Verse by Verse

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Darkness and light — parallel with Genesis 1 and the entrance of God’s Word.

comprehended — overcame, apprehended, laid hold of — implies a conscious effort to thwart the light and a lack of understanding of it.

darkness — unregenerate humanity

Ephesians 5:8 — For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

2 Corinthians 4:4 — In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

1 John 1:5 — This then is the message which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all.

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.

made by Him — this includes the new creation of believers. For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

life — He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (1 John 5:12).

life = life of God (zoe) but also all life as distinct from natural life (psuche)

light — to reveal Christ’s identity and expose sin. His life either exposes or illuminates in all cases. Enlightenment is often gradual.

Christ lights all men to make them accountable for their sin. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:9).

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.

The first handful of verses in John make seven points:

1. Christ’s eternity of being

2. His distinct personality

3. His true Deity

4. His unchanging relationship with the Father

5. His full glory in creation

6. His life-giving power

7. His incarnation

Christ couldn’t have a beginning because He was the beginning. In the Greek, verse one reads “In beginning … “

Word — Christ is the express image of God as the spoken word is an image of the thought. He reveals the mind and will of God, as in Genesis 1:3 — “God said …”

We cannot know God except through His Word.

John 3:34 — For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.

John 5:24 —  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 14:10 — Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.

Hebrews 1:1-2 — God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds.

Psalm 33:6 — By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

with = personal relationship

was (verse 2) = existed

The following quote is from the introduction of Opening the Gospel of John, by Philip W. Comfort and Wendell C. Hawley, page XVIII.

[John’s] Gospel was written primarily to those who already believed yet needed their faith infused with a fresh breath of life and strengthened by a clear presentation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (The verb tense for believe, a present subjunctive in the earliest manuscripts containing John 20:31, indicates that John wrote this Gospel to encourage ongoing faith, more than to produce initial faith, though it can certainly do the latter quite well. The other verbal expressions in John 20:31 — “believing” and “have life” — are also in the present tense, emphasizing continual action.)

My method of study is this: I read the passage, then write out by hand the verses I’m studying on that given day. I then read each of the commentaries and word studies listed below and write out (sometimes in the author’s words, sometimes in my own words) any points that I find worthwhile. I use multiple sources so I don’t fall into any errors made by any one man, and I also check everything against what the Scripture actually says. I pray often that the Holy Spirit will assist me in determining the truth. (I have never agreed 100% with any one author, although there are some with whom I agree on all major points.)

I don’t write lengthy paragraphs, just notes to help me recall what I’ve studied. When you see a word or phrase in the passage followed by a dash (—), what follows are general comments on that word or passage. When I use an equal sign (=), what follows is a literal translation of the original language.

Here’s a list of the books I’m using for my study in John.

Grace and Truth: Studies in John’s Gospel, by J.F. Strombeck

Exposition of the Gospel of John, by Arthur W. Pink

The Leading Themes of the Gospel of John, by W.E. Vine

Opening the Gospel of John, by Philip W. Comfort and Wendell C. Hawley

The Gospel of John, by Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Addresses on the Gospel of John, by H.A. Ironside

The Dispensational Position of the Writings of John, by Cornelius S. Stam

Most of these books are older ones that I have inherited from my father. I’m OK with this for three reasons:

1. I can’t afford new books.
2. I have always been in general (but not absolute) agreement with my father’s teaching and so I figure I can’t go far wrong using the resources he used.
3. I don’t buy into “fad” theology. The Bible says what God means it to say. It doesn’t say something brand new to a younger generation of theologians who are trying to make a name for themselves.

I generally use the KJV when I quote Scripture because that’s the version I grew up with and that I’m most familiar with, but I often check out the NIV and NAS to get multiple translations.