We are pleased to announce the release of two very helpful resources in the area of Gospel studies. One is a study related to all four canonical Gospels, while the other focuses solely on John.
Four Gospels, One Jesus?
Richard A. Burridge, Anglican priest and scholar, begins his book Four Gospels, One Jesus? A Symbolic Reading with an anecdote from his younger days. After years of study and preparation, his spiritual advisor suggested, “I think you should read the gospels.” This is probably good advice for all of us. Through our studies over the years, we often develop our own pre-conceived ideas about the Bible, and it’s difficult to read around them. Fresh readings are always advisable.
Four Gospels, One Jesus? Is the result of Burridge’s fresh reading of the Gospels. In fact, first released in 1994 and having been revised a couple of times, it is now essentially a modern classic. It’s also quite readable, and if I say so myself, a perfect volume if you’re looking for something appropriate for thoughtful summer reading.
Burridge examines the distinct portraits of Christ as told by the four Gospel writers. He works from within a framework of classical biographies of the past, noting both distinctions and similarities. Burridge also interacts with the symbolism of the ancient symbols for the gospels—human (Mark), lion (Matthew), ox (Luke) and eagle (John)—in the way they uniquely present the person of Christ.
Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A Symbolic Reading
Regular Price $19.90
The Gospel of John
Anyone familiar with Craig Keener’s IVP Bible Background Commentary on the New Testament will know what an excellent resource his works are when it comes to understanding the culture and background of biblical times. Similar to his four-volume commentary on Acts, Keener’s two-volume work on The Gospel of John also takes an approach that gives emphasis to the social-historical context of the writing.
At almost 1700 page in print, Keener’s commentary on John incorporates over 20,000 ancient extra-biblical references from over 4,000 sources. That means that Keener has left no stone unturned in understanding John’s Gospel in the context of the world in which it originally existed. And if his commentary wasn’t thorough enough on its own, it allows the most-studious readers to follow these ancient sources and read that information in their own contexts, too. This is made especially easy for Accordance users because any of these extra-biblical sources available in the Accordance Library have been hyperlinked, allowing access to them by one quick click!
Keener admits that while he occasionally touches on other disciplines, this commentary doesn’t go too far in the directions of other methodologies such as textual, form, or literary criticism. While there are many commentaries that cover those subjects and other themes in relation to the Gospel of John, few would argue that a better source could be found regarding the historical context of the Gospel other than this work. Although Keener refers to Greek words and phrases throughout the commentary, these references are almost always immediately followed by explanation or translation. Anyone, from the specialist to any person serious about the study of the fourth Gospel, will benefit from this volume.
The Gospel of John (Keener)
Regular Price $69.90