Commentary by Matthew Henry
An exposition, with practical observations, of the Gospel according to St. John.
The scope and design of this chapter is to confirm our faith in Christ as the eternal Son of God, and the true Messiah and Saviour of the world, that we may be brought to receive him, and rely upon him, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and to give up ourselves to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him. In order to this, we have here, I. An account given of him by the inspired penman himself, fairly laying down, in the beginning, what he designed his whole book should be the proof of (ver. 1-5); and again (ver. 10-14); and again, ver. 16-18. II. The testimony of John Baptist concerning him (ver. 6-9; and again, ver. 15); but most fully and particularly, ver. 19-37. III. His own manifestation of himself to Andrew and Peter (ver. 38-42), to Philip and Nathanael, ver. 43-51.
The Divinity of Christ
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All
things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that
was made. 4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it
not.
Augustine says (de Civitate Dei, lib. 10, cap. 29) that his friend
Simplicius told him he had heard a Platonic philosopher say that these
first verses of St. John's gospel were worthy to be written in letters
of gold. The learned Francis Junius, in the account he gives of his own
life, tells how he was in his youth infected with loose notions in
religion, and by the grace of God was wonderfully recovered by reading
accidentally these verses in a bible which his father had designedly
laid in his way. He says that he observed such a divinity in the
argument, such an authority and majesty in the style, that his flesh
trembled, and he was struck with such amazement that for a whole day he
scarcely knew where he was or what he did; and thence he dates the
beginning of his being religious. Let us enquire what there is in those
strong lines. The evangelist here lays down the great truth he is to
prove, that Jesus Christ is God, one with the Father. Observe,
I. Of whom he speaks--The Word--ho logos. This is an idiom peculiar to
John's writings. See 1 John i. 1; v. 7; Rev. xix. 13. Yet some think
that Christ is meant by the Word in Acts xx. 32; Heb. iv. 12; Luke i.
2. The Chaldee paraphrase very frequently calls the Messiah Memra--the
Word of Jehovah, and speaks of many things in the Old Testament, said
to be done by the Lord, as done by that Word of the Lord. Even the
vulgar Jews were taught that the Word of God was the same with God. The
evangelist, in the close of his discourse (v. 18), plainly tells us why
he calls Christ the Word--because he is the only begotten Son, who is
in the bosom of the Father, and has declared him. Word is two-fold:
logos endiathetos--word conceived; and logos prophorikos--word uttered.
The logos ho eso and ho exo, ratio and oratio--intelligence and
utterance. 1. There is the word conceived, that is, thought, which is
the first and only immediate product and conception of the soul (all
the operations of which are performed by thought), and it is one with
the soul. And thus the second person in the Trinity is fitly called the
Word; for he is the first-begotten of the Father, that eternal
essential Wisdom which the Lord possessed, as the soul does its
thought, in the beginning of his way, Prov. viii. 22. There is nothing
we are more sure of than that we think, yet nothing we are more in the
dark about than how we think; who can declare the generation of thought
in the soul? Surely then the generations and births of the eternal mind
may well be allowed to be great mysteries of godliness, the bottom of
which we cannot fathom, while yet we adore the depth. 2. There is the
word uttered, and this is speech, the chief and most natural indication
of the mind. And thus Christ is the Word, for by him God has in these
last days spoken to us (Heb. i. 2), and has directed us to hear him,
Matt. xvii. 5. He has made known God's mind to us, as a man's word or
speech makes known his thoughts, as far as he pleases, and no further.
Christ is called that wonderful speaker (see notes on Dan. viii. 13),
the speaker of things hidden and strange. He is the Word speaking from
God to us, and to God for us. John Baptist was the voice, but Christ
the Word: being the Word, he is the Truth, the Amen, the faithful
Witness of the mind of God.
II. What he saith of him, enough to prove beyond contradiction that he
is God. He asserts,
1. His existence in the beginning: In the beginning was the Word. This
bespeaks his existence, not only before his incarnation, but before all
time. The beginning of time, in which all creatures were produced and
brought into being, found this eternal Word in being. The world was
from the beginning, but the Word was in the beginning. Eternity is
usually expressed by being before the foundation of the world. The
eternity of God is so described (Ps. xc. 2), Before the mountains were
brought forth. So Prov. viii. 23. The Word had a being before the world
had a beginning. He that was in the beginning never began, and
therefore was ever, achronos--without beginning of time. So Nonnus.
2. His co-existence with the Father: The Word was with God, and the
Word was God. Let none say that when we invite them to Christ we would
draw them from God, for Christ is with God and is God; it is repeated
in v. 2: the same, the very same that we believe in and preach, was in
the beginning with God, that is, he was so from eternity. In the
beginning the world was from God, as it was created by him; but the
Word was with God, as ever with him. The Word was with God, (1.) In
respect of essence and substance; for the Word was God: a distinct
person or substance, for he was with God; and yet the same in
substance, for he was God, Heb. i. 3. (2.) In respect of complacency
and felicity. There was a glory and happiness which Christ had with God
before the world was (ch. xvii. 5), the Son infinitely happy in the
enjoyment of his Father's bosom, and no less the Father's delight, the
Son of his love, Prov. viii. 30. (3.) In respect of counsel and design.
