Loading…
VRSZ
This sets the art on your cards and whose commentary you read on each verse. You can change it later in settings.
Translation
Loading…
What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"He was not that Light." Now if he did not introduce this as setting himself against this suspicion, then the expression is absolutely superfluous, and tautology rather than elucidation of his teaching. For why, after having said that he "was sent to bear witness of that Light," does he again say, "He was not that Light"? …
Cyril of Alexandria
The Baptist having esteemed desert-abodes above the haunts of the cities, and having shown forth an unwonted persistence in exercise of virtue, and having mounted to the very summit of the righteousness attainable by man, was most rightly wondered at, and even by some imagined to be Christ Himself. And indeed the rulers of the Jews led by his achievements in virtue to some such notion, send some to him bidding them to inquire if he be the Christ. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Since it often happens that a witness is greater than the one about whom he testifies, lest you think that John, who testifies about Christ, was also greater than Him, the Evangelist, in refutation of this wicked thought, says: "he was not the Light." But perhaps someone will say: "Can we not call John, or any other of the saints, light?" We can call each of the saints a light, but the Light, in this sense, we cannot call them. For example, if someone asks you: "Is John a light?" — agree. …
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
He recognized himself: deservedly the Lord called him a lamp. The Lord said this about John: He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But what does the evangelist John say about him? There was a man sent from God, whose name was John: he came as a witness to bear witness about the light; he was not the light. Who? John the Baptist. Who says this? John the Evangelist: He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. …
Thomas Aquinas
Now although John, of whom so much has been said, even including that he was sent by God, is an eminent person, his coming is not sufficient to save men, because the salvation of man lies in participating in the light. If John had been the light, his coming would have sufficed to save men; but he was not the light. So he says, he was not the light. Consequently, a light was needed that would suffice to save men. Or, we could look at it another way. John came to bear witness to the light. …
Bonaventure
"He was not that light," in which one must believe; "but that he might bear testimony concerning the light": which indeed he did; below in chapter 5: "You sent to John, and he bore testimony to the truth." It is asked concerning what he says: "He was not the light." On the contrary: Ephesians 5: "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord": therefore all the good are light. The Gloss responds that there is a light that illuminates and a light that is illuminated. …
Translation