First, Second, and Third John (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)
Overview
New Testament scholar, George L. Parsenios, examines cultural context and theological meaning in First, Second, and Third John. Students, pastors, and other readers will appreciate the historical, literary, and theological insight offered in this practical commentary. This commentary, like each in the Paideia series, approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Each sense unit is explored in three sections: (1) introductory matters, (2) tracing the train of thought, (3) key hermeneutical and theological questions.
- Examines cultural context and theological meaning
- Discusses key hermeneutical and theological questions
- Provides notes, outlines, images, and tables
Top Highlights
“Thus 2 John 7 shares several concerns with 1 John but pulls the various parts together into one problem in a way that 1 John does not.” (Page 21)
“Lieu helpfully and insightfully shows how our elaborate theories about the beliefs of the opponents can often be founded on unsteady hypotheses, which too easily become the (supposedly solid) foundation for further hypotheses. Reconstructing the opponents also takes our focus away from the argument of 1 John itself.” (Page 20)
“Other interpreters connect the rhetoric of the letters to historical reconstruction in a different way, and their work will provide the impetus for the rhetorical concerns of this commentary.” (Page 14)
“First, the suggestion by Perkins that the quarrel in these letters is best compared to a family fight is helpful.” (Page 15)
“One is left to ask, Is the heated rhetoric mere rhetoric, or does it reflect historical reality?” (Page 16)
Among a crowded field of commentaries on the letters of John, this volume is perhaps first among its peers. At once accessible, thorough, and conversant with the intricacies of the Greek text, Parsenios provides both scholar and preacher with enormously valuable insights. This may just become the first commentary many will reach for when working in these short letters.
—Gary M. Burge, professor of New Testament, Wheaton College and Graduate School
This concise and able mid-range interaction with John’s letters draws on rich resources—ancient Greco-Roman backgrounds, patristic commentators, medieval art, and modern scholarship like that of Raymond Brown and Judith Lieu. John’s letters are seen as a coherent literary development of themes laid down earlier in the fourth Gospel. Parsenios’s creative exposition will stimulate fresh reflection on these letters’ literary strategy and on the characteristics of faithful fellowship in the Johannine tradition of ‘christomorphic life.’
—Robert W. Yarbrough, professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri
Parsenios’s years of scholarship on the Gospel of John pay dividends in this exciting new commentary on First, Second, and Third John. Parsenios has seamlessly integrated insights from ancient rhetorical handbooks, patristic interpretation, and modern scholarship. The analysis is clear and compelling, and a wealth of information is communicated in a clear and engaging manner. In short, Parsenios’s commentary on the Johannine Epistles is an admirable addition to the Paideia series, and the first place students of these beguiling letters should now turn.
—Jeremy F. Hultin, lecturer in New Testament, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
- Title: First, Second, and Third John
- Author: George L. Parsenios
- Series: Paideia Commentaries on the New Testament
- Publisher: Baker Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2014
- Logos Release Date: 2015
- Pages: 208
- Era: era:contemporary
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subjects: Bible. N.T. 1 John › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. 2 John › Commentaries; Bible. N.T. 3 John › Commentaries
- ISBNs: 9781441221025, 9780801033421, 1441221026, 080103342, 080103342X
- Resource ID: LLS:PAIDEIA83JN1
- Resource Type: Bible Commentary
- Metadata Last Updated: 2022-10-05T17:08:03Z
Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament approaches each text in its final, canonical form, proceeding by sense units (pericopes) rather than word-by-word or verse-by-verse. Thus, each commentary follows the original train of thought as indicated by the author instead of modern artificial distinctions. Using this approach, one is able to grasp not only the exegetical-historical information of a passage, but also follow a coherent theological expression throughout. Additionally, this series is enormously helpful and practical through its usage of small visual presentations of historical, exegetical, and theological information. Highly user friendly, this is a great resource for college students, pastors, or those who want to take their Bible study to another level.
The Paideia series explores how New Testament texts inform Christian readers by:
- Attending to the ancient narrative and rhetorical strategies the text employs
- Showing how the text shapes theological convictions and moral habits
- Commenting on the final, canonical form of each New Testament book
- Focusing on the cultural, literary, and theological settings of the text
- Making judicious use of maps, photos, and sidebars in a reader-friendly format