Homilies on the Gospel of John

“You bear record of yourself, your record is not true.”

Alas! For their folly, He continually referred them to the Scriptures, and now they say, “You bear record of yourself.” What was the record He bare? “I am the light of the world.” 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 calls Himself “a light.” They indeed desired to disprove this also, and yet this was a much greater thing than to say,

“He that follows Me, shall not walk in darkness.”

Using the words “light” and “darkness” in a spiritual sense, and meaning thereby “abides not in error.” In this place He draws on Nicodemus, and brings him in as having spoken very boldly, and praises the servants who had also done so. For to “cry aloud,” is the act of one desirous to cause that they also should hear. At the same time He hints at these who were secretly contriving treacheries, being both in darkness and error, but that they should not prevail over the light. And He reminds Nicodemus of the words which He had uttered before, “Every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” For since they had asserted that none of the rulers had believed on Him, therefore He says, that “he that does evil comes not to the light,” to show that their not having come proceeds not from the weakness of the light, but from their own perverse will.

“They answered and said unto Him, Do you bear witness to yourself?”

What then says He?