The Epistles of John: [an expositional commentary]

by James Montgomery Boice

The three letters of John found near the end of the New Testament have a tendency to be oversimplified or simply overlooked in the study of the Scriptures. However, though these letters may on the surface seem less applicable to our time because they address heresies and church management issues that seem unique to the early church, careful study reveals just how contemporary these concerns are.In this volume of James Montgomery Boice's popular commentary series, pastors, Bible students, and laypersons will find analysis of John's timeless messages of righteousness, truth, and love. Boice explains the meaning of the text verse by verse and subject by subject. Clear language and an approachable style make this commentary accessible and enlightening. Within these pages are important lessons-the essence of Christianity-assurance of salvation-identification of false teachings-proper treatment of God's servants-interaction between the church and the world-living a righteous lifeJames Montgomery Boice (1938-2000) was senior pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was also president and cofounder of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, the parent organization of The Bible Study Hour, on which Boice was a speaker for more than thirty years.

Genres: New Testament, Theology, Christian

226 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 1983

About the author

James Montgomery Boice was a Reformed theologian, Bible teacher, and pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1968 until his death in 2000. He was also president and cofounder of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, the parent organization of The Bible Study Hour on which Boice was a speaker for more than thirty years.

Reviews

[Lolita Kringe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had a lot of interpretations and explanations of the Bible. I learned some things from this.

[Joshua Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid and overall very helpful. Brief in a good way, most of the time.

[Brice Karickhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another attempt to study up on the non-Pauline epistles. I read some of, but mostly listened to this commentary, and anything negative I could say probably stems from the fact that it is hard to track with deep dives into Greek grammar while winding through unfamiliar mountain roads in West Virginia. Nonetheless, the takeaways that I did have were incredibly helpful.

In particular, I really appreciated Boyce's language around how a Christian ought to relate to assurance of salvation (a major theme in 1 John). He acknowledges the realities of being a fickle doubtful human, but correctly points out the undeniable parallel between John 20:31 and 1 John 5:13, which suggests we may "know that we have eternal life" as surely as the readers of John's gospel may "believe that Jesus is the Christ".

How do we know? That leads to the second insight that I really appreciated about this book. Boyce focuses on three themes as John's basis for assurance as well as his general encouragement to readers: righteousness, truth, and love. Noticing these three themes provides a really helpful grid for reading John's epistles, and I was especially convicted by Boyce's emphasis on the love that Christians ought to have for one another according to John, and the degree to which that is even one of the best indicators of whether or not we have eternal life before us.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straight forward and good exposition. Typical Boice, great work in the details, but doesn't lack from addressing the heart. I appreciate authors/pastors that will give you Greek text, analysis of church history, views of other authors (he quotes Stott, Barkley, and Dodd over and over), etc.

There are a few passages that are fantastic where he ascends the heights, opening up the love of God in Christ. There are also pointient pieces where he addresses cultural trends like the loss of truth that are remarkabley applicable in a book so dated. This was surprisingly refreshing to know he saw it coming.

Again, typical Boice - consistent and level headed without being cold.