was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was 10 made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto 11

is an elliptical phrase occurring several times in this Gospel. It calls attention to the Divine purpose. Comp. ix. 3, xiii. 18, xiv. 31, XV. 25.

9. That was, &c.] This verse is ambiguous in the Greek. Most of the Ancient Versions, Fathers, and Reformers agree with our translators. Many modern commentators translate-the true Light, which lighteth every man, was coming into the world: but 'was' and 'coming' are almost too far apart in the Greek for this. There is yet a third way; there was the true Light, which lighteth every man by coming into the world. 'Was' is emphatic: 'there was the true Light,' even while the Baptist was preparing the way for Him. The Baptist came once for all; the Light was ever coming.

The word for 'true' (alêthinos) is remarkable: it means true as opposed to 'spurious,' not true as opposed to 'lying.' It is in fact the old English very,' e.g. 'very God of very God." Christ then is the true, the genuine, the perfect Light, just as He is 'the perfect Bread' (vi. 32) and the perfect Vine' (xv. 1): not that He is the only Light, and Bread, and Vine, but that He is in reality what all others are in figure and imperfectly. All words about truth are very characteristic of S. John.

every man] not 'all men:' the Light illumines each one singly, not all collectively. God deals with men separately as individuals, not in masses. But though every man is illumined, not every man is the better for it: that depends upon himself.

that cometh into the world] A Jewish phrase for being born, frequent in S. John (ix. 39, xi. 27, xvi. 28); see on xviii. 37. The world' is another of the expressions characteristic of S. John: it occurs nearly 80 times in the Gospel and 22 in the First Epistle. This verse, Hippolytus tells us (Refut. VII. x.), was used by Basilides in defending his doctrine, and as he began to teach about A.D. 125, this is very early evidence of the use of the Gospel.

10. and the world] Note three points; (1) the close connexion obtained by repetition, as in vv. 4 and 5; (2) the tragic tone, as in v. 5; (3) the climax. 'He was in the world' (therefore the world should have known Him); and the world was His own creature' (therefore still more it should have known Him); and (yet) the world knew Him not.' 'And' 'and yet' is very frequent in S. John; but it is best not to put in the 'yet;' the simple 'and' is more forcible. Comp. vv. 5 and II.

=

Note that 'the world' has not the same meaning in vv. 9 and 10. Throughout N.T. it is most important to distinguish the various meanings of the world.' It means (1) 'the universe;' Rom. i. 20: (2) 'the earth;' v. 9; Matt. iv. 8: (3) 'the inhabitants of the earth;' v. 29, iv. 42: (4) 'those outside the Church,' alienated from God; xii. 31, xiv. 17, and frequently. In this verse the meaning slips from (2) to (4).

S. JOHN

5

12

his

and his own received him not.

But as many as

own, received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of 13 God, even to them that believe on his name: which were

knew him not] Did not acquire knowledge of its Creator; did not recognise and acknowledge Him. Comp. Acts xix. 15.

11. unto his own] In the Greek the first 'own' is neuter, the second is masculine, and this difference should be preserved: He came unto His own inheritance; and His own people received Him not (see on vi. 37). In the parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (Matt. xxi. 33—41) the vineyard is His own inheritance,' the husbandmen are 'His own people,' the Jews. Or, for 'His own inheritance' we might say 'His own home,' as in xix. 27, where the Greek is the same. The tragic tone is very strong here as in vv. 5 and 10. received] A stronger word than 'knew.' The exact meaning of the Greek word is 'to accept what is offered.' Mankind in general did not recognise the Messiah; the Jews, to whom He was specially sent, did not welcome Him. See on xix. 16.

Once more there is a climax ;-'He was' (v. 9); 'He was in the world' (v. 10); 'He came unto His own inheritance' (v. 11).

12. received] Not the same Greek word as before: this denotes the spontaneous acceptance of the Messiah by individuals, whether Jews or Gentiles. He was not specially offered to any individuals as He was to the Jewish nation.

power] i.e. right, liberty, authority. We are born with a capacity for becoming sons of God; that we have as men. He gives us a right to become such; that we receive as Christians. Comp. v. 27, x.

