I Am the Light of the World

John 8:12–30 · Journey to Jerusalem

Scripture

John 8:12–30

hen spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. ¹³The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. ¹⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. ¹⁵Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. ¹⁶And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. ¹⁷It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. ¹⁸I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. ¹⁹Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. ²⁰These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. ²¹Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. ²²Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. ²³And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. ²⁴I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins. ²⁵Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning. ²⁶I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him. ²⁷They understood not that he spake to them of the Father. ²⁸Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. ²⁹And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. ³⁰As he spake these words, many believed on him.

King James Version · public domain

Joani 8:12–30

isuj pra përsëri u foli atyre, dyke thënë, Unë jam drit’ e botësë; ay që më vjen pas, nukë dot’ ecënjë nd’errësirët, po dotë ketë dritën’ e jetësë. ¹³Farisenjtë pra i thanë, Ti dëshmon për vetëhenë t’ënde; dëshmimi yt nuk’ ësht’ i-vërtetë. ¹⁴Jisuj upërgjeq e u tha atyre, Edhe ndë dëshmofsha unë për vetëhenë t’ime, dëshmimi im ësht’ i-vërtetë, sepse e di nga erdha, e ku vete; po ju s’e dini nga erdha, e ku vete. ¹⁵Ju gjykoni pas mishit; unë nukë gjykonj asnjeri. ¹⁶Po edhe ndë gjukofsha unë, gjyqi im ësht’ i-vërtetë; sepse nukë jam vetëmë, po unë edhe Ati që më dërgoj. ¹⁷Edhe ndë nomt t’uaj është shkruarë, Se dëshmimi i dy njerësve ësht’ i-vërtetë. ¹⁸Unë jam ay që dëshmonj për vetëhenë t’ime, edhe Ati që më dërgoj dëshmon për mua. ¹⁹I thoshinë pra, Ku është yt Atë? Jisuj upërgjeq, As mua s’më dini, as t’im Atë; po të më dinitë mua, dotë dinit’ edhe t’im Atë. ²⁰Këto fjalë i foli Jisuj ndë vëntt të thesarit, dyke mësuarë ndë hieroret; edhe asndonjë nuk’ e zuri, sepse edhe s’i kishte ardhur’ ora. ²¹Jisuj pra përsëri u tha atyre, Unë po vete, edhe dotë më kërkoni, edhe dotë vdisni ndë fajt t’uaj. Ku vete unë, ju nukë munt të vini. ²²Judhenjtë pra thoshinë, Mos dotë vrasë vetëhen e ti, e përandaj thotë, Atje ku vete unë, ju s’munt të vini? ²³Edhe ay u tha atyre, Ju jeni prej atyre që janë poshtë, unë jam prej atyre që janë lart. Ju jeni prej kësaj bote; unë nuk jam prej kësaj bote. ²⁴U thashë pra juve, se dotë vdisni ndë fajet t’uaj; sepse ndë mos besofshi se unë jam, dotë vdisni ndë fajet t’uaj. ²⁵I thoshinë pra, Cili je ti? Edhe Jisuj u tha atyre, Unë jam ay që u thashë juve që ndë kryet. ²⁶Shumë kam për të thënë, e për të gjykuarë për ju; po ay që më dërgoj ësht’ i-vërtetë; edhe unë sa dëgjova prej ati, këto i them botësë. - ²⁷Nukë kupëtuanë, se u thoshte për Atinë. ²⁸Jisuj pra u tha atyre, Kur të ngrini lart të Birin’ e njeriut, atëhere dotë njihni se unë jam, edhe nukë bënj asgjë prej vetëhesë s’ime, po sikundrë më mësoj im Atë, këto flas. ²⁹Edhe ay që më dërgoj është bashkë me mua; Ati nukë më la vetëmë; sepse unë bënj përherë ato që i pëlqenjënë. ³⁰Ay tek ishte dyke folurë këto, shumë veta i besuanë.

