John (St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary) by R. C. Sproul

Saint Andrews Expositional Commentary #4

by R.C. Sproul

In his latest book, John, Dr. R. C. Sproul offers his readers the fruits of his lifetime of biblical study as expressed in his most recent calling.Dr. Sproul, a respected seminary teacher, conference speaker, and author, long saw his role in full-time Christian ministry as centered on the task of teaching. But in 1997, God placed him in the position of preaching weekly at St. Andrew's in Sanford, Florida. There, he adopted the ancient Christian practice of lectio continua, or continuous expositions, the method of preaching verse-by-verse through books of the Bible (rather than choosing a new topic each week). Since taking up this task at St. Andrew's, Dr. Sproul has preached through several books of the Bible, including the Gospel of John. Encouraged by his congregation at St. Andrew's, Dr. Sproul has now begun to adapt these sermon series for a wider audience. The result is the St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary, which is being jointly published by Reformation Trust Publishing and Crossway Books. In John, Dr. Sproul confesses that he attained a new depth of understanding of the Gospel when he preached through the book. Nevertheless, he came to the Gospel after much study of it, and that familiarity is readily apparent from the first chapter on the Prologue of John's Gospel to the final chapter on Peter's restoration. John includes fifty-seven chapters, each of which began as a St. Andrew's sermon. Dr. Sproul deals with major themes as he moves through the book passage by passage. Though the book is an "expositional commentary" that is, it does not deal with each and every verse, it unpacks major themes in Dr. Sproul's easily understandable style. Readers will find invaluable insights into the goals John had in writing his Gospel, the background for Jesus' time, and the meanings of some of John's most difficult passages. John is an easily readable introduction to this unique record of Jesus' life, packed with insights and exhortations that will draw the reader closer to the Savior and encourage him or her to a greater depth of love and devotion to Him.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christianity, Nonfiction, Reference, New Testament, Faith

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine.

Ligonier Ministries began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pa. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando in 1984, and the ministry was renamed.

Dr. Sproul’s radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul produced hundreds of lecture series and recorded numerous video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living.

He contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, and academic institutions around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy and wrote a commentary on that document. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible, previously known as the New Geneva Study Bible.

Dr. Sproul had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando and Jackson, Miss. He was ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I wish we had one of these meaningful volumes for every book in the Bible. They are such a treasure. R.C. communicates spiritual truths using the original language, historical information and personal anecdotes. It is like having him in my home. I loved spending the year rereading this book alongside my daily devotions in Ligonier's Tabletalk magazine. Highly recommended!

[Tyler Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sproul, in his typical fashion, takes a piece of text at a time and carefully breaks it down and enriches us with an easy-to-read introduction of a topic or concept or application. Each chapter is about 6-7 pages and it is a great devotional read. Sproul is one of my all-time favorites because he is so easy to read and is so secretly based, yet sometimes I wish he would go deeper into each passage. I suppose that's what a sermon is for... or a regular commentary.

Separate, but I really appreciated Sproul's repeated confession that he does not know the meaning of every passage in this Gospel. It is humbling and displays a lot of wisdom.

This is a great introductory commentary. If you're looking for a place to start, this seems like a good place from my vantage point.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough Sproul! I found several interesting insights that I hadn't heard prior to reading this.

[B · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I continue to read the modern-day commentaries, I become increasingly convinced that our contemporary theologians do more to undermine the Word the God than some of Christianity's worst critics. Christians should consider the warning of the Old Testament Prophet Jeremiah: "How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the Lord; and what wisdom is in them?" (Jer. 8:8-9).

When doubt is cast on the validity of any portion of Scripture, then the whole Bible is subject to question. John 17:17 tells us that God's word is truth; it's all truth or it's not--there's no in between. From the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (LBCF), Chapter 1 'Of the Holy Scriptures', paragraph 4: "The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God."

In the same chapter, Christians are told "that [with] the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have hope," (LBCF, Chapter 1, paragraph 8).

