The Gospel According to St. John: An Introduction With Commentary and Notes on the Greek Text

Barrett remains one of the finest examples of concise but genuinely substantial critical commentary. His command of the Greek text, independence of judgment and ability to move naturally from philology into theology make the volume remarkably durable. Especially important is his conception of John as theological history: the historical career of Jesus matters, but John tells that history precisely in order to disclose God’s action and self-revelation through Jesus. Barrett is considerably less expansive than Brown and lacks the narrative sophistication of Michaels or Klink, while some historical discussions have inevitably dated. Yet the amount of serious exegesis compressed into the volume is extraordinary, and it remains one of the commentaries most likely to give an independent answer rather than merely survey other scholars.

Even a half-century later, Barrett’s one-volume commentary offers an unmatched engagement with John’s Greek text. Though Barrett wants to stand free from John’s historical claims, especially in the Passion narrative, Carson says this work is “nevertheless not only elegantly and lucidly written but also usually profound in its grasp of John’s theological message and rightly skeptical about many modern literary and historical reconstructions.” A pastor with even a small amount of Greek under their belt will benefit from his scholarly acumen and expansive knowledge. [Full Review]

 

CK Barrett's commentary is still a must-read [Full Review]