SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:5
¶ Y esta es la Promesa que oímos de él, y os la anunciamos: Que Dios es luz, y en él no hay tinieblas.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 1:5
Verse 5. This then is the message] This is the grand principle on which all depends, which we have heard of apÆ autou, FROM him; for neither Moses nor the prophets ever gave that full instruction concerning God and communion with him which Jesus Christ has given, for the only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father, has alone declared the fullness of the truth, and the extent of the blessings, which believers on him are to receive. See John i. 18. God is light] The source of wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and happiness; and in him is no darkness at all - no ignorance, no imperfection, no sinfulness, no misery. And from him wisdom, knowledge, holiness, and happiness are received by every believing soul. This is the grand message of the Gospel, the great principle on which the happiness of man depends.
LIGHT implies every essential excellence, especially wisdom, holiness, and happiness. DARKNESS implies all imperfection, and principally ignorance, sinfulness, and misery. LIGHT is the purest, the most subtile, the most useful, and the most diffusive of all God's creatures; it is, therefore, a very proper emblem of the purity, perfection, and goodness of the Divine nature. God is to human soul, what the light is to the world; without the latter all would be dismal and uncomfortable, and terror and death would universally prevail: and without an indwelling God what is religion? Without his all-penetrating and diffusive light, what is the soul of man? Religion would be an empty science, a dead letter, a system unauthoritated and uninfluencing, and the soul a trackless wilderness, a howling waste, full of evil, of terror and dismay, and ever racked with realizing anticipations of future, successive, permanent, substantial, and endless misery. No wonder the apostle lays this down as a first and grand principle, stating it to be the essential message which he had received from Christ to deliver to the world.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 5. This then is the message , &c.] Of God by his Son the Word, or from Christ by his apostles. The Syriac version renders it, “this is the Gospel”; which is good news from a far country, a message sent from the King of kings to sinful men: or this is the annunciation, or declaration; that is, the thing declared, or showed. Some render it, “this is the promise”, that whereas God is light, such who walk in the light shall have communion with him, and others shall not: which we have heard of him ; of Christ, who has declared him, that he is light without any mixture of darkness; that is a pure Spirit, and must be worshipped in a spiritual way; and that only spiritual worshippers are such as he seeks, and admits to communion with him. Moreover, they might hear and learn this of Christ, by his telling them that he himself was light, who is the image of the invisible God, insomuch, that he that has seen the Son, has seen the Father also. Wherefore, if the one is light, the other must be likewise; nor is there any coming to the Father, and enjoying communion with him, but through Christ; all which our Lord told his disciples. The Ethiopic version reads, “which ye have heard”, very wrongly; for the words regard the apostles, who made a faithful declaration of the message they heard, and had from Christ, which is as follows: and declare unto you that God is light ; that is, God the Father, as distinguished from “him”, Christ, of whom they had heard this message, and from Jesus Christ his Son, ( 1 John 1:7), what is declared of him, agreeably to the report of Christ, is, that he is “light”; that is, as light is opposed to the darkness of sin; he is pure and holy in his nature and works, and of such pure eyes as not to behold iniquity; and so perfectly holy, that angels cover their times before him, when they speak of his holiness: and as light is opposed to the darkness of ignorance, he is wise and knowing; he knows himself, his own nature, being, and perfections, his Son and Spirit, and their distinct modes of subsisting; he sees clearly all things in himself, all things he could do, or has determined shall be done; he has perfect knowledge of all creatures and things, and the darkness and the light are alike unto him, nor can the former hide from him: he is knowable, and to be discerned; he is clothed with light, and dwells in it; he may be known by the works of creation and providence; even the invisible things of him, his eternal power and Godhead, may be clearly seen and understood by them, and especially in his word, and most clearly in his Son; it is owing to the darkness of men, and not to any in and about God, who is light, that he is so little known as he is: and, like the light, he illuminates others; he is the Father of lights, the author and giver of all light; of the light of reason to