I was honored to be invited to contribute the volume on the Gospel of John for the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series, but I accepted with fear and trembling. My concern was not related to the common assumption that more than enough commentaries have been written in the modern era, especially on the Fourth Gospel. I am convinced that every generation must exegete Scripture in and for the church. I also saw more than enough space for my approach to the exegetical and theological issues in the Fourth Gospel to contribute to the academic discussion and to help the church understand the message of the Gospel. No, my fear was much more personal. In short, I felt unworthy. Who am I to offer a public exegesis of this significant book in the sacred Word of God? My agreement to write the commentary does not mean I am now more convinced of my own worthiness—not at all! Rather, I received this task as part of my faithfulness and obedience to God and his calling for my life and ministry. I wrote every page of this book for the church, specifically the local churches and pastors that will be assisted by the exegesis of this Gospel and the explication of its message—the gospel.
In the nearly six years it took me to write this commentary, my own ministerial assignment was shifted from the academy to the church. After nearly a decade as a professor at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University in southern California, I exchanged the podium for the pulpit, serving now as the senior pastor at Hope Evangelical Free Church in northern Illinois. I have training and gifting for the academy, yet I sensed an unmistakable call to serve in the local church. I do not believe that my PhD in New Testament and research/writing gifts are any less significant or functional by serving as a pastor, for I believe that the pastorate allows them to be placed in the context in which they are the most natural—in spite of the anti-intellectualism prevalent in so much of American evangelicalism. While I am thankful to be serving as an adjunct professor in the New Testament Department at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, I cherish the thought that at least one contributor to the ZECNT series shares a post with the majority of its readers: the local pastor.
There are numerous people and institutions that deserve thanks. I am still surprised that the editors of ZECNT, especially the general editor, Clint Arnold, entrusted this task to me. The numerous insights along the way, not only from Clint but all the members of the editorial committee, as well as the editorial team at Zondervan, especially Christopher Beetham, were more than helpful. The deficiencies in this commentary are entirely my own. The entire design of this commentary series is very well conceived and considerably more useful for the church than many commentaries currently in print.
The commentary was almost entirely written while I was still teaching at Talbot/Biola, and I cannot thank that institution and its leaders enough for the assistance and support given to me. I received not only grants from Biola University but also received a significant sabbatical from Talbot School of Theology. I would like to thank the deans who served during my years of service for all the resources they provided me: Dennis Dirks, Mike Wilkins, Clint Arnold, and Scott Rae. I would also like to thank my New Testament colleagues for their constant encouragement and prayer: Darian Lockett, Jon Lunde, Ken Berding, Matt Williams, Joanne Jung, Michelle Lee-Barnwall, and Doug Huffman. I could mention so many other Talbot colleagues who supported me along the way. During my years at Talbot/Biola I experienced a unique community of support and grace that was a blessing not only to my career but also to my family. This commentary, the majority of which was written in office 218 of the Talbot East building, is very much the result of the blessed environment in which I worked.
There were numerous students who read through some or all of the commentary and provided helpful feedback. Thanks are especially due to the graduate students in my Exegesis of John classes and the undergraduate students in my Gospel of John classes for their careful reading of various versions of the manuscript. Their insights into the text and interest in exegetical method motivated me and reminded me of the importance of this task. But no one provided more assistance than Jason Smith, my former teaching assistant, who not only read over large portions of the commentary but also spent countless hours working on the diagrams. I am so very thankful for the assistance Jason gave to me and to this commentary.
I would also like to thank my church family at Hope Evangelical Free Church in Roscoe, Illinois for recently welcoming my family and me as their senior pastor and for supporting me as I finished this commentary even while beginning my ministry with them. I want to thank the elders for having the vision and courage to invite a pastor-theologian to shepherd the flock they oversee. I would especially like to thank my ministerial team for their support and partnership in the gospel: Brad Schreiner, Jim Oakley, Kevin Dick, Fana Timoti, Vera Juhlin, Pat Noble, Carolyn Scherrer, and Dana Butts.
No person felt the burden of the production of this commentary more than my wife, Laura. For six years she constantly and graciously provided me with the time and blessing I needed to work on this massive project in the midst of regular work and life, including the birth of our third child! I could not have done this without her full support and encouragement. Not one word could have been typed had she not participated with me in this task. Laura shares in every way the fruit of this labor. I would also like to thank my children, Jacob, Benjamin, and Ruth, for their patience as their dad finished this book. I love each of them and hope that the message of the Gospel of John will be written into their hearts and lives as they believe in Jesus Christ and learn to have life in his name (20:31).
Finally, I am dedicating this commentary to my mom, Kimberly Grace Klink. It was not easy for her to raise a son as a single mom, but she did it. She sacrificed in innumerable ways for me, giving me the love and support of two parents! I have never met a more giving person, and I hope she can receive this commentary as my gift to her.