Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 1:7
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] through him might believe.
7. for a witness ] Better, for witness, i.e. to bear witness, not to be a witness: what follows shews the meaning. The word ‘witness’ and ‘to bear witness’ are very frequent in S. John’s writings, and this frequency should be marked by retaining the same translation throughout: testimony to the truth is one of his favourite thoughts.
through him ] i.e. through the Baptist, the Herald of the Truth. Comp. Joh 5:33; Act 10:37; Act 13:24.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For a witness – To give testimony. He came to prepare the minds of the people to receive him Matt. 3; Luke 3; to lead them by repentance to God; and to point out the Messiah to Israel when he came, Joh 1:31.
Of the Light – That is, of the Messiah. Compare Isa 60:1.
That all men … – It was the object of Johns testimony that all people might believe. He designed to prepare them for it; to announce that the Messiah was about to come, to direct the minds of men to him, and thus to prepare them to believe on him when he came. Thus, he baptized them, saying That they should believe on him who should come after him Act 19:4, and thus he produced a very general expectation that the Messiah was about to come. The testimony of John was especially valuable on the following accounts:
- It was made when he had no personal acquaintance with Jesus of Nazareth, and of course there could have been no collusion or agreement to deceive them, Joh 1:31.
- It was sufficiently long before he came to excite general attention, and to fix the mind on it.
- It was that of a man acknowledged by all to be a prophet of God – for all men held John to be a prophet, Mat 21:26.
- It was for the express purpose of declaring beforehand that he was about to appear.
- It was disinterested.
He was himself extremely popular. Many were disposed to receive him as the Messiah. It was evidently in his power to form a large party, and to be regarded extensively as the Christ. This was the highest honor to which a Jew could aspire; and it shows the value of Johns testimony, that he was willing to lay all his honors at the feet of Jesus, and to acknowledge that he was unworthy to perform for him the office of the humblest servant, Mat 3:11.
Through him – Through John, or by means of his testimony.
Was not that Light – Was not the Messiah. This is an explicit declaration designed to satisfy the disciples of John. The evidence that he was not the Messiah he states in the following verses.
From the conduct of John here we may learn,
- The duty of laying all our honors at the feet of Jesus.
- As John came that all might believe, so it is no less true of the ministry of Jesus himself. He came for a similar purpose, and we may all, therefore, trust in him for salvation.
- We should not rely too much on ministers of the gospel. They cannot save us any more than John could; and their office, as his was, is simply to direct people to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Joh 1:7
The same came for a witness.
A witness is wanted in the period of ignorance and darkness. Such a witness is the moon, which reflects a borrowed portion of light from the sun, and so assures us of him; but when the sun itself arises, himself becomes invisible, and as not existing. His borrowed light also is temporary and changeable. It waxes and wanes, and is sometimes full, and round, and perfect almost as the sun himself; at other times it diminishes and decays, and dies away till it is invisible. So the prophets had the Holy Spirit by time and by measure; and sometimes they were bright and luminous, and shone, as it were, with a celestial and perfect brightness; but then at other times, again, the Spirit in them declined and departed, and left them only the dark lump, waiting till its office should again return, of reflecting some greater or less portion of the suns own proper rays, and invisible till illuminated. But when the sun itself arose upon the world, this should be the sign of him. The light by which he shone should be his own; and should be in himself, and inherent in him. When the Spirit of God should descend upon him; when the hitherto unembodied light should find this rest, and take this place and station–the embodied Sun of Righteousness, and the light and life, the Divinity itself should be incarnate–then, this Spirit of God, the Godhead itself so united to man, should be the sign of the expected Messiah and the witness himself become extinct, in this the last triumphant exercise of his office and witness, (S. R. Bosanquet.)
The witness of the light
Does the light then need that witness should be borne to it? Is not light its own evidence? Yes, if men have eyes to see; but because they lay in the darkness and slumber of sin, it was necessary to arouse them, and to give testimony to the true light, distinguishing it from all false lights that could only lure to death. In an obvious sense, the law and the prophets formed a great system of witness to the coming One Act 10:43; Rom 3:21-22); but it required completing, and Johns ministry was the completion of it–the grand close of the prophetic symphony. The morning star, days harbinger, bears witness of the sun, by shining in his light; and so also does the mountain top, kindled with the first rays of morning, to the dwellers in the deep valley beneath, or the far-stretching plain. But Johns testimony went beyond even this: he not merely preceded the Messiah, closing the prophetic line, but, having first aroused the nation by that cry, Repent, he actually introduced and named Him to Israel. (J. Culross, D. D.)
