In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

“(Hom. ii. in div. loc. ante med.) It may also be divided thus: That which was made in him; and then, was life; the sense being, that all things that were made by Him and in Him, are life in Him, and are one in Him. They were, that is, in Him; they exist as the cause, before they exist in themselves as effects. If thou ask how and in what manner all things which were made by the Word subsist in Him vitally, immutably, causally, take some examples from the created world. See how that all things within the arch of the world of sense have their causes simultaneously and harmoniously subsisting in that sun which is the greatest luminary of the world: how multitudinous crops of herbs and fruits are contained in single seeds: how the most complex variety of rules, in the art of the artificer, and the mind of the director, are a living unit, how an infinite number of lines coexist in one point. Contemplate these several instances, and thou wilt be able as it were on the wings of physical science, to penetrate with thy intellectual eye the secrets of the Word, and as far as is allowed to a human understanding, to see how all things which were made by the Word, live in Him, and were made in Him.”

“Or it can be understood thus. In that he had said, without Him was not any thing made, one might have been perplexed, and have asked, Was then any thing made by another, which yet was not made without Him? if so, then though nothing is made without, all things are not made by Him: it being one thing to make, another to be with the maker. On this account the Evangelist declares what it was which was not made without Him, viz. what was made in Him. This then it was which was not made without Him, viz. what was made in Him. And that which was made in Him, was also made by Him. For all things were created in Him and by Him. Now things were made in Him, because He was born God the Creator. And for this reason also things that were made in Him, were not made without Him, viz. that God, in that He was born, was life, and He who was life, was not made life after being born. Nothing then which was made in Him, was made without Him, because He was life, in Whom they were made; because God Who was born of God was God, not after, but in that He was bornh.”

“(Hom. v. [iv.] in Joan. c. 1, 2) Or to give an other explanation. We will not put the stop at without Him was not any thing made, as the heretics do. For they wishing to prove the Holy Ghost a creature, read, That which was made in Him, was life. But this cannot be so understood. For first, this was not the place for making mention of the Holy Ghost. But let us suppose it was; let us take the passage for the present according to their reading, we shall see that it leads to a difficulty. For when it is said, That, which was made in Him, was life; they say the life spoken of is the Holy Ghost. But this life is also light; for the Evangelist proceeds, The life was the light of men. Where fore according to them, he calls the Holy Ghost the light of all men. But the Word mentioned above, is what he here calls consecutively, God, and Life, and Light. Now the Word was made flesh. It follows that the Holy Ghost is incarnate, not the Son. Dismissing then this reading, we adopt a more suitable one, with the following meaning: All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made which was made: there we make a stop, and begin a fresh sentence: In Him was life. Without Him was not any thing made which wan made; (γενητὸν) i. e. which could be made. You see how by this short addition, he removes any difficulty which might follow. For by introducing without Him was not any thing made, and adding, which was made, be includes all things invisible, and excepts the Holy Spirit: for the Spirit cannot be made. (δημιουργίας) To the mention of creation, succeeds that of providence. In Him was life1. As a fountain which produces vast depths of water, and yet is nothing diminished at the fountain head; so worketh the Only-Begotten. How great soever His creations be, He Himself is none the less for them. By the word life here is meant not only creation, but that providence by which the things created are preserved. But when you are told that in Him was life, do not suppose Him compounded; for, as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself. (John 5:26) As then you would not call the Father compounded, so neither should you the Son.”

