John 1:9

That was, &c. This verse is ambiguous in the Greek. Most of the Ancient Versions, Fathers, and Reformers agree with our translators. Many modern commentators translate the true Light, which lighteth every man, was coming into the world: but -was" and -coming" are almost too far apart in the Greek for this. There is yet a third way; there was the true Light, which lighteth every man by coming into the world. -Was" is emphatic: -there wasthe true Light," even while the Baptist was preparing the way for Him. The Baptist came once for all; the Light was ever coming.

The word for -true" (alêthinos) is remarkable: it means true as opposed to -spurious," not true as opposed to -lying." It is in fact the old English -very," e.g. -very God of very God". Christ then is the true, the genuine, the perfect Light, just as He is -the perfect Bread" (John 6:32) and -the perfect Vine" (John 15:1): not that He is the only Light, and Bread, and Vine, but that He is in reality what all others are in figure and imperfectly. All words about truthare very characteristic of S. John.

every man not -all men:" the Light illumines each one singly, not all collectively. God deals with men separately as individuals, not in masses. But though every man is illumined, not every man is the better for it: that depends upon himself.

that cometh into the world A Jewish phrase for being born, frequent in S. John (John 9:39; John 11:27; John 16:28); see on John 18:37. -The world" is another of the expressions characteristic of S. John: it occurs nearly 80 times in the Gospel and 22 in the First Epistle. This verse, Hippolytus tells us (Refut.vii. x.), was used by Basilides in defending his doctrine, and as he began to teach about a.d. 125, this is very early evidence of the use of the Gospel.