Lesson 2: John 1:6-9
John 1:6-9
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
Background Information
You will notice several words in italics in our study text. These words are not being emphasized. All English Bibles are translated from the ancient languages in which the Bible was written. Occasionally, translators need to add words to make the meaning clear in the new language. In the translation used in this study, such words are printed in italics. For instance, the word men in verse 7 isn’t part of the original New Testament. The word all, meaning everyone, is. When the King James Bible was translated 300 years ago, the word men (used in a generic sense for all humans) seemed to be necessary for the flow of the language. Hence this italicized word. The Greek language, which John was written in, also used the word man generically for people of both genders as you can see in the phrase “every man” in verse 9.
“John” in these verses refers to John the Baptist rather than the author of the book. You will be interested to learn that John the Baptist was a cousin of Jesus Christ.
As you study the Gospel of John, pay attention to the use of the word “light.” Here “light” has a spiritual meaning that is deep enough to provide much food for thought.
Related Scriptures
Luke 1:1-80 (Recommended for additional biographical information on John the Baptist and Jesus)
John 3:17-21
Ephesians 5:8-14
1 Timothy 6:14-16
1 John 1:5-10
Questions
From the last lesson: a. What does John 1:4 say was in Jesus Christ? b. What is that life said to be for human beings?
From the verses we’ve seen so far, Who is the “Light”?
In this lesson, who is the man sent by God?
What is John’s relationship to the Light?
To what people is Jesus the Light?
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