"John Through Old Testament Eyes" (Karen H. Jobes)

TITLE: John Through Old Testament Eyes: A Background and Application Commentary
AUTHOR: Karen H. Jobes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2021, (376 pages).

How do we read and interpret the gospel of John? Some recommend that for beginners, it is the best gospel to read first due to the simplicity of language. For theologians, that is not so. The gospel of John has been said to be shallow enough for one to wade in and also deep enough to drown an elephant. Simply put, the language in the fourth gospel is simple but theologically profound.  Many commentaries work on an inductive verse-by-verse format, exegeting the Greek to find out the key meaning of the text. This has been one of the most popular formats because it lets Scripture speak for itself. Other commentaries adopt the deductive format to guide us through themes such as the seven signs, the seven I AM's, and other prominent symbolism mentioned in the gospel. As the gospel contains many Old Testament allusions, why not let the Old Testament guide our reading and interpretation? This is exactly what this new addition to the "Through Old Testament Eyes" series seeks to do. Readers not only get to understand the background of John with new insights from the Old Testament, but they also have a competent Bible Professor who had spent many years marinating in the gospel of John to guide us. The central conviction is that the gospel writer is steeped in Old Testament literature. When we understand the contexts of John, we see the Truth according to what the original author sees. Readers would then be able to appreciate the deeper meaning of the gospel with Old Testament "eyes." From feasts to festivals, rituals to religious teachings, the author's singular concern is to use the Old Testament lens as her interpretive framework. She leaves the literary analysis, the Johannine tradition, the extra exegetical work aside so that she could focus on the parts that relate to the Old Testament and Second Temple Jerusalem. The general framework comprises four key segments:

• A running commentary
• Summaries of Old Testament viewpoints
• Explanation of the New Testament Structure
• In-depth treatment of the material

Once we get into the commentary, we will be amazed at how much we can learn just from the Old Testament. The association starts quickly with John 1:1 in which Jobes reminds us of Genesis 1:1's narrative of creation, to show us how Scripture declared Jesus is God. Then comes the verse-by-verse or paragraph-by-paragraph commentary that is filled with Old Testament references to remind us of how the original writers see it. Following the commentary is an explanation of the structure, bringing together descriptions of how Old Testament writers see it as well as illustrations about how the gospel relates to the world we live in. 

My Thoughts

There have been many commentaries written on the gospel of John. Some stayed strictly within the fourth gospel with exegetical eyes and inductive studies. Some use extrabiblical primary sources while others engage lots of modern scholarship and secondary sources to point out the nuances of the passage. Still, others choose a comparison approach and examine the harmony of the gospels. Of the many commentaries I have read so far, this is by far the most focused OT lens commentary of the lot. Those of us trained in inductive Bible Studies would remember the importance of reading the texts in context. It takes a lot more, plus boldness to venture beyond any given context. Jobes excels in this. She helps us flow easily back and forth between the Old Testament and the fourth gospel to show us the significance of signs, feasts, festivals, rules, rituals, and how modern readers can make of these ancient symbols. In an age where most people prefer to just read the New Testament, Jobes shows us what we are missing when we only do that. 

Sometimes in Bible studies, we can become so absorbed in studying just the gospel itself and ignore the Old Testament just like how some impatient readers ignore the footnotes and references on the verses. Jobes goes beyond footnotes and incorporates the Old Testament perspective directly into the commentary so that the whole book reads as one big story. If there is any reason to read this book, it would be to have a deeper love for the Old Testament and how relevant it is to help us interpret the New Testament. One reason why some people ignore the Old Testament is that they feel disconnected from the ancient culture and contexts. For scholars, this commentary should inspire a deeper consideration of the Old Testament when it comes to interpreting not just the gospel, but the entire New Testament as well. For believers in general, bear in mind that before the New Testament was canonized, believers read the Old Testament scriptures. With that background, ignore the Old Testament at our own peril. 

One final thought. A couple of years ago, there was a commentary by a group of prominent theologians entitled: "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament." It pays attention to how the New Testament uses and interprets the Old Testament texts. A key reason for that book is to affirm the unity of the whole Bible. This commentary carries on that practice but reverses the interpretive angle to let the gospel be interpreted from the Old Testament lens. Both methods I affirm are essentially the same thing. They emphasize the unity of the Bible. This should be the emphasis of a good commentary.

Karen H. Jobes (PhD, Westminster Theological Seminary) is the Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor Emerita of New Testament Greek and Exegesis at Wheaton College and Graduate School. She is the author of several books and commentaries including Discovering the Septuagint and the award-winning 1, 2, and 3 John in Zondervan's Exegetical Commentary Series.  

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Kregel Academic without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.