Review: The Fourth Synoptic Gospel

March 12, 2026March 11, 2026 / rtrube54 / Leave a comment

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel, Mark Goodacre. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802875136) 2025.

Summary: Maintains that John knew of and used Matthew, Mark, and Luke in composing his gospel.

Two things a first time reader of the New Testament will notice: the similarities of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and how different John’s gospel is from these. As it turns out, biblical scholars also noticed this and most over the last hundred years have concluded that John’s account is independent of the other three, commonly known as the Synoptic Gospels. It is generally believed that Matthew and Luke drew much of their material from Mark as well as using sharing a common source known as “Q.” Today, more are questioning the “Q” hypothesis since no “Q” document has ever been found.

Mark Goodacre, as his title suggests, believes John knew of the other three gospels and used them in his composition of John. First, he begins his case by noting the numerous instances of verbal agreement between John and the Synoptics. He sets passages side by side showing agreement in both Greek and English texts. Then he observes the parallel ordering of a number of events between John and the Synoptics.. From this, he argues, based on linguistic analysis, that John’s drew from Mark as mediated through Matthew and Luke.

In addition, John’s selectivity actually presupposes that not only he, but his readers, were familiar with the other gospels. He doesn’t include material that his readers were already familiar with. At other times, John recounts the same incidents but uses direct speech, putting Synoptic narrative on the characters lips.

Another question scholars raise is whether the Beloved Disciple of the gospel is John the son of Zebedee, as traditionally believed. Goodacre considers the various arguments for who the Beloved Disciple might be if not John the son of Zebedee. Goodacre agrees with the textual pointers to John, yet also that he is “an idealized witness to the key events of the earliest Christian tradition.”

Finally, Goodacre argues that while expressed in distinct language, John’s Christology is consistent with Synoptic Christology. He uses fourteen terms for Jesus in common with the Synoptics. The “I am’s” find precedence in Jesus statement in walking on water (Matthew 14:27//Mark 6:50). The seven “I am sayings all use imagery found in the Synoptics.

I found the evidence of verbal agreement most persuasive for his argument. A shared oral tradition alone would likely have been marked by less agreement. I also found the argument of John’s presupposition of the other gospels credible for explaining the differences. Lastly, I appreciated the discussion of Christology and how John’s is consistent with the others. However, I would like more discussion of the differences, particularly in discourses, that we find in John. Perhaps that’s another book!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Meeting God in John

February 17, 2026February 16, 2026 / rtrube54 / Leave a comment

Meeting God in John

Meeting God in John: Inspiration and Encouragement from the Fourth Gospel, David F. Ford. Brazos Press (ISBN: 9781587437069) 2026.

Summary: A Lenten devotional, offering reflections from John’s gospel on meeting God as he is revealed in Jesus.

Another kind of Lenten devotional follows a particular text or texts in scripture. In this case, David F. Ford offers guided reflections in reading the Gospel of John. For Ford, this was an extension of a twenty-year effort to write a commentary on John. Here, working with church leaders, he distills his insights into a compact resource to use over the course of Lent, during holy Week, and into Eastertide. The book is equally usable by individuals or groups, or perhaps for a whole congregation.

A brief introduction elaborates the two purpose for which John wrote the gospel as stated in John 20:30-31. Ford rephrases this as follows:

“John’s Gospel is about meeting and trusting God through meeting and trusting Jesus, and then maturing into that core relationship of being loved and learning to love, open to the superabundant life he gives” (p. 2)

He follows this discussion with brief suggestions for the book’s use.

The first part of the book consists of five chapters, one for each of the five weeks of Lent. The first chapter focuses on John’s Prologue: how it speaks to our quest for meaning, the loving relationship between Father and Son pervades the whole, and how the Prologue centers on Jesus. The next three chapters focus on three questions. The second chapter centers on the question of identity: who are you? The Baptist’s “I am nots” yield to Jesus revelation of who he is to the Samaritan woman in John 4.

