St. Cyril on Who – not What – God is

Reading Cyril of Alexandria's (5th century church father) commentary on John's gospel is a treat.  Here is a portion of Cyril commenting on the latter part of John 8, where Jesus says "Before Abraham was, I AM."  Notice how Cyril directs us not to what God is (his being), but who he is (his attributes as Scripture …

Water from Jesus’ “belly/womb?” – John 7.38

John 7.38 is one of those passages in Scripture over which scholars go back and forth; for example both Craig Keener and D.A. Carson write that it is "difficult" and end up coming down on different "sides."  Do the waters of life flow from the believer's "belly" ("heart" in NIV, ESV, etc) or Jesus' "belly?"  Where …

Lincoln on the Heart of John’s Gospel

Some critics say that the story of Jesus walking on the water in John 6.16-21 is out of place or the work of a later redactor.  Lincoln thinks not: "What has already been said about  the distinctives of John's account makes plain the force of this epiphany miracle for his narrative.  The unlimited power of …