- G R A N T O S B O R N E - T R E M P E R L O N G M A N I .

“An enormously helpful series for the layperson and pastor alike because it centers on thetheological message of each book and ties it directly with the text. This approach has beenneeded for some time and will be an invaluable supplement to other commentary series.”-GRANTOSBORNE“A treasure house of insight into the biblical text. Written by some of the best scholarsworking today, it is an essential tool for pastors, students, church leaders, and lay peoplewho want to understand the text and know how it relates to our lives today. Like the NLTtext it uses as its base, this commentary series is extremely readable.”-TREMPERLONGMANIIIThe Cornerstone Biblical Commentary includes the entire NLT text and provides students, pastors, and laypeoplewith up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. It’s designed to equip pastors andChristian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s word bypresenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text.E I G H T E E NV O L U M E SVOLUME 1VOLUME 8*VOLUME 14*Larry L. Walker: IsaiahElmer A. Martens: Jeremiah,LamentationsRoger Mohrlang: RomansGerald Borchert: GalatiansDavid Baker: LeviticusDale A. Brueggeman: NumbersEugene H. Merrill: DeuteronomyVOLUME 9William Baker: 1 CorinthiansRalph Martin: 2 CorinthiansVOLUME 3VOLUME 10Joseph Coleson: JoshuaLawson Stone: JudgesJason Driesbach: RuthRichard Patterson: Hosea, Joel,Obadiah, Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk,ZephaniahAndrew Hill: Micah, Amos, Haggai,Zechariah, MalachiVOLUME 4J. Robert Vannoy: 1-2 SamuelDon Fowler: 1-2 KingsVOLUME 5Mark J. Boda: 1-2 ChroniclesGary Smith: Ezra, Nehemiah, EstherVOLUME 6*August H. Konkel: JobTremper Longman III: Ecclesiastes,Song of SongsVOLUME 7Mark D. Futato: PsalmsGeorge Schwab: ProverbsDavid L. Thompson: EzekielEugene Carpenter: DanielVOLUME 11*David L. Turner: MatthewDarrell L. Bock: MarkVOLUME 12*Allison A. Trites: LukeWilliam J. Larkin: ActsVOLUME 13*Grant R. Osborne: JohnPhilip W. Comfort and Wendell C.Hawley: 1-3 JohnBIBLICALCOMMENTARYP R O J E C T E DAllen Ross: GenesisJohn N. Oswalt: ExodusVOLUME 2CORNERSTONECORNERSTONEBIBLICAL COMMENTARYVOLUME 15VOLUME 16John1-3 JohnHarold W. Hoehner: EphesiansPhilip W. Comfort: Philippians, 1-2ThessaloniansPeter Davids: Colossians, PhilemonVOLUME 17Linda Belleville: 1 TimothyJon Laansma: 2 Timothy, TitusJ. Ramsey Michaels: HebrewsGrant R. Osborne1-3 JohnPhilip W. Comfort &Wendell C. HawleyVOLUME 18Grant R. Osborne: James, 1 PeterNorman R. Ericson: 2 Peter, JudeM. Robert Mulholland Jr.: Revelation*The Gospel of JohnGENERAL EDITORPhilip W. ComfortVolumes published as of this printingISBN-10: 0-8423-8341-7ISBN-13: 978-0-8423-8341-7Biblical Studies/Commentaries/GeneralEANVOLUME13WITH THE ENTIRE TEXT OF THE

CORNERSTONEBIBLICALCOMMENTARY

General EditorPhilip W. ComfortD. Litt. et Phil., University of South Africa;Tyndale House Publishers;Coastal Carolina University.Consulting Editor, Old TestamentTremper Longman IIIPhD, Yale University;Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College.Consulting Editor, New TestamentGrant OsbornePhD, University of Aberdeen;Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.Associate EditorsJason DriesbachMA, Biblical Exegesis and Linguistics, Dallas Theological Seminary;Tyndale House Publishers.Mark R. NortonMA, Theological Studies, Wheaton Graduate School;Tyndale House Publishers.James A. SwansonMSM, Multnomah Biblical Seminary;MTh, University of South Africa;Tyndale House Publishers.

CORNERSTONEBIBLICALCOMMENTARYThe Gospel of JohnGrant Osborne1-3 JohnPhilip W. Comfort & Wendell C. HawleyGENERAL EDITORPhilip W. Comfortwith the entire text of theNEW LIVING TRANSLATIONTYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS, INC. CAROL STREAM, ILLINOIS

Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Volume 13Visit Tyndale’s exciting Web site at www.tyndale.comJohn copyright 2007 by Grant Osborne. All rights reserved.1—3 John copyright 2007 by Philip W. Comfort & Wendell C. Hawley. All rightsreserved.Designed by Luke Daab and Timothy R. Botts.Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of TyndaleHouse Publishers. Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.TYNDALE, New Living Translation, NLT, Tyndale’s quill logo, and the New LivingTranslation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataCornerstone biblical commentary.p. cm.Includes bibliographical references and index.ISBN-13: 978-0-8423-8341-7 (hc : alk. paper)ISBN-10: 0-8423-8341-7 (hc : alk. paper)1. Biblical—Commentaries. I. Osborne, Grant.III. Hawley, Wendell C.BS491.3.C67 2006220.7 7—dc22Printed in the United States of America12 11 10 09 08 07765 432 1II. Comfort, Philip W.2005026928

CONTENTSContributors to Volume 13viGeneral Editor’s PrefaceviiAbbreviationsixTransliteration and Numbering SystemxiiiThe Gospel of John11 JOHN3152 & 3 JOHN377

CONTRIBUTORS TO V O L U M E 1 3John: Grant OsborneBA, Fort Wayne Bible College;MA, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School;PhD, University of Aberdeen;Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.1—3 John: Philip W. Comfort & Wendell HawleyPhilip W. ComfortBA, Cleveland State University;MA, Ohio State University;D. Litt. et Phil., University of South Africa;Tyndale House Publishers;Coastal Carolina University.Wendell C. HawleyBA, University of Oregon;MA, Western Baptist Seminary;LLD, California Graduate School of Theology;DD, Western Baptist Seminary;Director of Pastoral Care, Windsor Park Manor.