Then chapter three explores Jesus’ question to Simon and Andrew: what are you looking for? It’s the question of desire and Ford explores the different desires that led people to seek out Jesus as well as our own culture’s desires. Thirdly, in chapter four, the disciples ask “Where are you staying?” This is the longing for home, answered by Jesus invitation to “remain” with him and its ultimate expression in the allegory of the Vine. Finally, chapter five contends that glory is the inevitable consequence of meeting God in Christ. The ultimate manifestation of that glory is in the cross, revealing God’s deep heart of love.

The second part, in three chapters covers holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. On Holy Thursday, in the washing of feet, Jesus reveals his love for his disciples–received by the Beloved disciple, denied by Peter, and betrayed by Judas. On Good Friday, the trial revealed Jesus in truth, the cross reveals his love, intimately for his mother and expansively for the world, and his death addresses suffering, sin, death, and evil. Then on Easter, we celebrate the great surprise, revealed first to Mary, the apostle to the apostles, and to the disciples, now “sent ones” into the world, given his Spirit.

Finally, part three, read in the weeks after Easter, picks up on how we are part of the ongoing story. We share in the lessons taught the disciples, to be a learning, praying, and loving people. In his conclusion, he describes that as being called into God, into community, and into the world.

Several appendices take us deeper into the study of John. Appendix A parallels John 17 and the Lord’s Prayer. Appendix B offers a ninety day reading plan to read through John. Some use this for a year or longer. Sadly, the plan leaves off at day 83, an error that will hopefully be corrected in reprintings. In the first chapter, Ford alludes to the breadth of theology, which Appendix C fleshes out in reproducing the table of contents from another book by the author. Finally, Appendix D addresses the hope for Christian unity, prayed for by Jesus in John 17.

Ford does all this in 160 pages. Each chapter includes reflection questions for individuals or groups. In conclusion, Ford has done an amazing thing in distilling twenty years of study into a guide any congregant or inquirer may use.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: John Through Old Testament Eyes

December 18, 2023December 17, 2023 / rtrube54 / 1 Comment

John Through Old Testament Eyes, Karen H. Jobes, series editor Andrew T. LePeau. Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic, 2023.

Summary: A commentary focused on the Old Testament backgrounds of “history, images, metaphors, and symbols” found in John’s gospel, along with applicatory reflections.

This is the third commentary published in this series from Kregel and I have found them uniformly to be of exceptional quality. Each book in the series provides a running commentary on the New Testament texts providing relevant Old Testament background and specific O.T. references. Three types of insets are also offered: “Through Old Testament Eyes” offering chapter or section overviews noting Old Testament themes and motifs; “What the Structure Means” which notes the structure of passages and how the authors convey meaning through the passage structure; and “Going Deeper” which explores both implications of the text for early readers but also contemporary applications. One overall observation: using a lighter shade of grayscale for these insets would enhance readability.

Jobes breaks John into four parts: Prologue (1:1-18), Book of Signs (1:19-12:50). Book of Glory (13-20), and Epilogue (21). She affirms the purpose of the gospel stated in John 20:30-31 and shows how this gospel reveals him as the long awaited Messiah and the Son of God Incarnate. She provides a helpful discussion of authorship and the relation of John to :the beloved disciple.

Jobes highlights the echoes of the creation account, the theme of light, and the backgrounds of the rejection of Jesus in the Prologue. She offers helpful background on John’s use of “signs” and the seven signs that make up the Book of Signs. In John 3, Jobes proposes on the basis of OT backgrounds that “water and Spirit” together refer to God’s restoration of right relation as a single concept, not two separate things, Her treatment of Jesus sheliach or “sent one” emphasizes his plenipotentiary power of speaking for God.

Throughout she shows the importance of the Feasts as signifiers of his ministry, particularly the Passover, which he would fulfill on the cross. She shows how the extended debates of John 5-10 laid the groundwork for his execution. In John 9 she develops the theme of Jesus as both the light by which men see and the division between those receiving light and life versus spiritual blindness and death. John 10 reveals Jesus as the good shepherd king of Messianic expectation. She helps us see how the resuscitation of Lazarus and the anointing of Jesus are a pivot into the passion narrative of John.

