Best Commentaries on John

Burge’s commentary is interpretively careful and accessible. He offers helpful insights into John’s historical, literary, and theological emphases as he seeks to connect the Gospel’s message to contemporary readers. This is a top-notch resource for lay leaders who desire a steak-and-potatoes guide to the Gospel.

Kruse shows how the fourth Gospel weaves its themes of belief and unbelief into a rich Christology. The commentary examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes while offering clear, reliable, and relevant explanations.

Sproul’s commentary on John is a relatively thin volume that makes the text accessible for lay leaders. Sproul’s strength was breaking down complex subjects into manageable pieces for a popular audience. His style is warm and personal, logical and clear, engaging and relevant. Some sections of the book of John are overlooked to keep the commentary streamlined, but the major themes of the book are addressed.

Though published three decades ago, Carson’s commentary on John’s Gospel remains a treasured resource for pastors and students. Schreiner says it’s “the first choice for pastors, exegetically and theologically rich.” It blends top-notch scholarship with reverence, intellectual rigor with spiritual warmth. The hefty, eighty-page introduction covers issues like the book’s authorship, structure, and evangelistic purpose, and it includes a rich discussion of the Gospel’s theological emphases. Carson also gives sage advice on preaching from John. Tabb writes, “Throughout, the commentary is marked by clear, straightforward, penetrating exposition of the text.”

Borchert presents a clear and concise commentary that is easy to read and not overly technical; Greek is transliterated in most cases. It features substantial footnotes on nearly every page for further study if needed. The commentary is unapologetically confessional and rooted in the evangelical tradition so it’s a good first consult for busy pastors after they’ve done their initial work in the text.

A commentary ideally suited for pastors and Bible teachers whose primary interest is in John’s theology. The Dutch scholar effectively stresses the historical reliability and conceptual coherence of the Gospel of John through his interaction with major theological themes from church history. This balanced work is an exemplar of theological analysis and reflection.

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.

Keener’s two-volume commentary reflects a rich, detailed engagement with John’s Gospel that’s informed by an extensive examination of primary sources and command of the scholarly literature. Keener’s accessible writing proactively addresses readers’ questions. His breadth of learning and rich interaction with the literature combine to make this reference work indispensable for serious students.

Klink aims to situate the Gospel of John “in its divine context as Christian Scripture” as well as “in its historical context” (p. 41). This is an outworking of a confessional approach that embraces the theological claims and the complete historicity of the biblical text (pp. 22–24). Klink outlines the Gospel into ten major sections. Tabb says, “He writes as a scholar-pastor, combining exegetical rigor, clear communication, and warm devotion to Christ.”

Carson wrote that Michaels “may have provided us with the best one-volume commentary on John.” Michaels’s writing style is superb, and insights abound on nearly every page. He is committed to unpacking the text as we have it, Carson notes, “and as a result, he avoids addressing many important historical issues.”

Morris is one of the major conservative commentaries on John. It’s a mine of quotable material replete with references to earlier academic works.