Kristoforidhi, Dhiata e Re Toskërisht 1879 · zotërim publik

In their own words

The Lord Christ is not the sun that was made, but He by whom the sun was made.
Blessed Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John, Tractate 34 (on John 8:12)

I Am the Light of the World (John 8:12–30)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homilies LII–LIII (on John 8:12–28) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.liv.html

On "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), from Homily LII:

A great thing to say, great of a truth, but it did not greatly amaze them, because He did not now make Himself equal to the Father, nor assert that He was His Son, nor that He was God, but for a while calleth Himself "a light."

On "When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he" (John 8:28), from Homily LIII:

Do ye not expect that ye then shall certainly rid yourselves of Me, and slay Me? But I tell you that then ye shall most know that I Am, by reason of the miracles, the resurrection, and the destruction (of Jerusalem). For all these things were sufficient to manifest His power.

St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book V (on John 8:12) Source: trans. P. E. Pusey, Library of Fathers, 1874. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_05_book5.htm

On the darkness that must fall on those who do not have the inward Light:

And no marvel: for He is not in you Who revealeth mysteries and illumineth the whole world, and like a sun shineth into the hearts of them that receive Him. And needs must he who has not within him the Divine and spiritual Light surely walk in darkness and stumble on many absurdities therefrom.

On "the light of the world" as the Light of all mankind, not of Israel only:

But we must note again that He says that He is the Light not specially or solely of them of Israel, but of all the world. And herein He tells a thing most true: for He says that He it is Who infused into all the nature the light of understanding, and like some deposit of seed sowed the understanding befitting man in every one who is called into being, according to what is said of Him, He was the Very Light Which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1055–1107)

Explanation of the Gospel of John (on John 8:12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On "I am the light of the world" against those who divide the Son of God from the man:

You may bring these words against Nestorius: for our Lord does not say, In Me is the light of the world, but, I am the Light of the world: He who appeared man, was both the Son of God, and the Light of the world; not, as Nestorius fondly holds, the Son of God dwelling in a mere man.

Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractate XXXIV (on John 8:12) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.xxxv.html

On the Light by which the sun itself was made:

The Lord Christ is not the sun that was made, but He by whom the sun was made. ... There is therefore a Light which made this light of the sun: let us love this Light, let us long to understand it, let us thirst for the same; that, with itself for our guide, we may at length come to it, and that we may so live in it that we may never die.

On "he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness", from the eyes of the flesh to the eyes of the heart:

That unfailing Light, the Light of wisdom, speaking through the cloud of the flesh, says to men, ... How He has withdrawn thee from the eyes of the flesh, and recalled thee to the eyes of the heart!

St. Bede the Venerable (c. 673–735)

Homilies on the Gospels (on John 8:12) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on John. Public domain. Full text: https://isidore.co/aquinas/english/CAJohn.htm

On why He calls Himself the Light of the world, and not of Angels or of heaven:

Where it is to be observed, He does not say, I am the light of Angels, or of heaven, but the Light of the world, i.e. of mankind who live in darkness, as we read, To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death.

Patristic sources

St. John Chrysostom
- Homilies on John, Hom. 52
- Homilies on John, Hom. 53
St. Cyril of Alexandria
- Commentary on John, Book V
Theophylact of Ohrid
- Explanation of John
His Gospel exegesis survives in public-domain English only through the Catena Aurea.
Blessed Augustine of Hippo
- Tractates on John, Tractate 34
Venerated in the East as Blessed; his Johannine tractates are cited in later Byzantine catenae.
St. Bede the Venerable
- Homilies on the Gospels
His Gospel material is preserved in public-domain English only through the Catena Aurea.

Read the sources: Chrysostom on John, Homily LII (CCEL) · Chrysostom on John, Homily LIII (CCEL) · Cyril on John, Book V (tertullian.org) · Augustine, Tractate 34 on John (CCEL) · Catena Aurea on John (isidore.co)