“(in Joh. tr. i. c. 16, 17) The passage can be read thus: What was made in Him was life1. Therefore the whole universe is life: for what was there not made in Him? He is the Wisdom of God, as is said, In Wisdom hast Thou made them all. (Ps. 104) All things therefore are made in Him, even as they are by Him. But, if whatever was made in Him is life, the earth is life, a stone is life. We must not interpret it so unsoundly, lest the sect of the Manicheans creep in upon us, and say, that a stone has life, and that a wall has life; for they do insanely assert so, and when reprehended or refuted, appeal as though to Scripture, and ask, why was it said, That which was made in Him was life? Read the passage then thus: make the stop after What was made, and then proceed, In Him was life. The earth was made; but, the earth itself which was made is not life. In the Wisdom of God however there is spiritually a certain Reason after which the earth is made. This is Lifef. A chest in workmanship is not life, a chest in art is, inasmuch as the mind of the workman lives wherein that original pattern exists. And in this sense the Wisdom of God, by Which all things are made, containeth in art ‘all things which are made, according to that art.’ And therefore whatever is made, is not in itself life, but is life in Him.”

“(in 1 Joh.) The Evangelist having said that every creature was made by the Word, lest perchance any one might think that His will was changeable, as though He willed on a sudden to make a creature, which from eternity he had not made; he took care to shew that, though a creature was made in time, in the Wisdom of the Creator it had been from eternity arranged what and when He should create.”

