Joh 1:4-9 | RWP | e4.org | In him was life ( εν αυτω ζωη ην ). That which has come into being (verse ) in the Logos was life. The power that creates and sustains life in the universe is the Logos. This is what Paul means by the perfect passive verb εκτιστα (stands created) in . This is also the claim of Jesus to Martha ( ). This is the idea in "bearing (upholding) the all things by the word of his power." Once this language might have been termed unscientific, but not so now after the spiritual interpretation of the physical world by Eddington and Jeans. Usually in John ζωη means spiritual life, but here the term is unlimited and includes all life; only it is not βιος (manner of life), but the very principle or essence of life. That is spiritual behind the physical and to this great scientists today agree. It is also personal intelligence and power. Some of the western documents have εστιν here instead of ην to bring out clearly the timelessness of this phrase of the work of the Λογος . And the life was the light of men ( κα η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων ). Here the article with both ζωη and φως makes them interchangeable. "The light was the life of men" is also true. That statement is curiously like the view of some physicists who find in electricity (both light and power) the nearest equivalent to life in its ultimate physical form. Later Jesus will call himself the light of the world ( ). John is fond of these words life and light in Gospel, Epistles, Revelation. He here combines them to picture his conception of the Pre-incarnate Logos in his relation to the race. He was and is the Life of men ( των ανθρωπον , generic use of the article) and the Light of men. John asserts this relation of the Logos to the race of men in particular before the Incarnation.

‏ John 1:4-9

In him was life ( εν αυτω ζωη ην ). That which has come into being (verse 3) in the Logos was life. The power that creates and sustains life in the universe is the Logos. This is what Paul means by the perfect passive verb εκτιστα (stands created) in Col 1:16. This is also the claim of Jesus to Martha (Joh 11:25). This is the idea in Heb 1:3 "bearing (upholding) the all things by the word of his power." Once this language might have been termed unscientific, but not so now after the spiritual interpretation of the physical world by Eddington and Jeans. Usually in John ζωη means spiritual life, but here the term is unlimited and includes all life; only it is not βιος (manner of life), but the very principle or essence of life. That is spiritual behind the physical and to this great scientists today agree. It is also personal intelligence and power. Some of the western documents have εστιν here instead of ην to bring out clearly the timelessness of this phrase of the work of the Λογος.

And the life was the light of men ( κα η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων ). Here the article with both ζωη and φως makes them interchangeable. "The light was the life of men" is also true. That statement is curiously like the view of some physicists who find in electricity (both light and power) the nearest equivalent to life in its ultimate physical form. Later Jesus will call himself the light of the world (Joh 8:12). John is fond of these words life and light in Gospel, Epistles, Revelation. He here combines them to picture his conception of the Pre-incarnate Logos in his relation to the race. He was and is the Life of men ( των ανθρωπον, generic use of the article) and the Light of men. John asserts this relation of the Logos to the race of men in particular before the Incarnation.

Shineth ( φαινε ). Linear present active indicative of φαινω, old verb from φαω, to shine ( φαοσ, φως ). "The light keeps on giving light."

In the darkness ( εν τη σκοτια ). Late word for the common σκοτος (kin to σκια, shadow). An evident allusion to the darkness brought on by sin. In 2Pe 2:17 we have ο ζοφος του σκοτου (the blackness of darkness). The Logos, the only real moral light, keeps on shining both in the Pre-incarnate state and after the Incarnation. John is fond of σκοτια ( σκοτος ) for moral darkness from sin and φως ( φωτιζω, φαινω ) for the light that is in Christ alone. In 1Jo 2:8 he proclaims that "the darkness is passing by and the true light is already shining." The Gnostics often employed these words and John takes them and puts them in the proper place.

Apprehended it not ( αυτο ου κατελαβεν ). Second aorist active indicative of καταλαμβανω, old verb to lay hold of, to seize. This very phrase occurs in Joh 12:35 ( ινα μη σκοτια υμας καταλαβη ) "that darkness overtake you not," the metaphor of night following day and in 1Th 5:4 the same idiom ( ινα καταλαβη ) is used of day overtaking one as a thief. This is the view of Origen and appears also in 2Macc. 8:18. The same word appears in Aleph D in Joh 6:17 κατελαβε δε αυτους η σκοτια ("but darkness overtook them," came down on them). Hence, in spite of the Vulgate comprehenderunt, "overtook" or "overcame" seems to be the idea here. The light kept on shining in spite of the darkness that was worse than a London fog as the Old Testament and archaeological discoveries in Egypt, Assyria, Babylonia, Persia, Crete, Asia Minor show.