The force of testimony
Testimony is like an arrow shot from a longbow; the force of it depends on the strength of the hand that draws it. Argument is like an arrow from a cross-bow, which has equal force though shot by a child. (Lord Bacon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 7. That all men through him might believe.] He testified that Jesus was the true light-the true teacher of the way to the kingdom of glory, and the lamb or sacrifice of God, which was to bear away the sin of the world, Joh 1:29, and invited men to believe in him for the remission of their sins, that they might receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, Joh 1:32-34. This was bearing the most direct witness to the light which was now shining in the dark wilderness of Judea; and, from thence, shortly to be diffused over the whole world.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The same came for a witness: John was called a messenger to denote his authority; a witness, to denote his work, which is the work of every true minister of the gospel. John was the first witness, and witnessed a thing wholly unknown (before him) to the generality of the world; for though the shepherds, and Simeon, and Anna, had given some testimony to Christ, when he was born, and brought into the temple to be offered to the Lord, yet that was thirty years since, and generally forgot; neither could they bear a testimony to him as an actual minister of the gospel. The apostles were to be witnesses to Christ, Act 1:8; witnesses of his resurrection, Act 1:22; 4:33; 5:32; 10:41; 13:31. All the prophets bare witness to him, that whosoever believeth in his name should be saved, Act 10:43. So did John also; and John further pointed to him passing by, and witnessed that it was he of whom the prophets spake. So that the apostles, and so following ministers, were and are greater witnesses than John the Baptist. The prophets witnessed that he should come, John Baptist witnessed that he should come; the apostles witnessed that he was not only come, but had died, and was again risen from the dead.
To bear witness of the Light; for Johns office was to give a testimony to Christ the true Light, mentioned before; so called, because he maketh manifest, Eph 5:13. He revealeth his Father, Mat 11:27. He is the brightness of his Fathers glory, Heb 1:3, who is light, 1Jo 1:5, and the world is by him enlightened. It was prophesied of his times, Isa 11:9, that the earth should be full of the knowledge of the Lord. That all men through him might believe; the end of Johns testimony was, that multitudes of all sorts might believe by him, or by it, as an instrumental cause of their faith. If we read it by him, it is most proper to understand the pronoun of John the Baptist; for we are not said to believe by Christ, but in him, in his name, & c.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
7. through himJohn.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The same came for a witness,…. The end of his being sent, and the design of his coming were,
to bear witness of the light: by which is meant, not the light of nature, or reason; nor the light of the Gospel: but Christ himself, the author of light, natural, spiritual, and eternal. This was one of the names of the Messiah with the Jews; of whom they say u,
, “light is his name”; as it is said in Da 2:22 and the light dwelleth with him; on which they have w elsewhere this gloss, this is the King Messiah; and so they interpret Ps 43:3 of him x. Philo the Jew often speaks of the Logos, or word, as light, and calls him the intelligible light; the universal light, the most perfect light; represents him as full of divine light; and says, he is called the sun y. Now John came to bear a testimony to him, as he did; of which an account is given in this chapter, very largely, and elsewhere; as that he testified of his existence before his incarnation; of his being with the Father, and in his bosom: of his deity and divine sonship; of his being the Messiah; of the fulness of grace that was in him; of his incarnation and satisfaction; of his descent from heaven; and of his relation to his church, as in Joh 1:15 the end of which witness was,
that all men through him might believe; that is, that the Jews, to whom he preached, might, through his testimony, believe that Jesus was the light, and true Messiah; for these words are to be taken in a limited sense, and not to be extended, to every individual of mankind; since millions were dead before John began his testimony, and multitudes then in being, and since, whom it never reached: nor can it design more than the Jews, to whom alone he bore witness of Christ; and the faith which he taught, and required by his testimony, was an assent unto him as the Messiah; though the preaching of the Gospel is a means of true spiritual faith in Christ; and doubtless it was so to many, as preached by John: it points out the object of faith, and encourages souls to believe in Christ; and hence, Gospel ministers are instruments by whom ethers believe; and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and then is it, considerable end of the Gospel ministry answered.
u Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 2. w Bereshit Rabba, fol. 1. 3. x Jarchi in ib. y De Maudi Opificio, p. 6. De Allegor. l. 2. p. 80. & de Somniis, p. 576, 578.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
For witness ( ). Old word from (from ), both more common in John’s writings than the rest of the N.T. This the purpose of the Baptist’s ministry.
That he might bear witness ( ). Final clause with and aorist active subjunctive of to make clearer .
