Epistles of John (The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC)

by Raymond Edward Brown

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 2008

(9)

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Overview

With this study—companion to the masterful two-volume The Gospel according to John—Raymond E. Brown completed his trilogy on the Johannine corpus. Meticulous in detail, exhaustive in analysis, persuasive in argument, it examines controversies that have long troubled both biblical scholars and lay readers. Questions of authorship, composition, and dating, as well as the debate over source theories, are discussed at length; but these are kept subordinate to the overall question of meaning.

What gives this commentary special interest and excitement is the bold, imaginative reconstruction of the setting of the Johannine work—in particular of the “opposition figures,” who are only dimly sketched in the Epistles—so that we see clearly that the author is writing to his flock both about the dangers and difficulties confronting them, and about the eternal life that is theirs by the gift of God. In this way, the Epistles of John become intelligible as broadsides in a critical engagement between the forces of light and darkness.

In addition to his superb textual analysis of the letters, Raymond E. Brown has brought to life the community in which these works were formed and shaped. We are forcefully reminded that the Gospel and the Epistles were addressed to very real people living in the first century AD, people with religious problems not unlike our own. In all respects, The Epistles of John stands out as a model of biblical scholarship and study.

Logos Bible Software gives you the tools you need to use this volume effectively and efficiently. With your digital library, you can search for verses, find Scripture references and citations instantly, and perform word studies. Along with your English translations, all Scripture passages are linked to Greek and Hebrew texts. What’s more, hovering over a Scripture reference will instantly display your verse! The advanced tools in your digital library free you to dig deeper into one of the most important contributions to biblical scholarship in the past century!

Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature

The First Epistle of John
- The Prologue
  - 1 John 1:1–4: The Prologue
- Part One
  - 1 John 1:5–2:2: The Gospel of God as Light; Three Boasts and Three Opposite Hypotheses
  - 1 John 2:3–11: Three Claims of Intimate Knowledge of God to Be Tested by Behavior
  - 1 John 2:12–17: Admonitions to Believers—Having Conquered the Evil One, They Must Resist the World
  - 1 John 2:18–27: Warning against the Secessionists as Antichrists Who Deny the Son and the Father
  - 1 John 2:28–3:10: God’s Children vs. The Devil’s Children
- Part Two
  - 1 John 3:11–24: The Gospel of Loving One Another
  - 1 John 4:1–6: The Spirits of Truth and of Deceit, and Their Respective Adherents
  - 1 John 4:7–5:4a: Loving One Another as a Way of Abiding in and Loving God
  - 1 John 5:4b–12: Faith as Conqueror of the World and the Role of Testimony
- The Conclusion
  - 1 John 5:13–21: The Conclusion
The Second Epistle of John
The Third Epistle of John

Top Highlights

“The Johannine Epistles must be understood, therefore, not by themselves but in relation to GJohn.” (Page xi)

“Overall, if one judges from the various Johannine uses of archē and from the comparative structure of the ‘what’ clauses in 1 John 1:1, the most plausible meaning is E above, so that ‘What was from the beginning’ means the person, words, and deeds of Jesus as this complexus reflects his self-revelation (which is also the revelation of his Father) to his disciples after his baptism.” (Page 158)

“Of the 27 books of the NT, all but 6 are commonly classified as epistles or letters.¹ Among the 21 epistles, the 13 in the Pauline collection are entitled according to their named recipients (Romans, Timothy, etc.). The non-Pauline Epistle to the Hebrews is entitled according to the recipients as surmised from the contents. The remaining 7 epistles are entitled according to their authors who in the instances of James, I and II Peter, and Jude are named in the writings themselves, but surmised in the instances of I, II, and III John.” (Page 3)

“And so, while not an overture, the Prologue sets the tone for I John in terms of a polemically exclusive claim, namely, that the proclamation about Jesus made by the author represents the authentic Gospel stemming from a true witness to Jesus, and those who refuse to accept it have communion with neither Father nor Son.” (Page 175)

“B. H. Streeter⁴⁵ is correct: ‘The three Epistles and the Gospel of John are so closely allied in diction, style, and general outlook that the burden of proof lies with the person who would deny their common authorship.’” (Page 20)

Raymond E. Brown was, throughout his illustrious career, internationally regarded as the dean of New Testament scholars. He was Auburn Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. In addition to his commentary on John in the Anchor Yale Bible, he has also authored more than 35 books.