Tractates on the Gospel of John

¹⁰ I may perhaps declare that matter more plainly still. One lights a candle: that candle, for example, so far as regards the little flame which shines there— that fire has light in itself; but your eyes, which lay idle and saw nothing, in the absence of the candle, now have light also, but not in themselves. Further, if they turn away from the candle, they are made dark; if they turn to it, they are illumined. But certainly that fire shines so long as it exists: if you would take the light from it, you also at the same time extinguish it; for without the light it cannot remain.

But Christ is light inextinguishable and co-eternal with the Father, always bright, always shining, always burning: for if He were not burning, would it be said in the psalm, “Nor is there any that can hide himself from his heat?” But you were cold in your sin; you turn that you may become warm; if you will turn away, you will become cold. In your sin you were dark; you turn in order to be enlightened; if you turn away, you will become dark. Therefore, because in yourself you were darkness, when you shall be enlightened, you will be light, though in the light.

For says the apostle, “You were once darkness, but now light in the Lord.” When he had said, “but now light,” he added, “in the Lord.” Therefore in yourself darkness, “light in the Lord.” In what way “light”? Because by participation of that light you are light. But if you will depart from the light by which you are enlightened, you return to your darkness. Not so Christ, not so the Word of God. But how not? “As the Father has life in Himself, so has He given also to the Son to have life in Himself;” so that He lives, not by participation, but unchangeably, and is altogether Himself life.

“So has He given also to the Son to have life.” Even as He has, so has He given. What is the difference? For the one gave, the other received. Was He already in being when He received? Are we to understand that Christ was at any time in being without light, when Himself is the wisdom of the Father, of which it is said, “It is the brightness of the eternal light?” Therefore what is said, “gave to the Son,” is such as if it were said, “begot the Son;” for by begetting He gave. As He gave Him to be, so He gave Him to be life, so also gave Him to be life in Himself.

What is that, to be life in Himself? Not to need life from elsewhere, but to be Himself the plenitude of life, out of which others believing should have life while they lived. “Hath given Him,” then, “to have life in Himself.” Hath given as to whom? As to His own Word, as to Him who “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.”