Baptist's testimony, Andrew was led to believe in Jesns and become a disciple. Just so now, through the preaching of minis- ters sinners learn to believe on Christ and are saved.
8. — [He luas not that light] This expression would be more lite- rally rendered, "' He was not the light," the promised light of sinners, the hght of the world. The Greek article " the," is used in a similar emphatic manner, to denote eminence and distinction, in the following passages. " That bread." John vi. 32. "That prophet." John i. 21—25. "That day." 1 Thess. V. 4. " That way." Acts ix. 2.
Let it be noted that our Lord himself calls John the Baptist at a later period, " The burning and shining light." (John v. 35.) But it is a curious fact that the Greek word there rendered "Ught," is not the one used here. It is a word which is fre- quently translated " candle." John the Baptist was a " candle," but not the light itself Believers are called " the light of the world." (Matt. v. 14,) but only as members of Christ the light, and borrowing light from him. Christ alone is the great sun and fountain of aU light, the light itself
9. — [That was the true light.] The force of the expression " true " in this sentence, is well brought out by Arrowsmith in his com- mentary on this verse. He saj- s that Christ is " the true Kght " in four respects. Firstly, He is undeceiving light, the true light in opposition to all the false lights of the Gentiles. — Secondly, He is real hght, true in opposition to ceremonial types and shadows. — Thirdly, He is underived light, tr.ue in opposition to all light that is borrowed, communicated, or participated from another.— Fourthly, He is supereminent light, true in opposition to all that is ordinary and common.
[Which lighteth every man. ...cometh... .world.] This sentence haa caused much difference of opinioa among commentators, in . respect to two points.
(o ) In the first place, men differ as to the application of the words, "that cometh into the world." Some connect these words with " the true light," and read the words, " this is the true light that coming into the world lighteth every man." In favour of this view, the words "hght is come into the world," (John iii. 19,) and " I am come a light into the world," (John xii. 46,) deserve notice. — Others connect the words with " every man," and regard them as a sweeping description of every one naturally born of the v^^eed of Adam. That "coming into the world " is a Hebiew phrase for being born, is shown by Nifa- nius. The construction of the whole verse in the original Greekj is such that either rendering is grammatical and correct.
Opinions are so nicely balanced on this point, and so much