ESV Gospel of John, Reader's Edition

Here is an edition of John's Gospel which shows a full measure of respect for the reader and the message. Good paper, 12-point type, an uncrowded page, and a simple, clear design speak together in harmony to say "We care about the message, and we care about you the reader." The Introduction to the Gospel is a model of clear, winsome writing. It takes up only a page and a half. Next comes a two page Preface, which is mostly about the ESV translation, which is rather literal. The text of the Gospel is divided into five unequal sections, each with its heading. The only smaller divisions are by paragraph breaks without any extra spaces or symbols. There are no chapter or verse numbers in the text, though you can locate chapters by page numbers using an index at the back. After the text of the Gospel comes a page headed "What Now?" in which readers are invited to entrust themselves to Christ. After this comes the Index of Chapters, then plans for reading the Gospel in 3, 7, or 21 days.

Hopefully a full New Testament will be released using the exact printing and materials used as this.

While taking a long series of the book of John, I had already marked many passages in my Inductive Bible. So, I bought this one and have been able to underline - make references to other scriptures that say the same thing. I like that the chapter page numbers are listed in the back of the book. It does seem more like a book that I am reading - and having studied John before, I was reminded of the things I loved about the narrative - reading it through & I keep it handy to read favorite verses and feel that I know the person of John as a person, not just a study.

It's difficult to review just this book, since I attach the magnificence of its content to every thought I have about it. That being said, I think the format of this version of John is fantastic. I've read and studied John many times, but this format really helped me see things in context in a way that I had never seen before. Not having chapter or verse numbers encourages the reader to not pull a single verse or thought out of context, but see it as part of a whole. This book is also incredibly durable. I won't go into too much detail in how I've used it over the past year, but I will say that this book has gone almost everywhere with me. I've opened and closed it multiple times a day, every day. I haven't intentionally abused it, but I haven't washed my hands before handling it, nor have I used the little case that it came with, and it still has held up marvelously. There is a small amount of wear on the corners of the book, but the binding is just as strong as the day I got it. The pages are a great thickness to stand up to continuous handling, marking, erasing, etc. A decent amount of the print on the cover has worn off, but that's completely to be expected. I'm actually surprised there's anything left at all. A book marker ribbon would have been very helpful, but that's not worth deducting a star. I would encourage Crossway to alter the picture that advertises it as having one, though.

Given the price of this book it should not be treated as a tract to throw at someone. Instead, how about letting your friend know how much you have appreciated reading it and would love to hear what they think of it. That way, they can read it with the expectation of getting it back to you so you can share it with someone else. Let them know it is a first-hand account of the life of Christ as told by one of his closest friends. You may want to point out in the back there are three handy reading plans, 3-day, a 7-day, and a 21-day. At 103 pages this fits snuggly in the hand. Truly the best and most reasonably priced version I have come across. Icing on the cake is the "What's Next" section at the end, one-page dedicated to helping the reader reflect on the significance of what was read with an emphasis on application. Hats off to Crossway! This is a fine presentation.

This edition of the Gospel of John is amazing in every way. The size is perfect. The font size is perfect. The layout is easy on the eyes and perfect for a straight read through. The cloth over board is nice, and so is the copper lettering on the spine. It comes with no ribbon, so I added the orange one to compliment the lettering on the spine.

These are good to buy in bulk, keep in your car or bag and hand out as led by the Spirit. I would also like to see a leatherette version of these. Because even if a person doesn't initially read it, they will hang on to something that has the appearance and feel of quality.

Beautiful edition of the Gospel of John. The print in easy to read, comfortable in the hands while reading, and the material is solid, sturdy, and will last a lifetime. I keep this handy in my room, so whenever I get a couple of free minutes, I pick it up and read a couple of pages at a time, and because of this, John's gospel has become my constant companion. I have come to love the "reader's" format, as the gospel is easier to follow. I found that as I get older, it becomes more difficult to concentrate on the traditional format of chapter and verse, in double column print. The reader's format is much less stressful on my eyes and allows me to read more smoothly, in longer stretches, and with greater care to the Word of God. Many thanks to Crossway for this edition.

Good size, large print, perfect little gospel of John, good for bible study, good price

Amazing book! I love this gospel, and reading it in english for the first time was a different and enriching experience.

I'm really pleased with this little pocket-sized book. It has a large font and is written on good paper. It is nicely laid out with lesson plans in the back of the book. It is enjoyable just to hold this little book.

Perfect. I've distributed them all except one for me.

Exactly as described in the description