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Best Commentaries on John

John writes his Gospel “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (20:31). His book teaches readers that Jesus Christ is the divine Son who is sent into the world to reveal the true way to the Father (14:6). John scatters seven signs like turning water into wine (2:1–11), feeding the multitude (6:1–15), and raising Lazarus (11:1–44) throughout his Gospel. They point to Christ’s distinctiveness as the God-man. He also includes seven “I Am” sayings which illuminate the distinctive characteristics of Christ’s saving work. Through these unique ways of recounting the good news, John emphasizes God’s regenerating and transforming work.

Here are our top picks for commentaries on John’s Gospel.

Introductory Commentaries

For Sunday school teachers and small group leaders without advanced training

Preaching Commentaries

For pastors and Bible teachers preparing to proclaim the Word

The Gospel according to John

D. A. Carson
Pillar New Testament Commentary
Eerdmans, 1990

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.”

Scholarly Commentaries

For pastors and theologians proficient in biblical Greek

The Gospel according to St. John

C. K. Barrett
Westminster John Knox Press, 1978

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.

The Gospel of John

J. Ramsey Michaels
New International Commentary on the New Testament
Eerdmans, 2010

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.”