Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 John 1:5

"And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." — 1 John 1:5 (ASV)

John begins his exposition by referring to the message heard from Jesus. His allusion is probably not to a specific word of Jesus but to Jesus himself as the Son in whose life and death the Father manifested himself. As in vv.1–4, in contrast to the false teachers he opposes, the author shows the authority that lies behind his own apostolic witness. The message that “God is light” needs to be compared with declarations elsewhere by John that “God is spirit” and “God is love” . All three stress the immateriality of God and the “Godness” of God—i.e., God in his essence. Light emphasizes especially the splendor and glory of God, the truthfulness of God, and his purity. Certain OT ideas dominate the Christian concept of “light” as a description of God. Light stresses the self-communicative nature of God and the action of God for human beings and for their salvation. The psalmist catches this with such utterances as “In your light we see light” (Psalms 36:9) or “The LORD is my light and my salvation” (Psalms 27:1). John expounds this in vv.5–7 (cf. Jn 1:9). Light also accents God’s empowering activity in our lives. God as light not only shines downward for our salvation but enables us to walk in the light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (cf. also 12:35). John encourages his readers to walk in the light (v.7; cf. Ephesians 5:8–14). Light, then, is the presence of God’s grace. God’s light also has the character of a demand. That is certainly the meaning here in vv.5–6. If people turn from the light or love darkness rather than light, it is because their deeds are evil . In the world of first-century religious thought, the word “light” described ultimate realities. But there the weight was on the metaphysical implications. John is far removed from that type of speculation. He is concerned with the goodness of God and also the goodness of the human race. The latter part of v.5 is a negative corollary emphasizing the statement that God is light. As darkness has no place in God, so all that is of the darkness is excluded from having fellowship with God. This idea stands out as the author now discusses the behavior pattern of his opponents.