“The Evangelist above conveyed the power of the Word by which it produced all things in being; here he conveys its power as it stands in relation to men, saying that this Word is the light of men. Here he first introduces to us a certain light, when he says "and the life was the light of men"; second, the light's irradiation, when he says "and the light shines in the darkness"; third, the participation in the light, when he says "and the darkness did not comprehend it." Now the whole can be expounded in two ways: in one way according to the influx of natural knowledge, in another way according to the communication of grace. He says, then, as to the first, that "the life was the light of men." Here it must first be considered that, according to Augustine and many others, the name "light" is said more properly of spiritual things than of sensible things. Ambrose, however, holds that "splendor" is said of God metaphorically. But no great weight need be put on this: for of whatever thing the name "light" is said, it refers to manifestation, whether that manifestation be in intelligible things or in sensible things. If, then, intelligible and sensible manifestation are compared, by nature light is found first in spiritual things; but as regards us, who impose names on things from the properties known to us, it is found first in sensible things, because we first imposed this name to signify sensible light rather than intelligible light — although in its power it belongs first and more truly to spiritual things than to sensible ones. For the understanding of what is said, "and the life was the light of men," it must be known that there are many grades of life. For some things live, but without light, because they have no knowledge, as plants do; whence their life is not light. Others live and know; yet their knowledge, since it is only sense, is only of particular and material things, as in the brutes; and so these have both life and a certain light, but not "the light of men," who live and know not only true things themselves but the very rational ground of truth, as do rational creatures, to whom is manifested not only this or that but truth itself, which is manifestable and is that which manifests all things. And therefore the Evangelist, speaking of the Word, says it is not only life but also light, lest you understand life without knowing; and "of men," lest you suppose only sensible knowledge, such as is in the brutes. But why did he say "of men," since it is also the light of the angels? To this there is a twofold answer. For Chrysostom says that the Evangelist intended in this Gospel to hand down to us knowledge of the Word insofar as it is ordered to the salvation of men; and so, according to his intention, he refers it to men rather than to angels. But Origen says that participation in this light pertains to men insofar as they are of a rational nature; and so the Evangelist, saying "was the light of men," wished it to be understood of every rational nature. In this too is shown the perfection and dignity of this life, because it is intellectual, or rational. For since those things are called living which in some way move themselves, those are said to have perfect life which move themselves perfectly; but to move oneself perfectly and properly belongs, among the lower creatures, to man alone. For although other things are moved of themselves by some intrinsic principle, that principle nevertheless is not disposed toward opposites; and so they are moved of necessity, and not freely. Things moved by such a principle are therefore acted upon more than they act. But man, since he is master of his own act, freely moves himself to all that he wills; and so man has perfect life, and likewise every intellectual nature. The life of the Word, therefore, which is the light of men, is perfect life. A fitting order, too, is observed in the foregoing words: for in the natural order of things being is found first, and this the Evangelist first conveyed, saying "in the beginning was the Word"; second, to live, and this is what follows, "in him was life"; third, to understand, and this he added next, "the life was the light of men." Whence, according to Origen, he fittingly attributes light to life, because light can be attributed only to the living. It is to be noted, however, that light can be compared to the living in two ways: either as an object, or as participated — as is clear in exterior sight. For the eye knows exterior light as an object, but in order to see it, it must participate in some interior light by which the eye is fitted and disposed to see the exterior light. So then, what he here says, "and the life was the light of men," can be understood in two ways. It is called "the light of men" by way of object, as it were, as discernible by men alone: because the rational creature alone can behold it, since it alone is capable of the divine vision (Job 35:11: "He teaches us above the beasts of the earth, and instructs us above the birds of the air"); for although other animals know some things that are true, man alone knows the very rational ground of truth. It can also be called "the light of men" as participated. For we could never behold the Word itself and the Light itself except through a participation in it that is in man himself, namely the higher part of our soul, the intellective light, of which it is said in Psalm 4:7: "The light of your countenance is sealed upon us" — that is, of your Son, who is your face, by which you are made manifest. The Evangelist above introduced a certain light; now he treats of its irradiation when he says "the light shines in the darkness." This can be expounded in two ways, according to the twofold sense of "darkness." First, let us take "darkness" as the natural defect of the created mind. For the mind stands to that light of which the Evangelist here speaks as the air stands to the light of the sun: because, although the air is capable of the sun's light, nevertheless, considered in itself, it is darkness. And in this sense the meaning is: "the light" — that is, that life which is the light of men — "shines in the darkness," namely in created souls and minds, always irradiating all. Job 3:23: "To the man whose light is hidden." "But the darkness did not comprehend it" — that is, could not enclose it. For that is said to be comprehended whose bounds are enclosed and beheld. Because, as Augustine says, to reach God with the mind is great beatitude, but to comprehend him is impossible. "The darkness, therefore, did not comprehend it." Job 36:26: "Behold, God is great, exceeding our knowledge"; Jeremiah 32:19: "Great in counsel and incomprehensible in thought." And this exposition is found in that homily which begins, "The spiritual voice of the eagle." In another way it can be expounded by taking "darkness," according to Augustine, for the natural foolishness of men, which is called darkness. Ecclesiastes 2:13: "I saw that wisdom excels folly as much as light differs from darkness." From this, then, is anyone foolish: that he is deprived of the light of divine wisdom. As, therefore, the minds of the wise are lucid by participation in that divine light and wisdom, so by its privation they are darkness. That some, then, are full of darkness is not from any defect of that light; for, so far as it is of itself, it "shines in the darkness" and irradiates all; but the foolish are deprived of that light because "the darkness did not comprehend it" — that is, did not apprehend it, their foolishness being unable to attain participation in it. Job 36:32: "From the monstrous" — that is, the proud — "he hides the light" — that is, the light of wisdom. Baruch 3:23: "They did not know the way of wisdom, nor did they remember its paths." Yet although some minds are dark — that is, deprived of savory and lucid wisdom — none is so dark that it does not participate in something of the divine light. Because whatever of truth is known by anyone, the whole is from participation in that light which shines in the darkness; for every truth, by whomever it is spoken, is from the Holy Spirit. And yet "the darkness" — that is, dark men — "did not comprehend it" according to truth. So this clause is expounded according to Origen and according to Augustine. In another way, the passage from "and the life was the light of men" is expounded according to the inflowing of grace, by which we are irradiated through Christ; and it is connected thus to what precedes. Above, the Evangelist treated of the creation of things through the Word; here he treats of the restoration of the rational creature accomplished through Christ, saying: "and the life" — of the Word — "was the light of men," in common, and not of the Jews only; because the Son of God came into the world to assume flesh, that he might enlighten all men with grace and truth. John 18:37: "For this I was born, and for this I came, that I might bear witness to the truth." Likewise below, 9:5: "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." And so he does not say "the light of the Jews," because although once he was known only in Judea, afterward he became known to the whole world; Isaiah 49:6: "I have given you for a light to the nations, that you may be salvation to the world unto the end of the earth." Fittingly, too, he joins light and life, saying "and the life was the light of men," to show that these two — light and life — have come to us through Christ: life through participation in grace ("grace and truth came through Jesus Christ," below); light through the knowledge of truth and wisdom. Now what he says, "the light shines in the darkness," can in this exposition be taken in three ways, according as we can take "darkness" in three ways. In one way, for punishment: for any sadness and affliction of heart can be called a certain darkness, as any joy is called light; Micah 7:8: "When I sit in darkness and in affliction, the Lord is my light" — that is, my joy and consolation. Origen says, then: in this sense "the light shines in the darkness," that is, Christ coming into the world and having a passible body without sin, "in the likeness of flesh," according to Romans 8:3. The light in the flesh — namely, the flesh of Christ, insofar as it has in itself the likeness of sinful flesh — is called darkness. As if to say: the light, that is, the Word of God veiled about with the darkness of the flesh, shone into the world, according to Ezekiel 32:7: "I will cover the sun with a cloud." Second, taking "darkness" for the demons, according to Ephesians 6:12: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood only, but against the princes and powers, against the rulers of this darkness of the world." In this sense he says: "the light" — the Son of God — "shines in the darkness," that is, descended into the world where the darkness, the demons, held dominion. Below, 12:31: "The prince of this world shall be cast out." "And the darkness" — the demons — "did not comprehend it," that is, could not obscure him by tempting him, as is clear in Matthew 4. Third, taking "darkness" for the errors or ignorances of which the whole world was full before the coming of Christ, according to what the Apostle says: "you were once darkness." He says, then, that "the light" — the incarnate Word of God — "shines in the darkness," that is, in the men of the world, obscured by the darkness of error and ignorance. Luke 1:79: "To enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death"; Isaiah 9:2: "The people who sat in darkness saw a great light." "And the darkness did not comprehend it," that is, did not overcome it. For however much men — obscured by sins, blinded by envy, darkened by pride — fought against Christ, as is clear from the Gospel, by reproaching him, inflicting injuries and insults, and at last killing him, they nevertheless did not comprehend him, that is, did not overcome him by obscuring him, so as to keep his brightness from shining through the whole world. Wisdom 7:29-30: "Compared with the light, she is found before it: for night succeeds it, but malice does not overcome wisdom" — that is, the incarnate Son of God — namely the malice of the Jews and of heretics; because, as it is said in Wisdom 10:12, "she gave him a strong contest, that he might overcome, and might know that wisdom is mightier than all."”