men in general; and of grace here, and glory hereafter, to his own people, which are both signified by light; in whose light they see light; and he refreshes and delights their souls with the light of his countenance now, and with his glorious presence in the other world: and in him is no darkness at all ; no darkness of sin; nothing is more contrary to him, or more distant from him: nor any darkness of error and ignorance; what is unknown to men, as the times and seasons; what angels were ignorant of, and even Christ, as man, as the day and hour of Jerusalem's destruction, were known to the Father; in him is no ignorance of anything whatever; nor is there any variableness or shadow of turning in him, as there is in the luminous body of the sun; but God is always the same pure and holy, wise and knowing Being. It is usual with the Cabalistic Jews f5 , to call the supreme Being rwa , light the most simple light, hidden light, and infinite light, with respect to his nature, glory, and majesty, and with regard also to his grace and mercy, justice and judgment; though, as R. Sangart says f6 , this is to be understood of him figuratively.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 5-10 - A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to thi dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happines cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to liv and act against religion. God holds no heavenly fellowship of intercourse with unholy souls. There is no truth in their profession their practice shows its folly and falsehood. The eternal Life, the eternal Son, put on flesh and blood, and died to wash us from our sin in his own blood, and procures for us the sacred influences by whic sin is to be subdued more and more, till it is quite done away. Whil the necessity of a holy walk is insisted upon, as the effect an evidence of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, the opposite error of self-righteous pride is guarded against with equal care. All who wal near to God, in holiness and righteousness, are sensible that their best days and duties are mixed with sin. God has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world, by providing a sufficient, effectual Sacrific for sin, needed in all ages; and the sinfulness of believers themselve is shown, by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and to apply by faith to the blood of that Sacrifice. Let us plead guilt before God, be humble, and willing to know the worst of our case. Le us honestly confess all our sins in their full extent, relying wholl on his mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a fre and full forgiveness, and our deliverance from the power and practic of sin __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 αυτη 3778 εστιν 2076 5748 η 3588 {1: επαγγελια 1860 } {2: αγγελια 31 } ην 3739 ακηκοαμεν 191 5754 απ 575 αυτου 846 και 2532 αναγγελλομεν 312 5719 υμιν 5213 οτι 3754 ο 3588 θεος 2316 φως 5457 εστιν 2076 5748 και 2532 σκοτια 4653 εν 1722 αυτω 846 ουκ 3756 εστιν 2076 5748 ουδεμια 3762
Vincent's NT Word Studies
5. This then is (kai auth estin). Rev., correctly and literally, and this. According to the proper reading the verb stands first in order (estin auth), with emphasis, not merely as a copula, but in the sense "there exists this as the message." For a similar use of the substantive verb, see v. 16,17; ii. 15; John viii. 50.
Message (epaggelia). This word, however, is invariably used in the New Testament in the sense of promise. The best texts read ajggelia, message, which occurs only at iii. 11; and the corresponding verb, ajggellw, only at John x. 18.
We have heard of Him (ajkhkoamen ajp' aujtou). A form of expression not found elsewhere in John, who commonly uses par' aujtou. See on John vi. 46 The phrase here points to the ultimate and not necessarily the immediate source of the message. Not only John, but others in earlier times had heard this message. Compare 1 Pet. i. 10, 11. Apo points to the source para to the giver. Thus, John v. 41, " I receive not honor from (para) men." They are not the bestowers of honor upon me. Ver. 44, "How can ye believe which receive honor from (para) one another;" the honor which men have to give, "and seek not the honor that cometh from (para) God;" the honor which God alone bestows. On the other hand, 1 John iii. 22, "Whatsoever we ask we receive from (apo) Him," the ultimate source of our gifts. So Matt. xvii. 25: "Of (apo) whom do the kings of the earth take custom - of (apo) their own children or of (apo) strangers?" What is the legitimate and ultimate source of revenue in states?
Declare (anaggellomen). Compare the simple verb ajggellein to bring tidings, John xx. 18, and only there.'Anaggellein is to bring the tidings up to (ana) or back to him who receives them. Apagellein is to announce tidings as coming from (apo) some one, see Matt. ii. 8; John iv. 51. Kataggellein is to proclaim with authority, so as to spread the tidings down among (kata) those who hear. See Acts xvii. 23. Found only in the Acts and in Paul.
