{Book Review} John (Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament)

B&H Academic is the publisher of an excellent commentary series called the Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament. Murray J. Harris, the well-known Greek and New Testament scholar, is the author of John in this commentary series.

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John (Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament)

Before getting into the review of this specific volume, I want to first mention why this commentary series is worthy of our attention since there are so many commentary series to choose from.

First of all, this is a technical commentary that deals with the Greek text (as you could probably guess given the title of the series), and for that reason, knowledge of the biblical Greek language is really helpful. With that being said, this series is intended to aid the pastor, teacher, Bible study leader, and serious student of Scripture to better understand the text.

In my estimation, this commentary will even improve your skills in understanding the Greek language. This series is great because of its technical nature combined with the homiletical helps and further study sections. This series ought to be consulted by anybody preparing to preach or teach God’s holy Word!

About the Author

Murray Harris was an excellent scholar to have written this volume on John. His knowledge of the Greek text is surely on display in this book. He is a phenomenal teacher who truly helps the reader to better interpret the Word of God. 

Layout and Content

I really like the format of this book. The chapters consist of paragraphs that are then broken down into smaller sub-sections. After an exegesis of each individual verse, there is a “For Further Study” section, and then a “Homiletical Suggestions” section, both of which are very helpful. The homiletical suggestions are really beneficial for preachers and teachers!

I especially liked the section on John chapter one and Murray’s exegetical work on some of the major Christological passages which deal with the humanity and divinity of Jesus. It is extremely helpful to understand how to properly exegete these passages since many cults will attempt to disprove the Trinity from the Greek text of John chapter 1. 

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I really appreciate how easy it is to consult this book. If one were to attempt to find a passage on John 17, then either the table of contents could be checked, or one could search via the verse at the top of each page (i.e. John 17:14). As in a dictionary, the first verse of each page is listed at the header of the page, making it very easy to find the verse you’re looking for. 

Conclusion

This book is such a helpful companion to bible study! Anybody who isn’t beyond the intermediate stage of learning Greek will greatly benefit from this series and this volume specifically. I highly recommend it! 

Disclaimer: My thanks to B&H Academic for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own. 

Related Book Reviews:

• {Book Review} John’s Letters: An Exegetical Guide for Preaching and Teaching
• {Book Review} John For You (God’s Word For You Series)
• {Book Review} Hebrews by John Owen (7-Volume Commentary Set)