Her coverage of the upper room discourses focus on the call of the disciples to love, serve, and abide, and what the hope of a “place prepared for them” means. I appreciated the very helpful material on the gift of the Spirit as well as the concise explanation of the filioque controversy as it relates to these verses. Finally, she shows Jesus consciousness of how he would reveal God’s glory in the cross and how the disciples would glorify him as they believe and obey. Her Going Deeper on The Resurrection as New Creation is a must read! Finally, in the Epilogue she deals with both the restoration of Peter and speculates on possible tensions between Peter and John reflected in Peter’s “what about him?”

I hope this sampling of insights demonstrates the usefulness of this commentary for both personal study and for teaching and preaching. Jobes offers both granular detail in the running commentary and larger perspective on how particular sections fit into the overall book and its themes. I’m delighted to add John to the volumes on Mark (review) and Revelation (review) already in my library!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher.

“Our Healing is in our Obedience”

February 12, 2015April 12, 2015 / rtrube54 / 3 Comments

Pieter Aertsen 1507/08 – 1575
The Healing of the Cripple of Bethesda

“Our healing is in our obedience.”

I’ve been musing on this phrase ever since Rich [Hagopian, for those of you who don’t know my pastor] said this during this past Sunday’s message on the healing of the invalid at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-15.

The basic story is that Jesus comes upon this man who he has learned has been in this condition for 38 years. It was believed that if you could get into the water when it was stirred, you could be healed.

Jesus asks him, “do you want to be well?” The man never answers this searching question. Yet it had to be asked–you can get accustomed to being sick, having others care for you and so forth, to the point that healthy life is the scary thing.

Instead, the man gives the many reasons why he could not get into the pool before others. This provokes all kinds of questions and one wonders if this is a pretty lame excuse.

Jesus neither questions the answer or re-asks his original question. Jesus doesn’t blame or judge him. Instead, Jesus simply tells him to get up and take his mat with him. The man does what Jesus says, and in so doing, in the moment of obedience, finds himself healed. His healing is in his obedience. In doing what Jesus says, he finds he is able to walk.

It seems to me that this speaks to those critical moments where we face the choice to trust and follow Jesus in some critical area of obedience, or not. On the one hand, we often can come up with many reasons why we haven’t been able to follow up until now. On the other hand, we sometimes want all kinds of assurances and proofs that Jesus will heal us, help us, be with us, before we follow.

And like this incident, there will be times where none of it matters.

The only thing in those moments is, will we trust that Jesus knows what he is doing enough to do what he says? Sometimes, that is all he will give us and we can only find whether he is true by obeying him.

Probably in my own life, the area where I’ve most been challenged by this is in the matter of giving. It seems crazy, mathematically at least, to set aside a portion of my salary each month for kingdom purposes and to somehow believe that what remains (especially after Uncle Sam gets his chunk!) will be enough. There is no way to know that will be the case before you do it! Yet the crazy paradox is that it is the times when I’ve not been faithful in giving where I’ve felt the most financially stressed. Leaning into giving and generosity, as crazy as it seems, has been the thing that has helped heal me from being obsessed about having “enough.” My healing in the areas of worry about money has been in obedience.

And God has taken care of us through 36-plus years of marriage, and sometimes miraculously, such as the time when we were facing $2000 in unreimbursed medical bills, and the same day we added this up we received a gift of $2000 from someone who said God had told them to send us a check.

I continue to face these moments where I simply have to decide, will I trust Jesus enough to do what he says, laying aside my excuses and not asking for any proofs (which really don’t make obedience easier).

What about you? It might be that the place where you find it hard to trust and obey is the very place where Jesus can bring healing as you obey. What does “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk” look like for you?

This blog also appears on Smoky Row Brethren Church’s Going Deeper blog.