may be said on either side, that I venture my own judgmont with much hesitiition. But I am inchned to think on the whole, with Chemnitius and Grlassius, that our translators are right, and that the clause " that cometh into the world," is better con- nected with " every man " than with " the true hght." — If the verse is rendered '' this is the true light that coming into the world lighteth every man," it seems railier to narrow the bless- ing of the tiue light, and to confine his illumining benefits to the times after His incarnation. Thi?, be it remembered, is precisely the view of the Socinian. And yet it is unqne>;tionably true that Christ's incarnation increased gi-eatly the spiritual light in the world. St. John says, " The darkness is past and the true light now shineth." (1 John ii. 8.) If, on the other hand, the verse is rendered as our version has it, the words " that cometh into the world," seem very suitably joined to " every man," as expressing the universality of the blessings which Christ confers on man. He is not only the true light of the Jew, but of " every man that is born into the world," of every name, and people, and tongue. To suppose, as some have done, that this applica- tion of the words " come into the world," involves the preexist- ence of souls, is, to say the least, a foolish thought.
The point is, happily, one on which men may agree to differ. Sound doctrine may be got out of either view.
(h.) The second difference of opinion respecting this verse arises from the words, " lighteth every man," This expression has received widely different interpretations. All, except here- tics, are agreed that the words cannot mean that aU are con- verted, and cannot signify the final, universal salvation of all mankind. What then do they mean?
Some think, as Cyril, that Christ " the true light," lighteth every man and woman on earth with the light of reason, intelU- gence, and consciousness of right and wrong. This view is par- tially true, and yet it seems weak and defective.
Some think, as the Quakers are report^^d to do, that Christ lighteth every man and woman on earth with an inward light of grace, sufficient to save him, if he will only use it. This view is a dangerous one, and beside contradicting many texts of Scripture, leads on to downright Pelagianism.
Some think, as Augustine, that Christ lighteth all that are lighted by His grace, and that '' every man " is practically the same as every believer. They quote in support of this view, the verse, "The Lord upholdeth aU that fall," (Psalm cxlv. 141.) where " all " can only mean, " all those that are upheld are up- held by the Lord." A favourite illustration of this view is the saying, that a schoolmaster " teaches aU the boys in a town,**
20 EXPOSITORY THOUaHTS.
that is, " all who are taught are taught by him." This interpre- tation, however, is not thoroughly satisfactory, and has an appearance of quibbling and unfairness about it.
Some think, as Chrysostom, and Brentius in his Homilies, and Lightfoot, that Christ is really given to be the light of all man- kind. They think that when it is said. He " lighteth every man," it means that He shines suflficiently for the salvation of all mankind, both Jews and G-entiles, (hke the sun shining upon all creation,) though the majority of men are so blinded by sin that they do not see Him. Yet Christ is for every man. " He lighteth all," says Chrysostom, " as far as in Him lies." — '' There is power and good will in the light," says Chemnitius, " to illu- mine all ; but some love darkness rather than light." Arrow- smith says, " Christ doth dispense to every one hght sufficient to leave him without excuse. But Christ doth not dispense to every one converting light sufficient to bring him to salvation."
I believe this last view to be the most probable one, though I confess that it is not unattended by difficulties. But I rest in the conclusion that Clirist is offered as a light to all the world, and that every one born into the world will prove at last to have been in some way indebted to Christ, even though not saved.
Pearce says of the Greek word rendered '"lighteth," that, "in the Hebrew tongue that which is only intended to be done is often expressed as a thing actually done." He regards thia expression before us as a similar one. He gives, as parallel instances, 1 Cor. x. 33, "please," for "intend to please," Gal. V. 4, "justified," for "intend to be justified," and 1 John ii. 26, "seduce," for "intend to seduce,"
The Greek word rendered " lighteth " is used eleven times in the New Testament, and is translated " to give light, to light, to bring to light, to enlighten, to illuminate."
10. — [He was in the world, dr. ...knew him not] This verse de- scribes the unbelief of the whole world before Christ's incarna- tion. He "was in the world " invisibly, before He was born of the Virgin Mary, as in the days of Noah. (1 Pet. iii. 19.) Ha was to be seen in His works and in His providential govern- ment of all things, if men had only had eyes to see Him. And yet the very world which He had made, the work of his hands, did not acknowledge, beheve, or obey Him. It knew Him not. At Athens, Paul found an altar " to the unknown God."
That tlie expression applies to Christ before His incarnation, and not after, is said by Lampe to be the unanimous opinion of Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine, Cyril, Theodoret, Beda, Theo- phylact, and Euthymius.
21
There is a striking similarity between the declaration of this verse and the contents of the latter part of the 1st chapter of the Epistle to the Eomans. In fact the line of argument by which St. Paul shows the Grentiles to be guilty, in the first chapter of that epistle, and the Jews to be equally guilty and excuseless in the second chapter, is only a full exposition of what St. John here states briefly in two verses.
11.— [^e cavie unto his own,. ..received him not] This verse de- scribes the unbehef of the Jewish nation after the incarnation of Christ, and during His ministry among them. He came to a people who were peculiarly His own, by their redemption from Egypt, by their introduction into the land of Canaan, and by their possession of the law of Moses, and the covenants, and yet they did not believe on Him, or receive Him, but actually rejected and slew Him.
There is a peculiarity about the Greek words rendered " his own," in this verse, which ought not to be overlooked. The first " his own " is in the neuter gender, and means literally " his own things." The second '*his own" is in the masculine gen- der, and means "his own men, servants or subjects." It is probably meant to show that our Lord came to a people whose land, territory, cities, temple, were all His own property, and had been originally granted by Himself. The Jews, Palestine, Jerusalem, the temple, were all Chri'st's peculiar possession. Israel was '^His inheritance." (Psalm Ixxviii. 71.)— This made the sin of those who '^ received Him not," even more sinful.
12. — [As many as received Jlim.] This expression signifies, "as many as believed on Christ, and acknowledged Him as the Messiah." It is only another form of the expression at the end of the verse, "believed on His name." To receive Christ is to accept Him with a willing heart, and to take Him as our Saviour. It is one of many forms of speech, by which that justifying faith which unites the sinner's soul to Christ is expressed in the Bible. To believe on Christ with the heart, is to receive Him, and to receive Him is to believe on Him. — St. Paul says to the Colossians, " As ye have received Christ, so walk ve in Him." (Col. ii. 6.)
The Greek word rendered, " As many as," is literally, "who- soever," " whatsoever persons." Glassius remarks, that the expression denotes the universality of the benefits which Christ conferred. " Whosoever " received Him, Pharisees, Saddueees, learned or unlearned, male or female, Jews or Gentiles, to them He gave the privilege of sonship to God.
[To them gave he power to become the sons of God.] This expression means, "He gave them the privilege of adoption into God's family." They became the " children of God by