walkingthroughthebibleJohn 1:5:  The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

This verse concludes the initial intro to the Gospel of John.  These first five verses fit quite nicely together, setting up the rest of the chapter.  All five deal greatly with the deity of Christ, but also with role of Christ as the true light.  And yet, as I alluded to in my prior post, this verse now tells us that the “darkness has not understood” the light.  I think there are a couple of interpretations here and at this point, I cannot be dogmatic.  The two main options are the one above where the darkness did not understand or comprehend.  However, some interpretations use the word “overcome.”  This would seem to mean something else entirely.  So, let’s look at the actual Greek word:

Katalambano

Definition

  1. to lay hold of
    1. to lay hold of so as to make one’s own, to obtain, attain to, to make one’s own, to take into one’s self, appropriate
    2. to seize upon, take possession of
      1. of evils overtaking one, of the last day overtaking the wicked with destruction, of a demon about to torment one
      2. in a good sense, of Christ by his holy power and influence laying hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it
    3. to detect, catch
    4. to lay hold of with the mind
      1. to understand, perceive, learn, comprehend

Clearly, this is a much more versatile word that we are used to dealing with.  It is used in Mark 9:18 to describe a demon “seizing” a person.  It is used in Romans 9:30 in saying regarding the gentiles that they have “attained” righteousness.  I am by far and away a novice when it comes to Greek, but I rather think the first interpretation does more justice to what is being communicated.  It fits into the other verses that we have already discussed and makes sense.  Jesus comes into the world as the one true light, but is rejected because so many did not comprehend the truth.  And in fact, I rather like the overarching definition of laying hold of.  You might say that we did not lay hold of the truth (the light).

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Walking through the Bible is a verse by verse study of the Bible. A small segment of verses will be looked at each time and a brief, but relevant study of the text will be conducted.

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