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Volume 9 - 2006
Editor: Richard S. Hess

Andrew T. Lincoln, The Gospel according to Saint John. Blacks New Testament Commentary. London and New York:
Continuum; Peabody: Hendrickson, 2005. ix + 584 pp. $29.95. ISBN 1-56563-401-2.
A venerable mid-level commentary series in the United Kingdom, Blacks has never been as well known in the U.S.,
especially since Harper stopped co-publishing it under the label of Harpers New Testament Commentary. The original
series was completed a quarter century ago, but slowly replacement volumes of very high quality have been appearing. We
now have Morna Hooker on Mark, James Dunn on Galatians, J. P. Muddiman on Ephesians, Markus Bockmuehl on
Philippians and Sophie Laws on James. Andrew Lincoln, the Portland Professor of New Testament at the University of
Gloucestershire at the time this volume went to press, is well known as the Word Biblical commentator on Ephesians and
the author of Truth on Trial: The Lawsuit Motif in Johns Gospel. His commentary on John is a worthy addition to this
prestigious series.
Lincoln takes something of a centrist position on the historicity of John. While on the one hand highly stressing the
witness motif in the Fourth Gospel, he insists that it often does not refer to eyewitness activity. The document may reflect
fundamental Christian theological truth without necessarily reflecting the kinds of historical genres to which moderns have
become accustomed. Thus Lincoln recognizes a key core of historical information, written up in , overlaid with and
augmented by the anonymous authors unique style, interpretations and inventions to highlight the meaning of Jesus for
him. More so than most Johannine commentators of recent vintage, Lincoln sees John beginning in almost every passage
with key Synoptic kerygma but then going his own way as he adds his distinctive material to it. Still, it would appear that his
approach is consistent with Richard Bauckhams highly acclaimed work on The Gospels for All Christians.
The strengths of the commentary, however, do not lie in Lincolns approach to historical questions. (He acknowledges
my much more conservative conclusions in The Historical Reliability of Johns Gospel but rarely interacts with them.)
Rather, it is Lincolns grasp of the theological intentions and meaning of the Fourth Gospels author that commends this
volume. He insists that all the building blocks for Nicea are genuinely found in John, whether on the deity of Jesus in such
framing texts as John 1:1 and 20:28, on the coinherence of Father and Son in 14:10-11 or on the procession of the Son from
the Father and the Spirit from both Father and Son in the Farewell Discourse more generally. He highlights the recurring
role of key themes such as God as judge, Jesus as his agent and the way the world is put on trial even as it thinks it is
trying Christ. He demonstrates that the supposed anti-Semitism of the Fourth Gospel is no worse than the internecine
controversies within the Hebrew Scriptures or within late-first-century Judaism. He acknowledges the weaknesses of
assuming a watershed event during that era that produced the birkath-ha-minim (the synagogue curse against heretics,
including Christians), but still doesnt admit the larger problems with J. L. Martyns two-level reading of John, as Robert
Kysar has recently exposed. He does rightly accept conventional wisdom with respect to an end-of-first-century date, and
an outline which finds a prologue, a record of signs of glory, a section on departure as glory, and an epilogue.
All manner of smaller details capture Johns theological genius along the way. A minute sampling includes his
downplaying of the Baptists prominence in light of those who would overly exalt him. The turning of water into wine reflects
the abundance of the Messianic age and the impoverishment of the old Jewish rites of purification. The most striking aspect
of the famous John 3:16 is Gods love for the world, not just the sum total of humanity, but fallen, rebellious humanity. John
4 should be read in terms of a betrothal-type scene, but Jesus elevates the engagement from the physical to the spiritual
realm. The main themes of this narrative might be summed up alliteratively as wedding, water, worship and witness (p.
182).
The contrasting details of John 5 and 9, in the two healing miracles of men involving pools of water in Jerusalem,
create an important balance: someones sickness may have a direct connection to ones particular sins but it need not.
Honoring the Son just as one honors the Father (5:22-23) reflects a strong claim to deity, because God does not give his
glory (honor) to another. Feeding the 5000 illustrates Jesus previous claims that the Scriptures, and particularly Moses,
witness to him, especially by means of Jesus follow-up Bread of Life discourse. Walking on water represents an epiphany,
with Jesus I am anticipating the strong claim of 8:58, which in turn alludes to Isaiah 43:10. Chapter 7:37-38 should be
punctuated so that the rivers of living water flow only from Jesus, not from the believer, because water for John symbolizes
the Spirit and one believer cannot impart the Spirit to others. Jesus seemingly contradictory statements about judging and