18.

to become] Christ is from all powered to become sons of God. the sons of God] Omit 'the:' children of God. Both S. John and S. Paul insist on the fundamental fact that the relation of believers to God is a filial one. S. John gives us this fact on the human side; man 'must be born again' (iii. 3). S. Paul gives us the Divine side; God by 'adoption' makes us sons (Rom. viii. 16, 17, 21, 23; Gal. iv. 5).

eternity the Son of God; men are emComp. Matt. v. 45.

even to them that believe] Explains who are the sons of God. The test of a child of God is no longer descent from Abraham, but belief in His Son.

on his name] The construction 'to believe on' is characteristic of S. John: it occurs about 35 times in the Gospel and 3 times in the First Epistle; elsewhere in N.T. about 10 times. It expresses the very strongest belief; motion to and repose on the object of belief. 'His Name' is a frequent phrase in Jewish literature, both O. and N. T. It is not a mere periphrasis. Names were so often significant, given sometimes by God Himself, that a man's name told not merely who he was, but what he was: it was an index of character. So 'the Name of the Lord' is not a mere periphrasis for 'the Lord;' it suggests His attributes and His relations to us as Lord. Perhaps the name of Logos is specially meant here; and the meaning would then be to give one's entire ad

born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14-18. The Incarnate Word's revelation of the Father. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, 14

hesion to Him as the Incarnate Son, the expression of the Will and Nature of God. Comp. iii. 18, xx. 31.

13. S. John denies thrice most emphatically that human generation has anything to do with Divine regeneration. Man cannot become a child of God in right of human parentage: descent from Abraham confers no such 'power.' A bitter word to Jewish exclusiveness. were born] Literally, were begotten. Comp. 1 John v. 1, 4, 18. not of blood] The blood was regarded as the seat of physical life. Gen. ix. 4; Lev. xvii. 11, 14, &c.

nor of the will of the flesh] Better, nor yet from will of flesh, i.e. from any fleshly impulse. A second denial of any physical process.

nor of the will of man] Better, nor yet from will of man, i.e. from the volition of any earthly father: it is the Heavenly Father who wills it. A third denial of any physical process.

There is an interesting false reading here. Tertullian (c. A.D. 200) had 'was born' for 'were born,' making it refer to Christ; and he accused the Valentinians of corrupting the text in reading 'were born,' which is undoubtedly right. This shews that as early as A.D. 200 there were corruptions in the text, the origin of which was already lost. Such things take some time to grow: by comparing them and tracing their roots and branches we arrive at a sure conclusion that this Gospel cannot have been written later than A.D. 85-100. See on v. 18 and ix. 35.

14-18.

THE INCARNATE WORD'S REVELATION OF THE FATHER. 14. And the Word was made flesh] Or, became flesh. This is the gulf which separates S. John from Philo. Philo would have assented to what precedes; from this he would have shrunk. From v. 9 to 13 we have the subjective side; the inward result of the Word's coming to those who receive Him. Here we have the objective; the coming of the Word as a historical fact. The Logos, existing from all eternity with the Father (vv. 1 and 2), not only manifested His power in Creation (v. 3) and in influence on the minds of men (vv. 9, 12, 13), but manifested Himself in the form of a man of flesh. The important point is that the Word became terrestrial and material: and thus the inferior part of man is mentioned, the flesh, to mark His humiliation. He took the whole of man's nature, including its frailty. "The majestic fulness of this brief sentence," the Word became flesh, which affirms once for all the union of the Infinite and the finite, "is absolutely unique." The Word became flesh; did not merely assume a body: and the Incarnate Word is one, not two personalities. Thus various heresies, Gnostic and Eutychian, are refuted by anticipation,

15

(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He

dwelt among us] Literally, tabernacled among us, dwelt as in a tent. The Tabernacle had been the seat of the Divine Presence in the wilderness: when God became incarnate in order to dwell among the Chosen People, 'to tabernacle' was a natural word to use. The word forms a link between this Gospel and the Apocalypse: it occurs here, four times in the Apocalypse, and nowhere else. Our translators render it simply ‘dwell,' which is inadequate. Rev. vii. 15, xii. 12, xiii. 6, xxi. 3.

among us] In the midst of those of us who witnessed His life.

we beheld] Or, contemplated. Comp. 1 John i. 1. No need to make a parenthesis.

his glory] The Shechinah. Comp. ii. 11, xi. 40, xii. 41, xvii. 5, 24; 2 Cor. iii. 7-18; Rev. xxi. II. There is probably a special reference to the Transfiguration (Luke ix. 32; 2 Pet. i. 17); and possibly to the vision at the beginning of the Apocalypse. In any case it is the Evangelist's own experience that is indicated. Omit 'the' before the second 'glory.'

