meaning is, ‘ Whatever is manifested;’ not ‘whatever makes manifest.’ As the word φανεροῦται just before is passive, it is unnatural to make φανερούμενον active. Besides, the apostle is not speaking of the nature of spiritual light, but of its effects. It illuminates or turns into light all it touches, or wherever it penetrates.
If φανερούμενον be taken as active, as is done by Calvin and many others, and by our translators, the sense would be, ‘ Reprove these things; it is your office to do so, for you are light, and light is that which makes manifest.’ This however is not what Paul says. He does not say ‘ Reprove evil, for you are light,’ but, ‘Reprove evil, for evil when reproved by light is man- ifest, and when manifest, it is light,’ thatis, it is changed into light, or corrected. In v. 8, he had said, “ Ye are light;” so here he says, what is illuminated by the truth becomes light. The sense is the same in both eases. The penetration of spiritual light, or divine truth, carries with it such power, that it illuminates and sanctifies all in whom it dwells. Hence the apostle elsewhere prays that the word of God may dwell in the hearts of believers in all wisdom and spiritual under- standing. According to the apostle, the relation be- tween truth and holiness is analogous to that between light and vision. Light cannot create the eye, or give to a blind eye the power of vision. ut it is essential to its exercise. Wherever it penetrates, it dissipates darkness and brings every thing into view—and causes it to produce its appropriate effect. So truth cannot regenerate, or impart the principle of spiritual life.