The Forth Gospel is generally considered to have been written by the John the Apostle who is

mostly referred to as the ‘loved disciple’. The tradition claims that the ‘Loved disciple’ is John the

Apostle who lived and worked with Christ Himself while on earth. Others claim that the author of

the Gospel was the eyewitness of the earthly ministry of Jesus. John's Gospel is generally

considered to be the last of the four canonical Gospels to be written and it is dated around AD 90-

100, though some scholars have dated it much earlier. George W. MacRae in his book Invitation to

John illustrates that “the forth Gospel indicates that the ‘disciple Jesus loved’ who figured

prominently in the second half, was responsible for this Gospel, but even he is anonymous.” 1

Taking into consideration the above facts, in this paper we shall deal with one of the main themes in

the Forth Gospel (Word and Light). We shall start by giving a short background of the Gospel and

then the theme of the WORD and LIGHT will follow and finally the conclusion will take place.

Some interpreters believe that the Forth Gospel has its background in Gnosticism. That view

contributed to the delay to accept the Gospel as a canonical one. We cannot deny the fact that the

Fourth Gospel has been influenced somehow by the Gnostics, since one can easily distinguish some

kind of religious language that later was recognized as characteristically Gnostic. Some

commentators such as Raymond E. Brown claim that “the Gospel was written first in Greek and in

it, the author used a number of techniques from contemporary classical literature.”2 In regard to this,

MacRae emphasizes that “his choice of symbols and images seems often to be based on universal

appeal to Christians of either Jewish or Gentile background.” 3 So, MacRae continues explaining

that “to understand the fourth Gospel we must not try to harmonize it with the others. We must let

its own voice speak with all its strangeness.”4 So the Gospel of John is seen as a stranger Gospel

because of its way of expressing the message to its audience. For many years interpreters have

1
George W. MacRae, Invitation to John: A commentary in the Gospel of John with complete text from Jerusalem
Bible, (New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1978) 16
2
Raymond E. Brown, Ed., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, (Bangalore: Theological Publication in India,
1995) 978.
3
MacRae, 22.
4
MacRae, 15.
1
debated whether it could be counted as a canonical Gospel; reason why it took many years to be

accepted in the cannon because no similarity with the synoptics was being seen in it. This made

some of the scholars to question the sources that have been used to compose the Gospel, whether

the author used the same traditions about Jesus in the oral or written form which the other

evangelists used. According to Barclay,

The Fourth Gospel, has no account of the Birth of Jesus, of His

baptism, his temptations, it tells us nothing of the last supper, nothing
of Gethsemane, and nothing of ascension. It has no word of the
healing of any people possessed by devils and evil spirits. And
perhaps most surprising of all, it has none of the parables stories Jesus
told which are so priceless a part of other three gospels.5

As it is well stated in the introduction that in the Fourth Gospel Jesus is seen as the Light of

the world, it is necessary keep in mind that for John there was darkness in the world even before the

light was sent into the world. When John speaks of light, he refers to Jesus possessing infinite truth

and holiness. This Light, produces in men the opposite of evil, and makes men to shine in the Light

of God.

As it is well known, darkness is hostile to light. Light and darkness cannot be together at the same

place, since the light shines in the darkness, but however hard the darkness tries, it cannot overcome

it. Since Human beings always fall into sin, and as we know, sin is in darkness and by its nature it

detests light, humans tend to be shy in light. With regard to this point, Barclay adds that “the

darkness stands for natural sphere of all those who hate life. It is men whose deeds are evil who fear

the light. The man who has something to hide loves the dark but it is impossible to hide something

from God.”6

1. THE THEME OF THE WORD IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL

5
William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John, vol. 1, Chapters 1-7, (Edinburg: The saint Andrew
Press, 1975) 55.
6
Barclay, 47.
2
The theme of the WORD is one of the first themes to be presented in the Fourth Gospel. Just in the

Prologue we come across a mystical reflection on the Divinity and Incarnation of Jesus Christ, the

Word which was made Flesh. This Prologue is one of the most significant theological passages in

the New Testament and is often found in anthologies of world literature, for it is truly poetic and

profound in nature. For us to understand this profound nature of the Word we need to get clear that

the Word is presented as an eternal identity that was presented in the genesis of existence. That is

the reason why the Evangelist writes: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made;

without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all

mankind.” (John 1: 1-4)

As we can see, the prologue begins and ends in eternity, which effectively emphasizes the Word

entering time and history through the Incarnation. The evangelist John identifies Jesus as the

“logos” - λóγος, which translated literally means ‘the Word or reason’. In philosophy the same

concept, according to Raymond Brown, is taken as “God's unifying principle for all of creation.” 7

The first verse of chapter one, shows some similarities with Genesis 1:1, since both of them refer to

the same time "in the beginning;" which shows that the Word was with God from the beginning.