God is Light (Qeov fwv estin). A statement of the absolute nature of God. Not a light, nor the light, with reference to created beings, as the light of men, the light of the world, but simply and absolutely God is light, in His very nature. Compare God is spirit, and see on John iv. 24: God is love, 1 John iv. 8, 16. The expression is not a metaphor. "All that we are accustomed to term light in the domain of the creature, whether with a physical or metaphysical meaning, is only an effluence of that one and only primitive Light which appears in the nature of God" (Ebrard). Light is immaterial, diffusive, pure, and glorious. It is the condition of life. Physically, it represents glory; intellectually, truth; morally, holiness. As immaterial it corresponds to God as spirit; as diffusive, to God as love; as the condition of life, to God as life; as pure and illuminating, to God as holiness and truth. In the Old Testament, light is often the medium of God's visible revelations to men. It was the first manifestation of God in creation. The burning lamp passed between the pieces of the parted victim in God's covenant with Abraham. God went before Israel in a pillar of fire, descended in fire upon Sinai, and appeared in the luminons cloud which rested on the mercy-seat in the most holy place. In classical Greek fwv light, is used metaphorically for delight, deliverance, victory, and is applied to persons as a term of admiring affection, as we say that one is the light of our life, or the delight of our eyes. So Ulysses, on seeing his son Telemachus, says, "Thou hast come, Telemachus, sweet light (glukeron faov)" (Homer, "Odyssey," xvi. 23). And Electra, greeting her returning brother, Orestes, "O dearest light (filtaton fwv)" (Sophocles, "Electra," 1223). Occasionally, as by Euripides, of the light of truth ("Iphigenia at Tauris," 1046). No modern writer has developed the idea of God as light with such power and beauty as Dante. His "Paradise" might truthfully be called a study of light. Light is the only visible expression of God. Radiating from Him, it is diffused through the universe as the principle of life. This key-note is struck at the very opening of "the Paradise."
"The glory of Him who moveth everything Doth penetrate the universe, and shine In one part more and in another less.
Within that heaven which most His light receives Was I." "Paradiso," i., 1-5.
In the final, beatific vision, God Himself is imagined as a luminous point which pours its rays through all the spheres, upon which the spirits gazed, and in which they read the past, the present, and the future.
"O grace abundant, by which I presumed To fix my sight upon the Light Eternal, So that the seeing I consumed therein! I saw that in its depth far down is lying Bound up with love together in one volume, What through the universe in leaves is scattered; Substance, and accident, and their operations, All interfused together in such wise That what I speak of is one simple light." "Paradiso," xxxiii., 82-90.
"In presence of that light one such becomes, That to withdraw therefrom for other prospect It is impossible he e'er consent; Because the good, which object of will, Is gathered all in this, and out of it That is defective which is perfect there." "Paradiso," xxxiii., 100-105.
"O Light eterne, sole in thyself that dwellest, Sole knowest thyself, and, know unto thyself And knowing, lovest and smilest on thyself! "Paradiso xxxiii., 124-126.
Light enkindles love.
"If in the heat of love I flame upon thee Beyond the measure that on earth is seen, So that the valor of thine eyes I vanquish, Marvel thou not thereat; for this proceeds From perfect sight, which, as it apprehends, To the good apprehended moves its feet.
Well I perceive how is already shining Into thine intellect the eternal Light, That only seen enkindles always love." "Paradiso," v., 1-9 See also " Paradiso," cantos 30, 31.
In Him is no darkness at all (kai skotia ouk estin en autw oudemia). It is characteristic of John to express the same idea positively and negatively. See John i. 7, 8, 20; iii. 15, 17, 20; iv. 42; v. 24; viii. 35; x. 28; 1 John i. 6, 8; ii. 4, 27; v. 12. According to the Greek order, the rendering is: "And darkness there is not in Him, no, not in any way." For a similar addition of oujdeiv not one, to a complete sentence, see John vi. 63; xi. 19; xix. 11. On skotia darkness, see on John i. 5.