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Denver Journal - 9:0204 - The Gospel according to Saint John

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not judging are best harmonized by understanding that by ordinary criteria his activity is not really judging, because it is not
according to worldly values and is not exercised as an independent human judgment (p. 266). The good shepherd is best
understood as the noble or honorable leader willing even to lay down his life for his flock, as over against the disgraceful
leaders of that time who were mercenaries unwilling to sacrifice for their people. In all of these central chapters of John, a
major theme is Jesus as the fulfillment or replacement of the significance of the Jewish festivals (p. 309).
The resurrection of Lazarus provides the pivot between the two major halves of the Gospel; it is the climactic sign and
the catalyst for the plot to take Christs life. Marys wiping of Jesus feet precludes our seeing this as a royal anointing but
prepares the way for Jesus own footwashing ceremony, also unique to Johns Gospel. The Pharisees lament that the
whole world had gone after Jesus (12:19) is confirmed by the arrival of the Greeks who want to see him (v. 20). But the rest
of this chapter shows that the Gentile mission can come about only by and after Jesus death. The preparation for that
death in successive chapters proves increasingly unprecedented. If there is no parallel in extant ancient literature for a
person of superior status voluntarily washing the feet of someone of inferior status (p. 367), neither is there parallel within
early Christian tradition to viewing the crucifixion itself as exaltation, as in Johns unique references to Christ being lifted
up. The exclusive claims of 14:6 stand as a direct counter to typical Jewish absolutizing of Torah. The disciples greater
works in verse 12 are neither quantitatively nor qualitatively better than Jesus but represent their full participation in the
coming, greater new age. The ministry of the Paraclete in 16:8-11 involves his convicting the world of its sin and
condemnation but of Jesus righteousness. The prayer of chapter 17 forms an equivalent to the Lords prayer of Matt. 6:9-13
with parallels to all of its original petitions.
The witness theme comes to a climax with Jesus passion, death and resurrection. Jesus remains remarkably in
control, even as the Judge becomes the judged and then martyred. God is supremely made known in this death appears
so ungodlike (p. 482). Chapter 20:1-18 is unified by the figure of Mary Magdalene, but Peter and the beloved disciple are
introduced as two legal witnesses, because they are male. Their relationship is developed, however, throughout the rest of
the narrative, not as a rivalry but to demonstrate both martyrdom and a life of authentic, truthful witness as legitimate
Christian alternatives.
The format of this commentary is an attractive one. Each periscope begins, in bold-face type, with Lincolns own
translation of the Greek text. Then proceed, without subheadings general material introducing the passage, with special
reference to its structure, verse-by-verse commentary with wording from John again reproduced in bold-face, followed by
concluding summary thoughts often relating the material to Synoptic exemplars (or other sources). Consideration of textual
variants is usually relegated to footnotes, but otherwise Lincolns text is uncluttered by parenthetical documentation or any
other footnotes or endnotes interacting with the wealth of secondary literature that he has obviously digested. This last
feature breaks with the precedent established by this series, and, while making the text easy to read, in my opinion, makes
the work less valuable than its predecessors, because only the fellow Johannine specialist will know where he has gotten
his various opinions from. The bibliography at the end of the book is ample enough yet with a number of surprising recent
omissions.
At just about any other time in recent scholarly history, a volume of this caliber would have catapulted to the level of
being one of the top two or three commentaries in print on John. But with Kstenbergers Baker Exegetical volume of 2004
taking pride of place among commentaries on the Greek text, with Kruses revised Tyndale volume and Keeners large twovolume work, also published by Hendrickson, both out in 2003 and offering outstanding succinct and fulsome commentary,
respectively, and with D. A. Carsons Pillar volume of 1991 still reflecting the most sensible all-around opinion at the midlevel range, Lincolns probably ranks no higher than fifth in current value. Still, numerous factors regularly prevent
theological students, pastors and teachers from purchasing biblical commentaries in their exact order of value, contentwise, so Lincolns should certainly be on any serious library builders short list of volumes to acquire on John.
Craig L. Blomberg
Distinguished Professor of New Testament
Denver Seminary
January 2006

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