Koine Foundations

This is the message that we have heard from ˹Jesus Christ˺ and make known to you: God is light. There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever! (1 John 1:5)

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Word Focus
God is light
ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν
ho theos phōs estin
<Hear It>

The New Testament book named First John is a letter written by the Apostle John probably to churches in or around the city of Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). John pastored the churches in the area of Ephesus in his later years.

According to historical tradition, John moved from Jerusalem to Ephesus some time before the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD 70. As a side note, it is believed that he took Mary, the mother of Jesus, with him. John had been entrusted to take care of Mary by Jesus when He was crucified.

The book of First John was probably written in the late 80’s AD or the early 90’s AD. John was around 80 years old at the time. From what he writes in the letter, it appears that a crisis was disrupting the churches. Some of the members were teaching a new theology and a new morality that was contrary to the Good News taught by Jesus. Though these members had left the churches, their false teachings were causing uncertainty and doubt among the remaining members. Perhaps those that had left were still in contact with their former church friends and were trying to persuade them to follow their beliefs.

In response, John wrote a pastoral letter, not to attack the troublemakers, but to encourage and reassure the flock he cared for, that what they believed was the truth handed down from Jesus Christ. What he wrote had authority because he was an eyewitness to the life and teaching of Jesus. His letter, now called First John, focused on living righteously, loving others, and having correct beliefs about Jesus Christ.

John begins his letter with a prologue in verses 1:1 to 1:4 and then makes a theme statement in 1:5 regarding what he heard directly from Jesus Christ:

This is the message that we have heard from ˹Jesus Christ˺* and make known to you: God is light. There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!

This is a statement about the nature of God that dominates the letter. John will use its implications to counter the teachings of the troublemakers and make ethical applications for his church members to live by.

“we” refers to John and other eyewitness to what Jesus said and did. What John reports is based on what he actually heard from the historical person of Jesus Christ, as opposed to the made up theology of the troublemakers.

The heart of what he reports is that “God is light“. This is a statement about the nature of God (God is holy) and a basis for ethical living (God shows us how to live). If God is light, then those who believe in Him will live their lives in a way that reflects His character – light, i.e., holiness. This is a proper response to who God is. Living in darkness, the opposite of living in the light, is incompatible with fellowship with God.

Note several things about the phrase “God is light“:

• Light is a qualitative description of God – Light is God’s essence or nature, not an identification of God. The focus is on the quality of God: “God is light” not “God is the light”. Light symbolizes God’s flawless perfection.
• This is not a convertible phrase – “God is light” but not “Light is God”. It is not making some kind of pantheistic statement.

That God is light has moral implications for us:

• Because God is light, His character provides the basis for ethical living and defines the moral standards for human conduct.
• Because God is light, those who believe in Him will reflect His character of holiness in their lives, or as John says later in his letter, they will “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).

To emphasize his point that “God is light“, John restates the phrase negatively:

There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!

John uses a strong double negative in Greek (“no”…”none” / οὐκ…οὐδεμία / ouk…oudemia) to strengthen the force of the negative and emphasize the complete absence of darkness in God. There is absolutely nothing unholy in God’s character.

*Where my translation reads “from Jesus Christ“, the Greek is literally “from him” (ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ / ap’ autou). The name “Jesus Christ” has been substituted for “him” in my translation to clarify who is being referred to by “him“. Substitution is indicated by the brackets (˹˺).

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Word Focus Lexicon

Lexical Form: ὁ θεός θεοῦ <Hear It>
Gloss: God, god
Part of Speech: Second Declension Masculine Noun
New Testament Frequency: 1317
English Derivative: theology, atheism
Strong’s Number: G2316 (Link to Blue Letter Bible Lexicon)

Lexical Form: τὸ φῶς φωτός <Hear It>
Gloss: light
Part of Speech: Third Declension Neuter Noun
New Testament Frequency: 73
English Derivative: photon, photography, phosphorus
Strong’s Number: G5457 (Link to Blue Letter Bible Lexicon)

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Bibliography

Barker, Glenn W. 1 John, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 12. The Zondervan Corporation. 1981.
Bruce, F.F. The Gospel & Epistles of John. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1983.
Carson, D.A. & Moo, Douglas J. An Introduction to the New Testament. Zondervan. 1992, 2005.
Danker, Frederick William (Editor). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, Third Edition (BDAG). The University of Chicago Press. 2000.
Houlden, J.L. A Commentary on the Johannine Epistles, Harper’s New Testament Commentaries. Hendrickson Publishers. 1973.
Jobes, Karen H. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament – 1, 2, & 3 John. Zondervan Academic. 2014.
Kruse, Colin G. The Letters of John, The Pillar New Testament Commentary. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2020.
Marshall, I. Howard. The Epistles of John, The New International Commentary on the New Testament. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1978.
Smith, David. The Expositors Greek Testament, Volume V. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 1990.
Yarbrough, Robert W. 1-3 John, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Baker Academic. 2008.

Unless otherwise noted, English translations of Bible verses are by the author from the Greek text and are not quotations from any copyrighted Bible version or translation.