Karen H. Jobes - John Through Old Testament Eyes

Karen Jobes provides a beautiful portrait of the powerful impact of the Old Testament on Johns Gospel. Jobes writing is both personal and academic, pastoral and historical. This book joins Jobes depth and richness cultivated by a lifetime of scholarship with her heart that cares for her readers spiritual growth. Whether a scholar, a pastor, a student, or simply an interested reader, everyone will find something of deep value in this book for years to come!

Beth M. Stovell,
Associate Professor of Old Testament, Ambrose University

Karen Jobes, long-time professor of New Testament and Greek at Westmont and Wheaton Colleges, presents here the culmination of a career-long interest in Johns writings. Wearing her learning lightly, this very accessible commentary majors on Old Testament backgrounds, the structure of the text, and the significance of both for correctly understanding the gospel of John. Abreast of the most recent scholarly literature, Jobes judiciously selects what readers most need, and her interpretations almost always make the most sense. She even sneaks in compelling life applications here and there as well. Short enough to be manageable, but detailed enough to be deeply enriching. A wonderful book.

Craig L. Blomberg,
Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

Karen Jobes skillfully explores Johns reliance on the Jewish Scriptures, whether in citation, allusion, or echo. She brings to her analysis a keen understanding of John within the Second Temple Jewish context and shares her insights in compelling prose. Accessible, clearly written, incisive. I heartily recommend this book.

Jeannine K. Brown, Bethel Seminary

I enjoyed reading this book for the same reason that I love to go to Israel. Both teach about the Jewish and Old Testament roots of Christianity and the entire Bible. My eyes have been opened! The highlight boxes of Going Deeper and What the Structure Means very much enriched the experience.

Ken Jasko,
Pastor, Monmouth Worship Center, Marlboro, NJ

Scholars usually notice the overt and allusive use of the Old Testament in the Gospel of John. Karen Jobes, however, uniquely and comprehensively uncovers the Jewish subtext of this gospel. Her careful exegesis and powerful suggestions for application are a reliable guide to students, pastors, and Christian leaders as they seek to listen to Gods Word in the middle of contemporary contextual realities. This creative book will become an inseparable companion to standard commentaries on John.

Carlos Ral Sosa Siliezar,
Associate Professor of New Testament, Wheaton College

Through Old Testament Eyes

New Testament Commentaries

Series Editor: Andrew T. Le Peau

Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes, David B. Capes (forthcoming)

Mark Through Old Testament Eyes, Andrew T. Le Peau

John Through Old Testament Eyes, Karen H. Jobes

Galatians and Ephesians Through Old Testament Eyes, Gary Burge (forthcoming)

Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes, Tremper Longman III (forthcoming)

John Through Old Testament Eyes: A Background and Application Commentary 2021 by Karen H. Jobes

Published by Kregel Academic, an imprint of Kregel Publications, 2450 Oak Industrial Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505-6020.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in printed reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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ISBN 978-0-8254-4508-8

Printed in the United States of America

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For My Doktorvater,
Dr. Moiss Silva

The New Testament writers were Old Testament people. Their minds were populated with Old Testament stories and concepts. Their imaginative world was furnished with Old Testament images, motifs, metaphors, symbols, and literary patterns. When Jesus came and turned much of their conventional wisdom on its head, they largely had Old Testament tools to understand what was going on in order to explain Jesus to others and to themselves. So thats what they used.

For many Christians the Old Testament has, unfortunately, become a closed book. It seems long, mysterious, and boring with a confusing history full of many strange, unpronounceable names. And then there are those sometimes bizarre prophecies populated with strange creatures. Yet my consistent experience in teaching the New Testament is that when I turn the attention of students to relevant Old Testament passages, the proverbial light bulbs go on. The room is filled with ahas. Formerly obscure New Testament passages suddenly make new sense in light of the Old. Indeed the whole of each book of the New Testament takes on fuller, richer dimensions not seen before.

The purpose of the Through Old Testament Eyes commentaries is to give preachers, teachers, and other readers this same experience. This series opens the New Testament in greater depth to anyone who wants to see fresh ways that Scripture interconnects with Scripture.

Scholars have long known that the Old Testament influenced the New Testament (an idea known as intertextuality). In fact, over a millennia and a half ago Augustine famously proposed that we understand the relationship of the two testaments in this way: The new is in the old concealed; the old is in the new revealed. Yet no commentary series is as devoted as this one is to seeing the richness of Old Testament allusions, references, echoes, and background to illuminate both puzzling passages and explain others in fresh ways.

Practices like baptism, meals, fishing, and fasting; concepts like rescue, faith, sin, and glory; and terms like wilderness, Sabbath, and Lord are just a few of the dozens of words in each New Testament book and letter with deep Old Testament resonances. Sometimes a narrative arc or an argument is also shaped by the Old Testament. An appreciation of this background enriches our understanding and helps us appropriately apply each passage.

In these commentaries you will find four repeating features which will enrich your encounter with the Scripture.

Running Commentary

Verse-by-verse or paragraph-by-paragraph commentary will include Old Testament background as well as other key information, to give readers an understanding of the text as a whole and to answer questions as they naturally arise.

Through Old Testament Eyes