The Word who was God, existed before any act of creation, and in that existence was a person

distinct from God and was one in nature with God. Since we are the children of God, and His love

is unconditional, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, as the Word becoming Flesh had to take place

(verse 14). In the following verse, we see John the Baptist, referring to the Incarnation of the Son

and recognizing the pre-existence of the Son when he specifies "The one after me coming before

me has become, for He was before me." This shows that the Word was with God making part of the

Holy Trinity even in creation.

2. THE THEME OF LIGHT IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL

7
Raymond E. Brown, trans., The Gospel According to John: I-V The Anchor Bible, (London: Geoffrey Chapman,
1971) 8.
3
In Chapter 1:4-9, John portrays Jesus as being the light of men and demonstrates that the darkness

does not understand the light. Though the Evangelist in (v.6-8) introduces John the Baptist as a man

sent from God, to the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming into the world (v. 9-13). John

the Baptist was not the Light, but he was sent to bear witness of the light in order that men would

believe through him. Jesus Himself in the third chapter 19-21, states that “the light has come into

the world, but men have loved the darkness instead of the light because their works were evil.”

Jesus calls Himself the ‘Light of the World’ in chapter 8:12; 9:5. So, Barclay claims that “since

Christ Himself is the Light of the World, the function of John the Baptist was to point men to that

Light which was Christ”8 The light that Jesus brings into the world is the light which gives puts

chaos to fight. In the book of Genesis we read that, God moved upon the dark, formless, chaos

which was before the world began and said: “let there be light” (Gn1;3). For John, Jesus is “the

light of humanity” (John 1:4). This means that He is the Light that can save life from becoming

chaotic; for the light which Jesus brings into the world is something which shows things as they

really are. Without Light, we never see what our lives are like, until we see them in the Light of

Jesus. This is to show that the light which Jesus brings is a guiding light. If men do not possess that

Light, they walk in darkness and will not know where they will be heading to. But if a man receives

that Light and abides in it, he lives no more in darkness. Barclay emphasizes:

When Jesus comes into life, the time of guessing and groping is
ended, the time of doubt and uncertainty and vacillation is gone. The
path that was dark becomes light; the decision that was wrapped in a
night of uncertainty is illumed. Without Jesus we are like men groping
on an unknown road in the black-out. With him the way is clear.9

The Word of God (who is Jesus) is the spiritual Light that brings safety and life into our world of

darkness (John 1:4). By Jesus coming into the world, his light has shone into the darkness; and

wherever His light has reached, there the darkness has irresistibly been overcome (John 1:5). Jesus

has shone in the world in order to enlighten people, regardless of nationality. He has “come as a
8
Barclay, 45.
9
Barclay, 46.
4
light into the world, in order that everyone who believes in him might not abide in the darkness”

(John 12:46). Following Jesus and His teaching is to avoid “walking in the darkness,” and results in

a person experiencing “the light of life”. In John 12:36 we read: "While you have the Light, believe

in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light”. This is because Jesus (the Son of God) is the

Word; life is in Him, and He is the Light of men. Therefore, we are cleansed by His blood when we

practice the truth, and walk in the Light having fellowship with God.

In declaring Himself to be the Light of the world, Jesus was claiming that He is the

exclusive source of spiritual light. No other source of spiritual truth would be available to mankind.

John 8:12 records that “When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, ‘I am the Light of the

World. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but have the light of life.’” So, following

Jesus is the condition of two promises in John 8:12. First, His followers will never walk in

darkness, which is a reference to the assurance of salvation we enjoy. As true followers of the Light,

we will never follow the ways of sin, never live in a state of continually sinning (1 John 1:5–7).

Rather, we repent of our sin in order to stay close to the Light of the world.

In summary, we can state that the themes of Word and Light are both introduced in the

prologue and they recur throughout the Gospel of John with variations. When John speaks of Light,

he refers to Jesus possessing infinite truth and holiness. This Light, produces in men the opposite of

evil, and makes men to shine in the Light of God. The Word who was God, existed before any act of

creation, and in that existence was a person distinct from God and was one in nature with God.

Bibliography

Brown, Raymond E. Ed. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Bangalore: Theological
Publication in India, 1995.

Brown, Raymond E. Trans. The Gospel According to John: I-V The Anchor Bible. London:
Geoffrey Chapman, 1971.

Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of John. vol. 1, Chapters 1-7. Edinburg: The
saint Andrew Press, 1975.
5
MacRae, George W. Invitation to John: A commentary in the Gospel of John with complete text
from Jerusalem Bible. New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1978.