Gary M. Burge – författare

In many ways, John''s Gospel functions as both a Gospel and a letter. As a Gospel, it tells the story of Jesus and his role as revealer of God the Father and provider of redemption to all humanity. As a letter, it encouraged first-century Christians in the life they had chosen, revealed how life in Christ was different from Judaism, and corrected false teachings (like those of the Gnostics). But fundamentally, John''s Gospel narrates the life of Jesus and reveals that he was truly the Son of God.

Jesus had lived in the flesh among the people. John, being one of Jesus'' closest disciples, had witnessed Jesus teaching those who followed him, seen the miracles that he had performed, and was there when he was crucified and then raised from the dead. Yet in spite of all the miraculous signs, pointed teachings, and resurrection, there were still questions about Jesus'' divinity. So John sought, through his own personal testimony, to reveal why Jesus was fully divine while also being fully human. John made it clear that Jesus would be filled with power from the Holy Spirit and that when Christ left the earth, he made that same power available to all his followers—both in the first century and for followers today.

Each study in the NIV Application Bible Study series employs a three-step process to help you understand both the historical meaning of a biblical text and its relevance in modern times. The original meaning section reveals the questions and concerns the author was addressing. The past to present section then explains what significance the original audience would have found in the passage and what significance you can find in it today. Finally, the questions that accompany each section will help you specifically apply the author''s words and teachings and find meaning in them for what you are facing in your life.

Lessons:

Christian readers of the New Testament study the great stories about Jesus through the lens of western culture. In this series of books, Gary Burge uses his extensive knowledge of the first century world and the Middle East to offer insights not available to the average person. Each book will develop important cultural themes and wrap them around well-known New Testament passages. And the result will be insights rarely gained elsewhere. See Jesus through the eyes of two men and three women. Each character in the story—a tax collector, a Phoenician woman, a centurion, etc.—brings along elements from their own world now hidden from us because we do not share the culture of Jesus'' world. Insights from the first century Middle East abound to unlock profound insights about Jesus and his audience.

Christian readers of the New Testament study the great stories about Jesus through the lens of western culture. In this series of books, Gary Burge uses his extensive knowledge of the first century world and the Middle East to offer insights not available to the average person. Each book will develop important cultural themes and wrap them around well-known New Testament passages. And the result will be insights rarely gained elsewhere. Observe how Jesus celebrated the great festivals of Judaism. In each of the six accounts, you will explore the Jewish festival as it was celebrated in the first century and then examine how Jesus used the imagery of the festival to unveil his own mission. Explore the Jewish Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles, and Hanukkah as Jesus knew them.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today’'' context.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today''s world, each passage is treated in three sections:

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today''s preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God''s Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today''s context.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today''s world, each passage is treated in three sections:

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today''s preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God''s Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

This completely revised and updated second edition of The New Testament in Antiquity skillfully develops how Jewish, Hellenistic, and Roman cultures formed the essential environment in which the New Testament authors wrote their books and letters. Understanding of the land, history, and culture of the ancient world brings remarkable new insights into how we read the New Testament itself.

Throughout the book, numerous features provide windows into the first-century world. Nearly 500 full color photos, charts, maps, and drawings have been carefully selected. Additional features include sidebars that integrate the book''s material with issues of interpretation, discussion questions, and bibliographies.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today''s context.

The Gospel of John tells us the story that is the foundation of the distinctive teaching of Christianity. It provides all the elements necessary to see the full picture of the person and work of Jesus: a human Christ to redeem us, a divine Christ to reveal God''s nature, and a powerful, Spirit-filled Christ to help us lead holy lives. This commentary unveils, in today''s terminology, the deeply satisfying portrait of Christ painted in the Gospel of John.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today''s context, each passage is treated in three sections:

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today''s preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God''s Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today''s context.

John weaves together themes of light and darkness, falsehood and truth, and what it means to be children of God in community. He explores the theme of love as central to God''s nature and thus as the defining characteristic of those who follow him. The Letters of John teach us about handling conflict, discerning orthodox belief, and measuring Christian conduct. Gary Burge shares perspectives on John''s letters that reveal their enduring relevance for our twenty-first-century lives.

To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today''s context, each passage is treated in three sections:

This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today''s preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God''s Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.