G E N E R A LE D I T O R ’ SP R E F A C EThe Cornerstone Biblical Commentary is based on the second edition of the NewLiving Translation (2004). Nearly 100 scholars from various church backgrounds and from several countries (United States, Canada, England, andAustralia) participated in the creation of the NLT. Many of these same scholarsare contributors to this commentary series. All the commentators, whetherparticipants in the NLT or not, believe that the Bible is God’s inspired word andhave a desire to make God’s word clear and accessible to his people.This Bible commentary is the natural extension of our vision for the NewLiving Translation, which we believe is both exegetically accurate and idiomatically powerful. The NLT attempts to communicate God’s inspired word in alucid English translation of the original languages so that English readers canunderstand and appreciate the thought of the original writers. In the same way,the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary aims at helping teachers, pastors, students,and laypeople understand every thought contained in the Bible. As such, thecommentary focuses first on the words of Scripture, then on the theologicaltruths of Scripture—inasmuch as the words express the truths.The commentary itself has been structured in such a way as to help readers getat the meaning of Scripture, passage by passage, through the entire Bible. EachBible book is prefaced by a substantial book introduction that gives generalhistorical background important for understanding. Then the reader is takenthrough the Bible text, passage by passage, starting with the New Living Translation text printed in full. This is followed by a section called “Notes,” wherein thecommentator helps the reader understand the Hebrew or Greek behind theEnglish of the NLT, interacts with other scholars on important interpretiveissues, and points the reader to significant textual and contextual matters. The“Notes” are followed by the “Commentary,” wherein each scholar presents alucid interpretation of the passage, giving special attention to context and majortheological themes.The commentators represent a wide spectrum of theological positions withinthe evangelical community. We believe this is good because it reflects the richvariety in Christ’s church. All the commentators uphold the authority of God’sword and believe it is essential to heed the old adage: “Wholly apply yourself tothe Scriptures and apply them wholly to you.” May this commentary help youknow the truths of Scripture, and may this knowledge help you “grow in yourknowledge of God and Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet 1:2, NLT).PHILIP W. COMFORTGENERAL EDITOR

A B B R E V I A T I O N SGENERAL ABBREVIATIONSb.BabylonianGemarabar.baraitac.circa, around,approximatelycf.confer, comparech, chs chapter, chapterscontra in contrast toDSSDead Sea Scrollsed.edition, editore.g.exempli gratia, forexampleet al.et alli, and othersfem.femininefffollowing (verses,pages)fl.flourishedGr.GreekHeb.ibid.i.e.in em, in the sameplaceid est, the samein loco, in the placecitedliterallySeptuagintMajority oretic Textno dateneuternumberNTOLOSOTp., pp.pl.Qrev.sg.t.TRv., vv.vid.viz.vol.y.New TestamentOld LatinOld SyriacOld Testamentpage, pagespluralQuelle (“Sayings”as Gospel source)revisionsingularToseftaTextus Receptusverse, versesvideur, it seemsvidelicet, namelyvolumeJerusalem GemaraABBREVIATIONS FOR BIBLE TRANSLATIONSASVCEVESVGWHCSBJBKJVNABNASBAmerican StandardVersionContemporaryEnglish VersionEnglish StandardVersionGod’s WordHolman ChristianStandard BibleJerusalem BibleKing James VersionNew American BibleNew AmericanStandard BibleNCVNEBNIVNIrVNJBNJPSNew CenturyVersionNew English BibleNew InternationalVersionNew InternationalReader’s VersionNew JerusalemBibleThe New JewishPublication ew King JamesVersionNew RevisedStandard VersionNew LivingTranslationRevised EnglishBibleRevised StandardVersionToday’s EnglishVersionThe Living BibleABBREVIATIONS FOR DICTIONARIES, LEXICONS,COLLECTIONS OF TEXTS, ORIGINAL LANGUAGE EDITIONSABD Anchor Bible Dictionary(6 vols., Freedman) [1992]ANEP The Ancient NearEast in Pictures (Pritchard)[1965]ANET Ancient Near EasternTexts Relating to the OldTestament (Pritchard)[1969]BAGD Greek-English Lexicon ofthe New Testament and OtherEarly Christian Literature,2nd ed. (Bauer, Arndt,Gingrich, Danker) [1979]BDAG Greek-English Lexicon ofthe New Testament and OtherEarly Christian Literature, 3rded. (Bauer, Danker, Arndt,Gingrich) [2000]BDB A Hebrew and EnglishLexicon of the Old Testament(Brown, Driver, Briggs)[1907]BDF A Greek Grammar of theNew Testament and OtherEarly Christian Literature(Blass, Debrunner, Funk)[1961]