718
u Prov. κκ, ἣν γὰρ πονηρὰ αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα. 20. was γὰρ ὁ "φαῦλα πράσσων
γ. 14.
μισεῖ τὸ φῶς, καὶ οὐκ έρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα ν Tobit xiii. αὐτοῦ. 341. 6 δὲ ᾿ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ Os
να
φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα, ὅτι ἐν Ged ἐστιν εἰργασμένα.”
demnation lies precisely in this, that since the coming of Christ and His exhibition of human life in the light of the holiness and love of the Father, human sin is no longer the result of ignorance, but of deliberate choice and preference. Nothing can be done fora man who says, “' Evil, be thou my good’”’. The reason of this preference of darkness and rejection of Christ is that the life is evil, ἦν γὰρ κ. τ. A.—Ver. 20. The prin- ciple is explained in this verse. Under- lying the action of men towards Christ during His historical manifestation was a general law: a law which operates wherever men are similarly invited to walk in the light. The law which governs the acceptance or refusal of light is given in the words was yap 6 Φαῦλα . . . ἔργα
αὐτοῦ. Φαῦλος, originally ‘ poor,” “paltry,” “ugly”; of φαῦλοι, “the vulgar,” ‘the common sort’. In
Polybius, φΦαῦλα πλοία, πολιτεία φαῦλα, badly constructed; φαῦλος ἠἡγεμών, a foolish general, and in xvii. 15, 15 it is opposed to deliberate wickedness. Dull, senseless viciousness seems to be denoted. Here and in ver. 29 πράσσειν is used with φαῖῦλα, and ποιεῖν in the next verse with ἀλήθειαν, on which Bengel remarks: ‘‘ Malitia est irrequieta ; est quiddam operosius quam veritas. Hinc verbis diversis notantur”’. Where a distinction is intended, πράσσειν expresses the reiterative putting forth of activities to bring something to pass, ποιεῖν the actual production of what is aimed at. Hence there is a slight hint of the busy fruitlessness of vice. Paul, as well as John, uses πράσσειν, in certain passages, of evil actions. The person thus defined μισεῖ τὸ φῶς, “hates the light,” instead of delighting in it, καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ dws, and does not bring himself within its radiance, does not seek to use it for his own enlighten- ment; ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, ‘lest his works be convicted” and so put to shame. According to John there is moral obliquity at the root of all refusal of Christ. Obviously there is, if Christ be considered simply as ‘‘light”’. To refuse the ideal he presents is to prefer darkness.—Ver. 21. 6 δὲ wosev... “On the other hand, he who does the truth”... This is one of John’s com-
prehensive phrases which perhaps lose by definition. ‘To do the truth” is at any rate to live up to what one knows; to live an honest, conscientious life. John implies that men of this type are to be found where the light of Christ has not dawned: but when it dawns they hail it with joy. He that doeth the truth comes to the light that his deeds may be manifested, ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν eipyaopeva. Is ὅτι expressive of a fact or declara- tive of a reason? Must we translate “manifested, that they are,’’ etc., or “‘manifested, because they are,’ etc. ? The Κ.Υ. has ‘that’? in the text, and “because” in the margin. Godet and Westcott prefer the former; Liicke, Meyer, Weiss and Weizsacker the latter. It is not easy to decide between the two, On the whole, the latter interpretation is to be preferred. This clause gives the reason of the willingness shown by the man to have his deeds made manifest : and thus it balances the clause ἦν γὰρ πονηρὰ αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα, which gives the reason for evil doers shunning the light. He who does the truth is not afraid of the light, but rather seeks increased light because his deeds have been done ἐν 6€@ ; that is, he has not been separated from God by them, but has done what he has done because he conceived that to be the will of God. Where such light as exists has been conscientiously used, more is sought, and welcomed when it comes. “ Plato-was like a man shut into a vault, running hither and thither, with his poor flickering Taper, agonizing to get forthe, and holding himself in readinesse to make a spring forward the moment a door should open. But it never did. ‘Not manie wise are called.’ He had clomb a Hill in the Darke, and stood calling to his companions below, ‘ Come on, come on, this way lies the East: Iam avised we shall see the sun rise anon’. But they never did. What a Christian he would have made. Ah! he is one now. He and Socrates, the veil long removed from their eyes, are sitting at Jesus’ feet. Sancte Socrates, ora pro nobis” (Erasmus to More in Sir Τ, More’s Household), Holtzmann quotes from Hausrath: ‘* As a magnet attracts the metal while the dead stone lies un- moved: so are the children of God drawn.