The mystery of man's redemption by this Word incarnate was hid in God
before all worlds, Eph. iii. 9. He that undertook to bring us to God (1
Pet. iii. 18) was himself from eternity with God; so that this grand
affair of man's reconciliation to God was concerted between the Father
and Son from eternity, and they understand one another perfectly well
in it, Zech. vi. 13; Matt. xi. 27. He was by him as one brought up with
him for this service, Prov. viii. 30. He was with God, and therefore is
said to come forth from the Father.
3. His agency in making the world, v. 3. This is here, (1.) Expressly
asserted: All things were made by him. He was with God, not only so as
to be acquainted with the divine counsels from eternity, but to be
active in the divine operations in the beginning of time. Then was I by
him, Prov. viii. 30. God made the world by a word (Ps. xxxiii. 6) and
Christ was the Word. By him, not as a subordinate instrument, but as a
co-ordinate agent, God made the world (Heb. i. 2), not as the workman
cuts by his axe, but as the body sees by the eye. (2.) The contrary is
denied: Without him was not any thing made that was made, from the
highest angel to the meanest worm. God the Father did nothing without
him in that work. Now, [1.] This proves that he is God; for he that
built all things is God, Heb. iii. 4. The God of Israel often proved
himself to be God with this, that he made all things: Isa. xl. 12, 28;
xli. 4; and see Jer. x. 11, 12. [2.] This proves the excellency of the
Christian religion, that the author and founder of it is the same that
was the author and founder of the world. How excellent must that
constitution needs be which derives its institution from him who is the
fountain of all excellency! When we worship Christ, we worship him to
whom the patriarchs gave honour as the Creator of the world, and on
whom all creatures depend. [3.] This shows how well qualified he was
for the work of our redemption and salvation. Help was laid upon one
that was mighty indeed; for it was laid upon him that made all things;
and he is appointed the author of our bliss who was the author of our
being.
4. The original of life and light that is in him: In him was life, v.
4. This further proves that he is God, and every way qualified for his
undertaking; for, (1.) He has life in himself; not only the true God,
but the living God. God is life; he swears by himself when he saith, As
I live. (2.) All living creatures have their life in him; not only all
the matter of the creation was made by him, but all the life too that
is in the creation is derived from him and supported by him. It was the
Word of God that produced the moving creatures that had life, Gen. i.
20; Acts xvii. 25. He is that Word by which man lives more than by
bread, Matt. iv. 4. (3.) Reasonable creatures have their light from
him; that life which is the light of men comes from him. Life in man is
something greater and nobler than it is in other creatures; it is
rational, and not merely animal. When man became a living soul, his
life was light, his capacities such as distinguished him from, and
dignified him above, the beasts that perish. The spirit of a man is the
candle of the Lord, and it was the eternal Word that lighted this
candle. The light of reason, as well as the life of sense, is derived
from him, and depends upon him. This proves him fit to undertake our
salvation; for life and light, spiritual and eternal life and light,
are the two great things that fallen man, who lies so much under the
power of death and darkness, has need of. From whom may we better
expect the light of divine revelation than from him who gave us the
light of human reason? And if, when God gave us natural life, that life
was in his Son, how readily should we receive the gospel-record, that
he hath given us eternal life, and that life too is in his Son!
5. The manifestation of him to the children of men. It might be
objected, If this eternal Word was all in all thus in the creation of
the world, whence is it that he has been so little taken notice of and
regarded? To this he answers (v. 5), The light shines, but the darkness
comprehends it not. Observe,
(1.) The discovery of the eternal Word to the lapsed world, even before
he was manifested in the flesh: The light shineth in darkness. Light is
self-evidencing, and will make itself known; this light, whence the
light of men comes, hath shone, and doth shine. [1.] The eternal Word,
as God, shines in the darkness of natural conscience. Though men by the
fall are become darkness, yet that which may be known of God is
manifested in them; see Rom. i. 19, 20. The light of nature is this
light shining in darkness. Something of the power of the divine Word,
both as creating and as commanding, all mankind have an innate sense
of; were it not for this, earth would be a hell, a place of utter
darkness; blessed be God, it is not so yet. [2.] The eternal Word, as
Mediator, shone in the darkness of the Old-Testament types and figures,
and the prophecies and promises which were of the Messiah from the
beginning. He that had commanded the light of this world to shine out
of darkness was himself long a light shining in darkness; there was a
veil upon this light, 2 Cor. iii. 13.
(2.) The disability of the degenerate world to receive this discovery:
The darkness comprehended it not; the most of men received the grace of
God in these discoveries in vain. [1.] The world of mankind
comprehended not the natural light that was in their understandings,
but became vain in their imaginations concerning the eternal God and
the eternal Word, Rom. i. 21, 28. The darkness of error and sin
overpowered and quite eclipsed this light. God spoke once, yea twice,
but man perceived it not, Job xxxiii. 14. [2.] The Jews, who had the
light of the Old Testament, yet comprehended not Christ in it. As there
was a veil upon Moses's face, so there was upon the people's hearts. In
the darkness of the types and shadows the light shone; but such as the
darkness of their understandings that they could not see it. It was
therefore requisite that Christ should come, both to rectify the errors
of the Gentile world and to improve the truths of the Jewish church.
(Exposition on the Divinity of Christ, by Matthew Henry) |