John (Life Application Bible Commentary)

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Resource
Review: The gospel of John is not a simple book, therefore interpreters of the text have their work cut out for them. The authors of this text have done a fine job of fleshing out the meaning of the scriptures. For example, many times within John, Jesus is described as the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Light of God, the Mesiah, etc., and Christ's own words include difficult to understand quotes such as "I am". The man/spirit duality is discussed at length and with different perspectives to illuminate and clarify this difficult situation.

The book uses three different methods of organization to the text. The bulk of the text includes quotes rom the Bible, followed by interpretive text. I found the majority of these sections to be very well written and logical, if a bit wordy at times. There are also boxes placed inbetween the above text that are marked with the tree logo used on this entire series of study books. These boxes of text tend to be more personal, asking the reader to consider their own thoughts, motives, practices and goals in life. These sections were the least valuable to me personally.

The third method of organization is the use of tables of information, often with supporting scripture cited. These sections compare and contrast many of the associated issues. Throughout the book, when scripture is cited, it is labeled with the version (such as New King James Version = NKJV) that is being quoted. The book also includes a few maps that help one track the travels of Jesus and his deciples during his ministry on up until his crucifixion and beyond. Very well written overall and an interesting, thought-provoking read.

Rating:
Summary: This book helped me understand the Book of John
Review: This book was very well written and organized. I loved being able to glance down at the bottom of each page and have a cross reference and explaination for each individual verse. The commentary was clear, concise, and easy to understand, and the book got off to a great start with it's introduction. I look forward to studying other books in this series