There came a man ( εγενετο ανθρωπος ). Definite event in the long darkness, same verb in verse 3.

Sent ( απεσταλμενος ). Perfect passive participle of αποστελλω, to send.

From God ( παρα θεου ). From the side of ( παρα ) God (ablative case θεου ).

Whose name ( ονομα αυτω ). "Name to him," nominative parenthetic and dative (Robertson, Grammar, p. 460).

John ( Ιωανης ). One ν in Westcott and Hort. In the giving of the name see Lu 1:59-63, Hellenized form of Jonathan, Joanan (Gift of God), used always of the Baptist in this Gospel which never mentions the name of John son of Zebedee (the sons of Zebedee once, 21:2).

For witness ( εις μαρτυριαν ). Old word from μαρτυρεω (from μαρτυς ), both more common in John's writings than the rest of the N.T. This the purpose of the Baptist's ministry.

That he might bear witness ( ινα μαρτυρηση ). Final clause with ινα and aorist active subjunctive of μαρτυρεω to make clearer εις μαρτυριαν.

Of the light ( περ του φωτος ). "Concerning the light." The light was shining and men with blinded eyes were not seeing the light (Joh 1:26), blinded by the god of this world still (2Co 4:4). John had his own eyes opened so that he saw and told what he saw. That is the mission of every preacher of Christ. But he must first have his own eyes opened.

That all might believe ( ινα πιστευσωσιν ). Final clause with ινα and first aorist active subjunctive of πιστευω, ingressive aorist "come to believe." This is one of John's great words (about 100 times), "with nine times the frequency with which it is used by the Synoptists" (Bernard). And yet πιστις, so common in Paul, John uses only in 1Jo 5:4 and four times in the Apocalypse where πιστευω does not occur at all. Here it is used absolutely as in Joh 1:50, etc.

Through him ( δι' αυτου ). As the intermediate agent in winning men to believe in Christ (the Logos) as the Light and the Life of men. This is likewise the purpose of the author of this book (21:31). The preacher is merely the herald to point men to Christ.

He ( εκεινος ). "That one," i.e. John. He was a light (Joh 5:35) as all believers are (Mt 5:14), but not "the light" ( το φως ).

But came ( αλλ' ). No verb in the Greek, to be supplied by repeating ηλθεν of verse 7. See similar ellipses in 9:3; 13:18; 15:25. In Johannine fashion we have the final ινα clause of verse 7 repeated.

There was ( ην ). Imperfect indicative. Emphatic position at the beginning of the sentence and so probably not periphrastic conjugation with ερχομενον (coming) near the end, though that is possible.

The true light ( το φως το αληθινον ). "The light the genuine," not a false light of wreckers of ships, but the dependable light that guides to the harbor of safety. This true light had been on hand all the time in the darkness ( ην imperfect, linear action) before John came.

Even the light (not in the Greek). Added in the English to make plain this interpretation.

Lighteth every man ( φωτιζε παντα ανθρωπον ). Old verb (from φως ) to give light as in Re 22:5; Lu 11:35f. The Quakers appeal to this phrase for their belief that to every man there is given an inner light that is a sufficient guide, the Quaker's text it is called. But it may only mean that all the real light that men receive comes from Christ, not necessarily that each one receives a special revelation.

Coming ( ερχομενον ). This present middle participle of ερχομα can be taken with ανθρωπον just before (accusative masculine singular), "every man as he comes into the world." It can also be construed with φως (nominative neuter singular). This idea occurs in Joh 3:19; 11:27; 12:46. In the two last passages the phrase is used of the Messiah which makes it probable here. But even so the light presented in 11:27; 12:46 is that of the Incarnate Messiah, not the Pre-incarnate Logos. Here κοσμος rather than παντα occurs in the sense of the orderly universe as often in this Gospel. See Eph 1:4.