoration Quarterly

“Keener’s work looks into the one area he feels he can make the most contribution to Johannine studies — examining the Gospel in light of its social-historical context and to obtain new insight from ancient sources (p. XXV). The main aim of this commentary is to look at the Fourth Gospel from the view point of social and historical data from the first century. Since the Gospel of John is a text, it lends itself to literary analysis. He wants to provide other researchers with his own supply of relevant social data, which for the most part have not been applied as extensively to the Fourth Gospel. The focus of his commentary is the Gospel’s cultural context in its broadest definition: the eastern Mediterranean social, religious, political, cultural, and ancient literary contexts in which the Fourth Gospel would have been read (p. XXVI). He also addresses its inherent style, themes, and literary development. By examining where on the “continuum” of ancient biographies this Gospel fits, he looks at issues of historical traditions and their overlap with the Synoptics. . . .Without question this is a most detailed commentary. Keener relates the material of his Introduction to the cultural and social context of the Gospel. In the Excursus to his Introduction (185-194), he underscores the importance of rabbinic literature to the Johannine corpus and ties this neatly to the socialhistorical significance of the Fourth Gospel. In the Prologue Keener is especially generous with his usage of Jewish sources to expand on the imagery found in the first verses of the Gospel. In the similar manner, Jewish imagery and perplexing phrases found in the “Farewell Discourse” section of the eastern Mediterranean. He states that the rabbinic perspective in one way reflects common Judaism in antiquity, but in another way it must be kept in mind that it represents only a particular community within early Judaism. . . .This work is by no means the definitive study on the Fourth Gospel. However the manner in which Keener synthesizes the enormous amount of material contained in these volumes is a tribute to his dedication and sound knowledge in this field. He makes no apologies that in this commentary there exists a tension as a result of a compromise between the Gospel’s own construction and the demands of modern outlines. Nonetheless, these two volumes offer wealth of information for researchers and scholars for years to come. This value-added feature alone makes these volumes worth possessing.”
— Laval théologique et philosophique

“In this impressive two-volume commentary on John, Craig Keener sets a new standard for examining John in the light of its social-historical context. At 1600+ pages, this magnificent work deserves a place among the great commentaries of Brown, Schnackenburg, Barrett, Bultmann, and Haenschen, despite advancing few truly original answers to the Johannine riddles. Its primary distinction is that it borrows in unsurpassed ways from ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman sources, casting fresh and compelling light on the primary interests of Johannine Gospel studies. While Keener acknowledges a less extensive engagement with the secondary literature, his work nonetheless provides valuable bibliographic helps and engages important scholarly contributions with deftness and sober judgment. The most significant contribution of this commentary is that in the light of an exhaustive treatment of ancient literature, the traditional views of John’s authorship and composition appear to be confirmed rather than disconfirmed. . . . A first-rate critical treatment of the Johannine text, this commentary also elucidates meaningful and applicable theological points at every turn. Keener contributes insights regarding social and anthropological associations with particular themes and details, and identifies ways in which John’s material is either consonant or contrasts with parallel understandings, thereby providing a great service to the interpreter. While a work of this magnitude undoubtedly has it weaknesses, none worth mentioning are apparent to me. This work will be a challenge to critical and traditional scholars alike, but for different reasons. I will challenge the traditionalist scholar by providing an avalanche of Greco-Roman and contemporary Jewish information sure to provoke new insights and understandings. It will challenge the critical scholar by pointing out the ways in which John is both divergent from and similar to ancient parallels, contesting deconstructions on the basis of ancient contemporaraneous literature. All readers, though, will be helped by Keener’s massive commentary. Every serious collection of Johannine commentaries must include a spot for this important work.”
—Interpretation

“Keener’s mega-social-historical commentary is an important contribution to Johannine studies. Biblical scholars will find it a valuable reference book especially for the innumerable ancient sources.”
—Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection

“The publication of a new commentary on the Fourth Gospel is always a significant event in New Testament studies and the publication of this masterful scholarly commentary on the Fourth Gospel by Keener is no exception. Craig Keener, who teaches New Testament at the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, is the author of many books, including commentaries on Matthew, 1-2 Corinthians and Revelation. His most recent work, this massive commentary in two volumes on the Fourth Gospel, which comprises no fewer than 1 636 pages, puts him in the league of authors like Raymond Brown and Rudolph Schnackenburg, both of whom produced multi-volume commentaries on the Fourth Gospel.

“This commentary can only be described as "enormous". The introduction to Volume 1 alone covers over 300 pages and in Volume 2, some 393 pages are taken up by the bibliography and index. Keener has included over 20 000 references to ancient literature and also refers to about 4 000 different secondary sources. These numbers provide an indication of the character and strength of this particular Johannine commentary, published in two volumes that are paged and indexed as one publication.

“In the preface, Keener states that his main contributions to scholarship are the social data he presents and his overall awareness of the social and historical context (of xxv). He hopes to ‘focus this commentary on [its] ancient Mediterranean context, reconstructing insofar as possible John''s message to his ideal audience in the sort of environment he most likely could have presupposed’ (p xxvi) . . . Keener accomplished his objective: To assist the reader in reading the Fourth Gospel from a social and historical first-century perspective. Keeper''s aim is to take the reader from the present to the past, specifically the first-century socio-historical context in which the Gospel was originally read. The strength of this commentary is certainly its comprehensiveness and in this respect it will undoubtedly make a significant contribution to the field of Johannine studies. The background material will be used productively by serious students for many years. Well done, Craig!”
—HTS: Hervormde Teologiese Studies

“Different commentaries serve different purposes. To my mind this commentary provides an excellent resource for further investigation into the social and historical background to the Fourth Gospel as well as providing a reliable conservative reading of the Fourth Gospel. In this respect Keener has served his audience well.”
—Reformed Theological Review

“There are many excellent commentaries on John, including the contributions of Raymond Brown and D. A. Carson. Keener’s work joins and possibly surpasses these. The more one learns about the ancient context the better one can understand the biblical text. Keener provides the reader with a wealth of excellent material both to illuminate the Gospel of John and to enrich the study of other New Testament literature”
—Bibliotheca Sacra

Craig S. Keener is Professor of New Testament at Palmer Theological Seminary, Eastern University. He is also the author of many books, including commentaries on Matthew and Revelation.