Encountering John Quotes

“Who do people say the Son of Man is? ...But what about you? Who do you say I am?' (Mt 16:13,15). In the end, people's answer to this question will be the only thing that matters; it alone will determine people's eternal destiny.”
― Andreas J. Kostenberger, Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective

“Successes tend to breed overconfidence. In fact, sometimes successes are harder to deal with than defeats.”
― Andreas J. Kostenberger, Encountering John (Encountering Biblical Studies): The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective

“For those of us who would do well to lighten up once in a while, John sets a good example. With his considerable discernment, he saw the fine ironies of life in which those of us who are blind to spiritual truth get caught. And while he went to great lengths to persuade others that Jesus is the Christ, he was not above occasionally having a good laugh along the way.”
― Andreas J. Kostenberger, Encountering John (Encountering Biblical Studies): The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective

“As Augustine pointed out long ago, “He who made the wine at this wedding does the same thing every year in the vines. As the water which the servants put into the water-pots was turned into wine by the Lord, so that which the clouds pour down is turned into wine by the same Lord.”6”
― Andreas J. Kostenberger, Encountering John (Encountering Biblical Studies): The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective

“But it is John who stresses most explicitly that Jesus’ death did not come as an accident but was fully willed and anticipated by our Lord. In a saying found only in John’s Gospel, Jesus is recorded as saying, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again” (10:17-18). At his own arrest, Jesus is shown to take the initiative, “knowing all that was going to happen to him” (18:4; cf. 13:1-3). And in another saying unique to John’s Gospel, Jesus reminds Pilate, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (19:11).”
― Andreas Köstenberger, Encountering John: The Gospel in Historical, Literary, and Theological Perspective