Review: John's Letters (Big Greek Idea Series)

Kregel Publications continues its Big Greek Idea series with John’s Letters: An Exegetical Guide for Preaching and Teaching (Kregel, 2019). Written by Herbert Bateman and Aaron Peer, this commentary assumes a discourse-level analysis of the Greek text of I-III John. Each section begins with the “Big Greek Idea” and offers a structural overview. After a brief outline, the section includes a clausal outline (grammatical diagram), visually distinguished by its grammatical, syntactical, and semantic functions. A running commentary explains the clausal relationships according to these three primary functions, with occasional excurses for lexical, syntactical, grammatical, or theological “nuggets.” The explanation of syntax is thorough and well-researched.

This guide succeeds in its ability to save time in grammatical work for exegesis. It, however, assumes a working knowledge of grammar and the Greek language. For teachers and preachers, this is an invaluable resource. It does not promise to translate the text for you, nor to complete an effective word study, but it will help you better understand the grammatical-syntactical relationships of the original Greek text. The book concludes with a full interpretive translation of the Johannine letters, a helpful list of John’s figures of speech, and a nugget index. Even if you are not studying from John’s letters, this guide provides an excellent model for responsible Greek exegesis that informs faithful interpretation. Bateman and Peer unpack the beauty of John’s message, seen through the Greek text, and help us more fully behold its significance on our lives.

A complimentary review copy was given in exchange for an honest review.

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