Through the Scriptures Christians have hope. In 1 Tim. 1:1, Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is our hope. Jesus is the Truth, (John 14:6), and He is the Word, (John 1:1). Therefore, if Jesus is infallible, then the Word of God, or Scripture, must be infallible as well. It is foundational to Christianity that the Bible is true: "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience," (LBCF, Chapter 1, paragraph 1).

Obviously, I'm belaboring the point of the Bible's infallibility for a reason. This core doctrine came up in reading St. Andrew's Expositional Commentary on John by R.C. Sproul. In Chapter 12, Dr. Sproul looks at John 5:4 which says: "For an angel went down at a certain season in the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." He then goes on to explain this verse on page 77. I'm quoting him at length because this excerpt is the prime example of why I continue to push-back against the "science of textual criticism" (underlining and bold emphasis is mine):

"This [the angel stirring the water] is the only instance in sacred Scripture where we find any indication that there was a pool in Jerusalem where an angel came periodically, stirred up the water, and gave miraculous healing to the first person who managed to get down into the water. How are we to understand this strange account?

Let me preface what I'm about to say with some background about the manuscripts of the biblical books. We don't possess the original manuscripts; they have been lost. What the church possess are hundreds, and in some cases, thousands of copies that were made in the earliest days. Through the science of textual criticism, scholars try to reconstruct what was in the original documents. Thanks to the great number of copies and the precision of textual criticism, we have a high degree of confidence that the biblical manuscripts as we now have them are very close to the originals. However, occasionally we find manuscripts differing as to what was in the original text, and this is one of those instances--some of the best texts of the Gospel of John do not include verse 4. Therefore, it's very possible that this statement about an angel stirring up the water and healing the first person who stepped into the pool may have been a textual gloss that reflected more of the superstition of the people than the actual truth of God.

But if the stirring of the water and the healings were not caused by an angel, what was happening? We know these pools in Jerusalem were occasionally fed by artesian wells. The wells would start to flow and the pools would be stirred with an influx of water with special characteristics--something like the hot springs people visit even today for therapeutic reasons. That may have been what was happening at Bethesda, and the people, not knowing the science of artesian wells, simply believed that the stirring of the water was due to the presence of an angel."

First of all, why do we have to understand this account fully in order to accept it? Could this not be one of the "secret things that belong to unto the Lord our God," (Deut. 29:29)? Personally, I have no problem believing this account. The Lord worked miraculous healings all throughout the Old and New Testaments. It never occurred to me to question the validity of this account until Dr. Sproul decided that verse 4 should not be included in John 5 based on the science of textual criticism. The Apostle Peter tells us that God's Word abides and endures forever; it cannot be corrupted, (1 Peter 1:23-25). God is sovereign; if I can't trust Him to preserve His Word, how can I have assurance that He will preserve me until the Day of Judgment?

Instead of believing that the Holy Spirit inspired these words and they are true even though we can't explain the miracle scientifically, Dr. Sproul hypothesizes that the healings were probably caused by artesian wells, but the angel "story" was included because the first century people were scientifically inept and too superstitious to understand the reality of the situation. This example of scholarly arrogance corrupts the Word of God by subverting its infallibility. Casting doubt and confusion through pragmatic and reasonable human logic at best keeps Christian "in need of milk, and not of strong meat," (Heb. 5:12), but at worst causes some to "stumble at the word, being disobedient," (1 Peter 2:8). Clearly, there's no application to disobey in this passage, but where do you draw the line once you start questioning and even dismissing God's Word?

I also find it interesting to note that the Puritan commentators Matthew Poole and Matthew Henry never discount the miracle of the angels stirring the water for healing. In his commentary on John 5:1-4 Matthew Henry states: "Now this is all the account we have of this standing miracle; it is uncertain when it began and when it ceased," (Vol. 5, p. 742). He goes on to discuss some of the conjecture about its beginning and ending, but he does not question the validity of the miracle or its inclusion in Scripture.

