John 1:1-4 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.”
Light & Darkness – The word “light” in this passage of holy Scripture is the Greek word “phōs”, meaning luminousness, (A) of truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity associated with it. (B) that which is revealed and exposed to the view of all, openly, publicly reason, mind. (C) the power of understanding, especially moral and spiritual truth. Contrastingly, the word “darkness” in this passage is the Greek word “scotia”, meaning the darkness due to want of light, dimness, or obscurity. Here, metaphorically used of ignorance of divine things, and its associated wickedness, and the resultant misery in hell.
The word “darkness” is defined in the 1828 Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language as: 1. Absence of light. (Note, light is not the absence of darkness – light expels darkness and not vice-versa). 2. Obscurity (unrevealed, cannot be seen, incomprehensibility, vagueness, dimness, foggy); want of clearness or perspicuity (articulacy, clarity, fluency, lucidity); that quality or state which renders anything difficult to be understood (lacking enough facts to make an informed decision; missing all pieces of the puzzle). 3. A state of being intellectually clouded; ignorance. (an obstructed view that does not allow you to see, comprehend, ascend to the full truth). 4. A private place; secrecy; privacy. (Hidden, out of the sight of others, behind the scenes, behind closed doors, not wanting the attention or notice of others). 5. Infernal gloom; hell; as utter darkness. (eternal damnation as the wages of sin and unbelief). 6. Great trouble and distress; calamities; perplexities. 7. Empire of Satan. (the power of darkness). 8. Opakeness or Opaqueness. (land of darkness, being impervious to light, the grave).
Bible Commentator Matthew Henry states, the light of reason, as well as the soul life of sense, is derived from Him, and depends upon Him. This proves Him fit to undertake our salvation; for spiritual and eternal life & light are the two great things that fallen man, who lies so much under the power of death and darkness, has need of. From whom may we better expect the light of divine revelation than from Him who gave us the light of human reason? John 8:12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” The light of nature is this light shining in darkness. Something of the power of the divine Word, both as creating and as commanding, all mankind have an innate sense of.
The light shines, but the darkness comprehends it not. Henry continues, the eternal Word, as God, shines in the darkness of natural conscience. Though mankind by “the Fall” in the Garden of Eden have become darkness, yet that which may be known of God is manifested in them by the light of God, the Light of God's Word and the light of God's Son - Jesus Christ.
Let's continue this light study in the next post.
In Christ, Brian
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