The Historical Reliability of John's Gospel: Issues & Commentary

Ted Hans

A sure winner if included in Logos. Ted

The
Historical Reliability of John's Gospel: Issues & Commentary by Craig
Blomberg

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is a book with extraordinary
strengths. In form it harks back to the approach of Sanday in 1872: Blomberg not
only tackles many topical questions but works through the Gospel itself, chapter
by chapter, asking pertinent historical questions. The evenhandedness of the
evaluation, the eminent good sense of so many of the judgments and the clarity
of the exposition (not to mention the excellent bibliography) conspire to make
this an outstandingly useful book." (D. A. Carson, research professor of New
Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Illinois )

Product Description

Throughout much of the twentieth century
the Fourth Gospel took a back seat to the Synoptics when it came to historical
reliability. Consequently, the contemporary quest of the historical Jesus
discounted or excluded evidence from the Fourth Gospel. The question of the
historical reliability of John's Gospel is well overdue for a thorough
reinvestigation and reassessment. In this foundational study, Craig L. Blomberg
sheds new light on persistent questions. He presents his conclusions largely in
commentary form, following the principal scenes of the Gospel. His introduction
frames the pathway into the discussion, taking up critical issues such as



authorship, date and provenance of the Fourth Gospel

sources and omissions of the Fourth Gospel

points where John's Gospel interlocks with the Synoptics

general indications of historicity

literary genre and unique audience of this Gospel

burden of proof and criteria of authenticity


In his commentary
examining the text of the Fourth Gospel, Blomberg asks two essential questions.
First, using the recently nuanced criteria of authenticity, "What positive
evidence do we have that the actions or words of the characters in John's
narratives are indeed historical?" Second, "Is there anything in the text . . .
that is implausible within the historical context to which it is attributed,
particularly if we assume the general historical trustworthiness of the
Synoptics?" The result is a seminal work for the present day--one that affirms
the historical reliability of John's Gospel with intelligence and sure-footed
care.

Erik

First long awaited Bump!