Christian scholars will never possess or recreate the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments. But the Bible has not been lost because God has promised that His Word will stand forever, (Isa. 40:8), and it will not pass away, (Matt. 24:35). The Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, (Heb. 4:12).

Liberal Christian theologians are known for questioning many orthodox views of Jesus--His deity, His virgin birth, His miracles, His resurrection, etc. Reformed Christian theologians criticize their liberal counterparts for rejecting the orthodox foundations of Christianity. But the devil is crafty; he has found a way to infiltrate both sides through the so-called science of textual criticism. This is a call for Christians to "put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil," (Eph. 6:12). God has preserved His Word throughout the ages in His church through the Textus Receptus or Received Text, which is available for all Christians to read in the King James Bible.

[Emily K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sproul remains one of my favorite. His books and commentary are so well written and easy to understand. I learned so much from this book.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.C. Sproul comes with high recommendation from almost everyone I know. Perhaps I came to this text with higher expectations than I should have. It was certainly a good book and I will definitely read Sproul again in the future. Here are my thoughts about his book on John.

First I would like to say that Dr. Sproul's intention for this book seemed to be creating a commentary that would be accessible to people of various backgrounds. In this regard I would say that he accomplished that task well. This was helpful to me to see how a brilliant scholar like Sproul translates a text like John for a general audience. The book was very accessible and yet it was clear that the man writing it was no simpleton. He has certain eloquence and grace in his simplicity that implies that the author knows far more than he is sharing.

He had some fantastic insights and a majority of the time I appreciate that the author is careful in his assessments. For example: he is very leary about speculating concerning the nature of Jesus' resurrected body and warns readers to exercise caution when the text of scripture is not exactly very clear. I love the fact that he is conservative and he honors the scripture as God's living Word. He truly lets the Word of God be the Word of God. His anecdotes are also very charming and helpful for the purpose of illustration.

Nevertheless, I had some problems with this writing. First of all, I was very disappointed in the treatment he gave the prologue. Truly there was nothing there which sparked much thought and it was almost as if he was trying to gloss that over. After the prologue he does not spend hardly anytime writing about the first two chapters. It was as if he told the story and and then failed to offer insights. Any student of John's gospel knows that there is more material in first miracle of Jesus than indicating that it is "okay to drink" which he does not say explictly but seems to imply. Once he did get into the text it seemed that he was overall generic in his assessments. In other words this is the 20th book I have read in my research of John's Gospel and it was not necessarily helpful more any other book I have read.

Dr. Sproul is a reformed theologian and although I would not consider myself Calvinist I do respect this position and I will in fact be reading Calvin's commentary on John very shortly. I understand that his translation of the Bible is through the lens of Calvinism but there were times that I felt he went overboard and became very dogmatic about his beliefs. A couple of times I was not sure whether I was reading the "Gospel according to John" or the "Gospel according to John Calvin." I realize that Dr. Sproul believes that the Gospel of John is more Calvinistic than the others but I think there were times this slant detracted from the work. Before I get labeled as anti-Calvinist I would have you know that most of the commentaries I have read were from a Calvinist viewpoint and I have loved many of them. Dr. Sproul seemed overly dogmatic about the five points of Calvinism and while he was generally respectful to other positions that was not always the case.

Overall, I did enjoy the book for some of the insights that he gave and if this tells you anything I plan on reading his work on the epistles of Peter. If you are new to John this book is a great primer but if you are looking for more you should reference Bruce, Tenney or Kostenberger.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Gospel according to St. John is unique in the four Gospels in that it only shares about ten percent of its content with the other three and includes the Upper Room Discourse, Christ's High Priestly prayer, and the seven I AM sayings of Jesus. And R.C. Sproul, in this expositional series he preached to his own church, does a masterful job of patiently interpreting this book.