“In him was life,.... The Persic version reads in the plural number, "lives". There was life in the word with respect to himself; a divine life, the same with the life of the Father and of the Spirit; and is in him, not by gift, nor by derivation or communication; but originally, and independently, and from all eternity: indeed he lived before his incarnation as Mediator, and Redeemer. Job knew him in his time, as his living Redeemer; but this regards him as the word and living God, and distinguishes him from the written word, and shows that he is not a mere idea in the divine mind, but a truly divine person: and there was life in Christ the word, with respect to others; the fountain of natural life is in him, he is the efficient cause, and preserver of it; whether vegetative, animal, or rational; and proves him to be truly God, and that he existed before his incarnation; since creatures, who have received such a life from him, did: and spiritual life was also in him; all his elect are dead in trespasses and sins, and cannot quicken themselves. Christ has procured life for them, and gives it to them, and implants it in them; a life of sanctification is from him; and a life of justification is upon him, and of faith is by him; all the comforts of a spiritual life, and all things appertaining to it, are from him, and he maintains, and preserves it. Eternal life is in him, and with him; not the purpose of it only, nor the promise of it barely, but the gift of it itself; which was granted in consequence of his asking it, and which he had by way of stipulation; and hence has a right and power to bestow it: now, this being in him proves him to be the true God, and shows us where life is to be had, and the safety and security of it: and the life was the light of men; the life which was in, and by the word, was, with respect to men, a life of light, or a life attended with light: by which is meant, not a mere visive faculty, receptive of the sun's light, but rational knowledge and understanding; for when Christ, the word, breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul, he filled him with rational light and knowledge. Adam had a knowledge of God; of his being, and perfections; of the persons in the Trinity; of his relation to God, dependence on him, and obligation to him; of his mind and will; and knew what it was to have communion with him. He knew much of himself, and of all the creatures; this knowledge was natural and perfect in its kind, but loseable; and different from that which saints now have of God, through Christ, the Mediator; and since this natural light was from Christ, the word, as a Creator, he must be the eternal God. The Socinians are not willing to allow this sense, but say that Christ is the light of men, by preaching the heavenly doctrine, and by the example of his holy life; but hereby he did not enlighten every man that cometh into the world; the greatest part of men, before the preaching, and example of Christ, sat in darkness; and the greatest part of the Jews remained in darkness, notwithstanding his preaching, and example; and the patriarchs that were enlightened under the former dispensation, were not enlightened this way: it will be owned, that all spiritual and supernatural light, which any of the sons of men have had, since the fall, was from Christ, from whom they had their spiritual life; even all spiritual light in conversion, and all after degrees of light; through him they enjoyed the light of God's countenance, and had the light of joy and gladness here, and of glory hereafter.”

