John 11-21: Volume 4B

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture #4b

by Joel C. Elowsky (Editor)

The Gospel of John was beloved by the early church, much as it is today, for its spiritual insight and clear declaration of Jesus' divinity. Clement of Alexandria indeed declared it the "spiritual Gospel." Early disputers with heretics such as Cerinthus and the Ebionites drew upon the Gospel of John to refute their heretical notions and uphold the full deity of Christ. This Gospel more than any other was central to the trinitarian and christological debates of the fourth and fifth centuries.

At the same time, the Gospel of John was also thought to be the most chronological, and even to this day is the source of our sense of Jesus' having a three-year ministry. And John Chrysostom's Homilies on John,, perhaps more than any other commentary, emphasizes Christ's humanity and condescension toward the human race.

In addition to the serial homilies of John Chrysostom, readers of this volume of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture (ACCS) will find selections from those of Origen, Theodore of Mopsuestia, Cyril of Alexandria and Augustine. These commentaries are supplemented with homiletic material from Gregory the Great, Peter Chrysologus, Caesarius, Amphilochius, Basil the Great and Basil of Seleucia among others. Liturgical selections derive from Ephraim the Syrian, Ambrose and Romanos the Melodist, which are further supplemented with doctrinal material from Athanasius, the Cappodocians, Hilary and Ambrose.

This rich tradition, some of which is here translated for the first time, offers a vast treasure out of which today's scribes trained for the kingdom may bring forth that which is new and what is old. Edited by Joel C. Elowsky.

Genres: Reference, Christian, Theology

467 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2007

Reviews

[Bchara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If i gave this book 4 stars out of 5, it is only because the version i read, arabic translation, had some excerpts that were very hard to decipher due to a confused translation. I had to check these excerpts - very few excerpts, to be honest - in english or french texts when they were available online.

So my rating is only relative to the edition. As for the text itself, i would never consider myself qualified to rate the perfectness of the Gospels, or the teachings of the early fathers of the Church.
Going through the book was a deep implication in the Gospel according to John: the Gospel is cut into small texts, each text followed by the comments of the Fathers, with a small introductory text summarising these comments. I read these introductory texts after the Father's comments, which helped assimilating the teachings.
Having to read the Gospel slowly and commentated, helps one getting familiar with the Gospel, feeling closer to the Lord, and understanding better His teachings.

[Jonathan]

None

[Frank Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

It certainly contains golden nuggests, but they require seeking out.