There are many passages to be read over and over, and here are just two:

On the church being made to be confessional - "the church that Christ built and is building must always be a confessing church. When I speak of the church as a confessing church, I'm not simply speaking of the confession of sin that we utter before God, but rather the confession of our faith. Christ promises redemption to those who not only believe in His resurrection in their hearts but who confess Him with their mouths (Rom. 10:9)." (pg. 262)

On love - "This was extravagant love. There are times for extravagance, and it is always time for an extravagant manifestation of adoration to Christ. What could you and I possibly do that would be too extravagant in giving Him glory? Anyone who has ever been in love at some point has made an extravagant gift for the one that he or she loved, and the only justification for it was the love that he or she felt. If we love Christ, it is appropriate to love Him extravagantly, for He is worthy of extravagant love." (pg. 218-9)

The only detraction of this otherwise fine book is R.C.’s uncharacteristically imprecise descriptions in several places. For instance: "...the ministry of Christ and the significance of the cross were presented to her in a way that caused the scales to fall from her eyes, and she came to a saving knowledge of Christ." (pg. 268) Since when did the presentation of the Gospel play a role in its hearing?

Earlier, he writes: “God doesn't force people into sin and then refuse to rescue them from it. However, He sometimes turns a a sinner over to his sin, which is the most ghastly judgment any person could ever receive from the hands of God. That is what happened to the people of Israel in Isaiah’s day. God did the same thing in Jesus’ day. Due to the rebelliousness of the people, God judged them with the inability to repent even though the message of salvation was being compellingly presented right before their eyes" [emphasis mine]. But, as I say, these are not characteristic of Dr. Sproul’s overall presentation. His preaching and teaching is both accessible and faithful and this is the best volume in the St. Andrew’s Expositional series.

[E.M. Welcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I preached through the Gospel of John from Nov. 2009 to Aug. 2011 I found R.C. Sproul's commentary on the Gospel unequaled in its balance of deep theological teaching and practical application. This commentary was always in my study as I prepared sermons for the Church's edification.

As useful and challenging as Dr. Sproul's writings are it is important to remember that they do come from a Covenant Theologian's bent. So it should not surprise one that when Dr. Sproul comments on the Apostle John's account of the Lord's washing of his disciple's feet in Jn. 13 that he connects this event with Baptism, an observation which left me scratching my head (p.243). Nor should it surprise one that Dr. Sproul calls Dispensationalism a "novelty theology that arouse in the nineteenth century..." (p. 284), which isn't all that charitable. It would perhaps have been more accurate to say that Dispensationalism is a theology that arouse in the nineteenth century that a novel few take quite seriously. = ) May we Christians learn to get along before we meet our Father.

That being said, it is important for the Christian to note that just about every bible teacher is teaching from some kind of bent.

All and all, I highly recommend that R.C. Sproul's warm and engaging commentary on the Gospel of John, and I hope it makes its way into your theological library!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

R.C. Sproul’s commentary on the Gospel of John features the strong, frequent marks of a major popular Reformed theologian and gifted teacher. His insights here are always accessible and illuminating. Readers will not for the space of a single chapter, I think, forget that the book originated as an expository sermon series. That is, the commentary is filled with personal anecdotes (some of which are a bit less effective than others) and occasional references to pop culture. It goes without saying, then, that this is not an academic text. Rather, it’s an excellent starting place for a study of this Gospel, and it is a book that many a layperson will find deeply memorable. As a side note, Sproul begins with a fairly light touch in incorporating Reformed theology with his study, and sometimes I felt that he missed an opportunity to expound on particular passages from his well-informed Calvinist perspective. However, about 3/4 of the way into the book, there are some very strong, very helpful Reformed observations. This was my first Sproul commentary, and I look forward to reading more of them.

[Laramie Gildon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this commentary. Sproul as always did a great job illustrating and really putting you in the midst of the events described in the gospel of John. He also makes great pastoral applications throughout.

As we continue to preach through the gospel of the John, I will continue to refer back to this great resource.

I believe any believer would greatly benefit from this book.