“In him was life - Many MSS., versions, and fathers, connect this with the preceding verse, thus: All things were made by him, and without him was nothing made. What was made had life in it; but This Life was the light of men. That is, though every thing he made had a principle of life in it, whether vegetable, animal, or intellectual, yet this, that life or animal principle in the human being, was not the light of men; not that light which could guide them to heaven, for the world by wisdom knew not God, Co1 1:21. Therefore, the expression, in him was life, is not to be understood of life natural, but of that life eternal which he revealed to the world, Ti2 1:10, to which he taught the way, Joh 14:6, which he promised to believers, Joh 10:28, which he purchased for them, Joh 6:51, Joh 6:53, Joh 6:54, which he is appointed to give them, Joh 17:2, and to which he will raise them up, Joh 5:29, because he hath the life in himself, Joh 5:26. All this may be proved: 1. From the like expressions; Jo1 5:11, This is the promise that God hath given unto us, eternal life, and this life is in his Son: whence he is styled the true God and eternal life, Jo1 5:20; the resurrection and the life, Joh 11:25; the way, the truth, and the life, Joh 14:6. 2. From these words, Joh 1:7, John came to bear witness of this light, that all might believe through him, viz. to eternal life, Ti1 1:16; for so John witnesseth, Joh 3:15, Joh 3:36. And hence it follows that this life must be the light of men, by giving them the knowledge of this life, and of the way leading to it. See Whitby on the place. Is there any reference here to Gen 3:20 : And Adam called his wife's name Eve, חוה chava, Ζωη, Life, because she was the mother of all living? And was not Jesus that seed of the woman that was to bruise the head of the serpent, and to give life to the world?”

“In him: i.e. in this word, or Son of God, was life; because he gives life to every living creature. Or, as Maldonatus expounds it, because he is the author of grace, which is the spiritual life of our souls. — And the life was the light of men, whether we expound it of a rational soul and understanding, which he gives to all men; or of the spiritual life, and those lights of graces, which he gives to Christians. (Witham)”

“In Him was life--essentially and originally, as the previous verses show to be the meaning. Thus He is the Living Word, or, as He is called in Jo1 1:1-2, "the Word of Life." the life . . . the light of men--All that in men which is true light--knowledge, integrity, intelligent, willing subjection to God, love to Him and to their fellow creatures, wisdom, purity, holy joy, rational happiness--all this "light of men" has its fountain in the essential original "life" of "the Word" (Jo1 1:5-7; Psa 36:9).”