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This light abolishes darkness. In the Genesis account, "darkness was upon the face of
the deep" (Gen. 1: 2) until God called light into being. In the same way the light of God's
Word is the only force that banishes spiritual darkness:
"For God, Who said, `let light shine out of darkness', made His light shine in our
heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ"
(II.Cor.iv.6, N.I.V.).
The meaning of the verb katelaben can only be decided from the context. It can mean
"comprehend" as the A.V. and N.I.V., or "overcome" or "master" (R.S.V. and N.E.B.)
and this suits the argument better. Light is stronger than darkness and darkness cannot
prevail against it and John could say in his first epistle, "the darkness is passing away and
the true light is already shining" (I John 2: 8). Here, and in many other contexts, light is
synonym of goodness and truth, while darkness is a synonym of evil and falsehood.
"There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a
witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He
himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives
light to every man was coming into the world" (1: 6-9, N.I.V.).
The Baptist came as a forerunner, to be a witness of the One Who is the light of the
world. Christ described him as a "burning and shining lamp" (5: 35). He himself was not
that light but was a true light-bearer. Christ is the Word, but John claims to be only "a
voice" (Matt. 3: 3), yet what greater service can be rendered than that which is expressed
in this verse? A voice to make the Word known, and a lamp through which His light may
shine, a finger raised to point Him out as the Lamb of God! Faithful witness is one of the
characteristics of this Gospel. It reveals the witness of the Father (5: 32, 37; 8: 18),
of the Son (8: 14, 18), of the Holy Spirit (15: 26), the witness of the works of Christ
(5: 36; 10: 25), the witness of the Scriptures (5: 39), the witness of the disciples (15: 27)
and of the apostle John himself (19: 35; 21: 24).
The purpose of all this witness is given in 1: 7, "that all might believe" (see also
20: 31). When all John's statement are taken into account, it is clear he is not restricting
the Lord's ministry to Israel and this is further emphasized in the next verse:
"The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world" (1: 9).
The phrase "coming into the world" can be attached grammatically either to "light", or
to "every man", but as this phrase is repeatedly applied to the Word in this Gospel it is
better to render it as the N.I.V. does rather than the A.V. J.N.Darby comments here that
"Christ's light is to every man, not enlightens, but sheds its light upon all". The
testimony of the Lord is conclusive:
"I have come into the world as a light, so that no-one believes in Me should stay in
darkness" (12: 46, N.I.V.).
"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of
light because their deeds were evil" (3: 19, N.I.V.).