This book treats the three letters of John as a unified epistolary package. It proposes two new contributions to the study of 1-3 John. First, it presents new comprehensive chiastic structures for each of the three letters of John based on concrete linguistic evidence in the text. These chiastic structures serve as the guide for an audience-oriented exegesis of these letters. Secondly, it treats these letters from the point of view of their worship context and themes. Not only were 1-3 John intended to be performed orally as part of liturgical worship, but together these three letters exhort their audience to a distinctive ethical worship. In accord with the subtitle of this book, the three letters of John are concerned with giving their audience an experience of living eternally by the worship that consists of loving God and one anotherJ. P. H. has made a distinctive contribution in his commentary on the Johannine Epistles. Based on his recognition that the three Epistles belong together in the context of worship in the community to which they were sent, he analyzes the Epistles into fifteen chiastic micro-structures which exhort the readers/hearers to a distinctive worship of love of God and brother/sister, thus revealing unity in literary complexity.--John Painter, Professor of Theology, St Mark's National Theological Center, Charles Sturt University, Canberra, AustraliaJohn Heil opens up rich and compelling insights into these three letters by paying detailed attention to their micro- and macro-structures. His audience-oriented approach leads him to treat seriously the worship setting in which these letters were first heard and to show that they call for a distinctive ethical worship. He argues persuasively that true worship--involving loving God and loving one another so as to live eternally--is the main theme of these letters. Highly recommended.--Paul Trebilco, Professor of New Testament Studies, University of Otago, Dunedin, New ZealandThis commentary joins some dozen other fresh and important Johannine Epistles's commentaries appearing in recent years. Heil's literary analysis is second to none in nuance; his articulation of the theory that 1-3 John were crafted to be read in worship deserves high marks for creativity. Heil also stresses these Epistles's ethical and relational aims. With Heil as guide, readers will discover in these familiar texts deep and provocative new angles of vision.--Robert W. Yarbrough, Professor of New Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis, MOJohn Paul Heil's original contribution constitutes a welcome addition to recent studies that explore the literary design of the Johannine letters from aural and audience-oriented perspectives. His chiasm-based analyses offer fresh solutions to some of the letters's long-standing interpretive challenges. Heil's proposed reading strategy suggests theologically rich ways in which ancient worship communities may have heard and understood these fascinating documents.--Jeffrey E. Brickle, Professor of Biblical Studies, Urshan Graduate School of Theology, Florissant, MOJohn Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of The Book of Revelation: Worship for Life in the Spirit of Prophecy (Cascade 2014).