[Collin Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sproul does well illuminating the “drama” of the text. That was very helpful for me who does not often think along those lines.

Although I struggled because where does he get his information? He does not footnote or quote anyone. Especially about historical concepts. He also tells lots of stories and does not back up his word studies in the original languages very well.

Sproul is theologically sound but I don’t think I would use his commentary for a guide again. That could be the academic side of me speaking. (Not that I’m academic, but aspire to be lol)

[Austin Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than his Luke commentary. More insightful, but pastorally unhelpful at many points - assumes the worst of the characters of Scripture rather than their natural disposition/human characteristics

[Rachel HK · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful work. I feel enlivened, enriched, and revived having finished it. Easy to read, approachable, but thorough and deep. An absolute delight to the soul and for your spiritual walk.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great commentary by R.C. Sproul, and a great resource for a better understanding of this Gospel.

[Greg Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sproul is an incredible author, teacher, and preacher. He is one of my favorites.

[Josh Simons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

It would do well for all Christians to slowly immerse themselves in this study of the disciple that Jesus loved. Seek after the Lord as John did.

[Nathan Chattaway · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, concise and informative. Very readable.

[John Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to learn that Dr. Sproul was writing a series of new commentaries. He has long been one of my favorite theologians, and is one of the clearest teachers of Scripture that I have encountered. I was a bit concerned, however, that his commentaries might be somewhat more “intellectual” than many of his other books. Often in his lectures, he operates on a different mental plane than most mere mortals!

So it was much to my relief to see that this commentary was very approachable and easy to read. In fact, it is possibly the most accessible book of its type that I’ve seen. I especially appreciated the format of this book.

Rather than write a verse-by-verse exposition, as many commentators do, Sproul has broken John’s gospel into 57 chapters, focusing on individual events and encounters. He then writes his commentary in a very conversational style, often relaying personal stories and analogies to help teach the text. This writing style lends this commentary to reading just like one might read any other typical book, rather than requiring strenuous study like many other commentaries. It is highly recommended for students of Scripture at any level of spiritual maturity or theological experience!

[John Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was excited to learn that Dr. Sproul was writing a series of new commentaries. He has long been one of my favorite theologians, and is one of the clearest teachers of Scripture that I have encountered. I was a bit concerned, however, that his commentaries might be somewhat more “intellectual” than many of his other books. Often in his lectures, he operates on a different mental plane than most mere mortals!

So it was much to my relief to see that this commentary was very approachable and easy to read. In fact, it is possibly the most accessible book of its type that I’ve seen. I especially appreciated the format of this book.

Rather than write a verse-by-verse exposition, as many commentators do, Sproul has broken John’s gospel into 57 chapters, focusing on individual events and encounters. He then writes his commentary in a very conversational style, often relaying personal stories and analogies to help teach the text. This writing style lends this commentary to reading just like one might read any other typical book, rather than requiring strenuous study like many other commentaries. It is highly recommended for students of Scripture at any level of spiritual maturity or theological experience!

[Aimee]

Update 2024: This is truly an example of when you know better you do better. I was so conditioned to believe that men in authority could interpret the Bible for me and call that thinking for myself. So much internalized misogyny resulted and very little that illuminated the actual teachings of Jesus. A whole lot of what I now recognize as very specific cultural narratives, while claiming they were the only truth. And we ask now how Christian Nationalism, white supremacy and patriarchy are so prevalent in evangelical culture? All you have to do is examine the legacy of his son’s role and the original Sproul’s protégé’s in the church to see that the fruit here is rotten.

Previous review:
This added so much to my reading of the gospel of John. I was concurrently doing a study on John by Beth Moore and found this to be so much more useful in filling in the missing pieces and helping me to unpack the text for myself. I will definitely use Sproul's sermons again for other biblical books when available.

[Tyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

John's Gospel has been one of my favorite New Testament books for some time and though I haven't read a large number of R. C. Sproul's books, many of my friends have a great deal of respect for him. I had always wanted to read through an in-depth commentary on John and I felt that Sproul would do an excellent job.

