John Chapter 1, Verse 7/commentary
From BibleWiki
Contents |
ουτος ηλθεν εις μαÏÏ„Ï…Ïιαν
This was the characteristic feature of the Baptist's mission, "to bear witness" to the claims of Him who was to come. The Fourth Gospel is full of the idea of "witness", the words marturia, marturein being frequent in Jn., while they occur comparatively seldom in the rest of the N.T. The cognate forms martus, marturion, are, on the other hand, not found in Jn., although they occur in the Apocalypse.
ινα μαÏÏ„Ï…Ïηση
hina with a finite verb, in a telic sense, where in classical Greek we should expect an infinitive, is a common construct in Koine Greek, and is specially frequent in Jn. (Cf. Abbot, Diat, 2093, 2687) Burney 2 held that this linguistic feature is due to the Aramaic origin of Jn., and that behind hina is the particle דּ or דיּ. But the colloquial character of Jn.'s style provides a sufficient explanation (cf. Jn 11:50 and Jn 18:14).
πεÏι του φωτος
John Baptist says (v. 33) that it was revealed to him that Jesus was the Coming One.
ινα παντες πιστευσωσιν δι αυτου
("that all might believe through him," i.e. through, or by means of, the testimony of John the Baptist). Ultimately the Baptist's mission would affect not Israel only, but all men (pantes). As the Divine Law is said to have come di Mouseos (v. 17), so there is a sense in which Christian faith came di Ioanou. Abbott (Diat. 2302 f.) inclines to the view that autou refers here to Christ, autos throughout the Prologue being used for the Word ; but Jn. never uses the expression pisteuein dia Iesou (see on Jn 3:18). Jesus, for him, is the end and object of faith, rather than the medium through which it is reached (see on Jn 1:12).
Jn. uses the verb pisteuein about 100 times, that is, with nine times the frequency with which it is used by the Synoptists, although the noun pistis, common in the Synoptists, never occurs in Jn., except at 1Jn 5:3f. See further on Jn 1:12.
Here pisteuein is used absolutely, the object of faith being understood without being expressed; cf. Jn 1:50 Jn 4:42 Jn 4:53 Jn 5:44 Jn 6:64 Jn 11:15 Jn 12:39 Jn 14:29 Jn 19:35 Jn 20:8 Jn 20:25.
For a witness. To give testimony. He came to prepare the minds of the people to receive him (Matthew Chapter 3; Luke Chapter 3.); to lead them by repentance to God; and to point out the Messiah to Israel when he came, Jn 1:31.
Of the Light. That is, of the Messiah. Comp. Isa 60:1.
That all men, &c. It was the object of John's testimony that all men might believe. He designed to prepare them for it; to announce that the Messiah was about to come, to direct the minds of men to him, and thus to fit them to believe on him when he came. Thus he baptized them, saying "That they should believe on him who should come after him" (Acts 19:4), and thus he produced a very general expectation that the Messiah was about to come. The testimony of John was peculiarly valuable on the following accounts:
1st. It was made when he had no personal acquaintance with Jesus of Nazareth, and of course there could have been no collusion or agreement to deceive them, Jn 1:31.
2nd. It was sufficiently long before he came to excite general attention, and to fix the mind on it.
3rd. It was that of a man acknowledged by all to be a prophet of God -- "for all men held John to be a prophet," Mt 21:26.
4th. It was for the express purpose of declaring beforehand that he was about to appear.
5th. It was disinterested. He was himself extremely popular. Many were disposed to receive him as the Messiah. It was evidently in his power to form a large party, and to be regarded extensively as the Christ. This was the highest honour to which a Jew could aspire; and it shows the value of John's testimony, that he was willing to lay all his honours at the feet of Jesus, and to acknowledge that he was unworthy to perform for him the office of the humblest servant, Mt 3:11.
Through him. Through John, or by means of his testimony.