as of] i.e. exactly like. The glory is altogether such as that of an only-begotten son. Comp. Matt. vii. 29. He taught exactly as one having full authority. No article before 'only-begotten;' He was an only-begotten Son, whereas Moses and the Prophets were but servants. only begotten] Unigenitus. The Greek word is used of the widow's son (Luke vii. 12), Jairus' daughter (viii. 42), the demoniac boy (ix. 38), Isaac (Heb. xi. 17). As applied to Christ it occurs only in S. John's writings; here, v. 18, iii. 16, 18; 1 John iv. 9. It marks off His unique Sonship from that of the 'sons of God' (v. 12).

of the Father] Literally, from the presence of a father; an only son sent on a mission from a father: comp. v. 6.

full] Looks forward to 'fulness' in v. 16.

grace] The original meaning of the Greek word is 'that which causes pleasure.' Hence (1) comeliness, winsomeness: 'the words of grace' in Luke iv. 22 are winning words.' (2) Kindliness, goodwill: Luke ii. 52; Acts ii. 47. (3) The favour of God towards sinners. This distinctly theological sense has for its central point the freeness of God's gifts: they are not earned, He gives them spontaneously through Christ. 'Grace' covers all these three meanings. The third at its fullest and deepest is the one here. It is as the Life that the Word is 'full of grace,' for it is 'by grace' that we come to eternal life. Eph. ii. 5.

truth] It is as the Light that the Word is 'full of truth.'

15. bare witness] Better, bears witness. At the end of a long life this testimony of the Baptist abides still fresh in the heart of the aged Apostle. Three times in 20 verses (15, 27, 30) he records the cry which was such an epoch in his own life. The testimony remains as a memory for him, a truth for all.

and cried] Better, and cries.

The word indicates strong emotion,

characteristic of a prophet. Comp. vii. 28, 37, xii. 44; Is. xl. 3.

that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was And of his fulness have all we received, and 16 For the law was given by Moses, but grace 17

before me. grace for grace.

of whom I spake] As if his first utterance under the influence of the Spirit had been scarcely intelligible to himself.

He that cometh after, &c.] The exact meaning seems to be-'He who is coming after me (in His ministry as in His birth) has become superior to me, for He was in existence from all eternity before me.' Christ's pre-existence in eternity a great deal more than cancelled John's preexistence in the world; and as soon as He appeared as a teacher He at once eclipsed His forerunner. But this is not quite certain. The words translated 'is preferred before me,' or 'is become superior to me,' literally mean 'has come to be before me;' and this may refer to time and not to dignity. But the perfect tense 'has come to be, has become' points to dignity rather than time. Moreover if 'has become before me' refers to time, this is almost tautology with 'for he was before me,' which must refer to time.

he was before me] The Greek is peculiar, being the superlative instead of the comparative; not simply 'prior to me,' but 'first of me.' Perhaps it means 'before me and first of all.'

16. The testimony of the Baptist to the incarnate Word is confirmed by the experience of all believers. The Evangelist is the speaker.

And] The true reading gives Because. fulness] The Greek word, pleroma, is 'a recognised technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes.' This fulness of the Divine attributes belonged to Christ (v. 14), and by Him was imparted to the Church, which is His Body (Eph. i. 23); and through the Church_each_individual believer in his degree receives a portion of it. See Lightfoot on Colossians, i. 19 and ii. 9. 'Of His fulness' means literally 'out of His fulness,' as from an inexhaustible

store.

all we] shews that the Evangelist and not the Baptist is speaking.

grace for grace] Literally, grace in the place of grace, one grace succeeding another, and as it were taking its place. There is no reference to the Christian dispensation displacing the Jewish. The Jewish dispensation would have been called 'the Law,' not 'grace;' see next verse, and comp. xvii. 22.

17. The mention of 'grace' reminds the Evangelist that this was the characteristic of the Gospel and marked its superiority to the Law; for the Law could only condemn transgressors, grace forgives them. For] Better, Because.

by Moses] The preposition translated 'by' in vv. 3, 10, 17, and 'through' in v. 7, is one and the same in the Greek. The meaning in all five cases is 'by means of.' Moses did not give the Law any more than he gave the manna (vi. 32): he was only the mediate agent by whose hand it was given (Gal. iii. 19).