Though his book isn't as detailed as other commentaries may be, it nevertheless provides a lot of insight into the main themes of John by looking at individual passages and showing how they tie into the Gospel as a whole. Sproul writes in a fluid style that is often lacking in more technical, verse-by-verse commentaries that allows the reader to stay focused without being burdened by a collection of dry facts about each verse. He focuses on the spiritual applications of each passage and in doing so shows his concern for his reader's walk with Christ. I would highly recommend this to anyone waning to dive deeper into John's Gospel.

[Emmanuel Boston · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Some thoughts, not a full review:

Moves too quickly from the text to application and misses prominent theological points/themes because of it.

Occasionally inaccurate regarding cultural elements.

Occasionally inaccurate regarding the thrust of a passage.

Prone to overstatement (e.g. "I am convinced that the Ascension is the most important part" [of the work of Christ]. Yet, the Ascension only appears in Luke & Acts--it cannot be the most important part).

Sproul writes within the Reformed tradition but neglects to consult Calvin on interpretive issues and contradicts Calvin's wise exegesis (see the healing of the man born blind where Sproul states that the blinding occurred so that the work of healing could be seen; Calvin shows how the text uses the plural and indicates that the blinding itself is the work of God for his glory).

[Zach McDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have enjoyed Dr. Sprouls writing, teachings, and sermons since high school but this is my first time reading one of his commentaries. One of the characteristics I first loved about him was he ability to teach the depth of biblical truths in a very concise, God honoring, and clear manner. This is precisely why he is enjoyed by folks from all spans of the Christian life, professors, pastors, laymen, and new believers alike. This commentary on the Gospel of John was no different. My only complaint about this work is that, on many issues, he could have dug in deeper and spent more time on a number of different texts. But let's be honest, no one can fully exhaust the truths found in Scripture. This would be a great resource to read through with a new disciple.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a brief overview of each chapter in John's Gospel taken from R.C. Sproul's sermon series. In typical Sproul style the book is full of deep insights yet explained easily enough for anyone to take to heart. I really enjoyed how the chapters are written from a pastor's perspective and not only a theologian. This book makes a great devotion when reading through the book of John. The chapters are short enough to easily read in the morning during personal study time. This is the second time I have read this book and plan to read it more in the future.

[台耀 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I read one of the Gospels, I can't help but feel like I have had a divine encounter with the One. To have had that chance to walk with Him and "hear" Him speak, and follow Him all the way to Jerusalem, Calvary and then witness His resurrection and Ascension. Each time I finish one of the Gospels, it feels like I always leave learning something new about Him.

And it really helps, how Sproul breaks down complex theology into digestible form. It's amazing how God uses him to open the eyes, minds and hearts of so many people who read his commentaries.

[Greg Beauchamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent commentary.

This is an excellent commentary in that Mr Sproul includes both well researched information and his own personal testimony regarding the Gospel of John. I have several of his Bible commentaries and many of his other books and I have never been disappointed with any of them. Mr Sproul is a gift to the Christian community and am hoping that He writes a commentary on earth h of the books of the Bible.

[Jeremy Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent commentary through the book of John. Admittedly, I am biased. I don't think there's anything out by Dr. R.C. Sproul I have not liked for various reasons. Like the other books in the St. Andrew's Expositionary Commentary series, this is highly recommended - especially those sections dealing with the "difficult passages" in John chapter 6 regarding the Sovereignty of God in salvation.

[Jeff Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this commentary as an aid in teaching through the Gospel of John with our Sr. High youth and found it to be immensely helpful - both for my mind and heart, as well as in communicating the truth to our students!

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a decent book. I used it as our church was doing a sermon series in John. It is definitely less academic and more conversational in a sermon-y kind of way. There were times I wish it would have gone into more depth.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent and easy to read commentary. Expository as if reading through a series of good sermons. Short enough that these could be done as a devotional. Good balance between teaching and application.