Of the light ( ). “Concerning the light.” The light was shining and men with blinded eyes were not seeing the light (Joh 1:26), blinded by the god of this world still (2Co 4:4). John had his own eyes opened so that he saw and told what he saw. That is the mission of every preacher of Christ. But he must first have his own eyes opened.
That all might believe ( ). Final clause with and first aorist active subjunctive of , ingressive aorist “come to believe.” This is one of John’s great words (about 100 times), “with nine times the frequency with which it is used by the Synoptists” (Bernard). And yet , so common in Paul, John uses only in 1Jo 5:4 and four times in the Apocalypse where does not occur at all. Here it is used absolutely as in Joh 1:50, etc.
Through him (‘ ). As the intermediate agent in winning men to believe in Christ (the Logos) as the Light and the Life of men. This is likewise the purpose of the author of this book (21:31). The preacher is merely the herald to point men to Christ.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “The same came for a witness,” (houtos elthen eis marturian) “This man (John) came-for a witness,” or with reference to witness bearing, concerning Jesus Christ, Joh 3:26-36.
2) “To bear witness of the Light,” (hina marturese peri tou photos) “In order that he might witness concerning the light.” Jesus, of whom John testified was that Lord-Light and salvation David trusted, Psa 27:1.
3) “That all men through him might believe.” (hina pantes pisteusosin di’ autou) “in order that all men might believe through him,” both repent of their sins toward God, and believe in Jesus Christ who was to come, and did come, Mat 3:7-8; Act 19:4.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(7) For a Witness.Stress is laid upon the work of John as witness. This was generally the object of his coming. It was specially to bear witness of the Light. The purpose of testimony is conviction that all men through him might believe, i.e., through John, through his witness. Compare with this purpose of the Baptists work the purpose of the Apostles writing, as he himself expresses it in the closing words of John 20; and also the condition and work of the Apostleship, as laid down by St. Peter at the first meeting after the Resurrection (Act. 1:21-22). The word witness, with its cognate forms, is one of the key-notes of the Johannine writings recurring alike in the Gospel the Epistles, and the Apocalypse. This is partly concealed from the general reader by the various renderings record, testimony, witness, for the one Greek root; but he may see by consulting any English concordance under these words, how frequently the thought was in the Apostles mind. See especially Rev. 1:2; Rev. 1:9, Notes.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 1:7. The same came for a witness, To bear testimony. The next sentence may be understood as explanatory of that which goes before, He came for a testimony, that is, to bear testimony concerning that light. Some commentators apply the word Him, in the next clause, to the Light here spoken of, and others to John, as the instrument of men’s belief. By believing we are to understand the acknowledgingwiththeunderstanding and heart, and receiving Christ as the Messiah.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Joh 1:7 . ] to bear witness; for John testified what had been prophetically made known to him by divine revelation respecting the Light which had come in human form. Comp. Joh 1:33 .
, . . .] Purpose of the , final end of the .
.] i.e. in the light; comp. Joh 1:8-9 ; Joh 12:36 .
] by means of John , so far as he by his witness-bearing was the medium of producing faith: “and thus John is a servant and guide to the Light, which is Christ” (Luther); not by means of the light (Grotius, Lampe, Semler), for here it is not faith in God (1Pe 1:21 ) that is spoken of.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
Ver. 7. The same came for a witness ] This he performed with a witness, verbis non solum disertis, sed et exertis. He witnessed plainly and plentifully, with a clear and punctual pronunciation, profession, indigitation, Joh 1:26 ; Joh 1:29 ; Joh 1:32 ; Joh 1:36 .
That all men through him might believe ] Our Saviour expected that men should have come as far to hear his forerunner and him as the Queen of Sheba came to hear Solomon,Mat 12:42Mat 12:42 . But the one thing necessary lies, alas, neglected. Men will run to hell as fast as they can: and if God cannot catch them (saith Mr Shephard) they care not, they will not come to Christ that they might live, Joh 5:40 .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
7. ] The purpose of John’s coming was to bear witness to a fact , which fact ( Joh 1:33 ) was made known to him by divine revelation.
, not as E. V., ‘ for a witness ,’ but for witness, for the purpose of bearing witness: so A.V.R.
. . . . is an expansion of . : the subject of his testimony was to be the Light , and the aim of it, that all might believe ( , see ch. Joh 12:36 ) through him (i.e. John: not (Grot.), which confuses the whole, for then we must understand after . which is here out of place).
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Joh 1:7 . . “The same (or, this man) came for witness,” etc. “John’s mission is first set forth under its generic aspect: he came for witness; and then its specific object ( . . .) and its final object ( . .) are defined co-ordinately,” Westcott. John was not to do a great work of his own but to point to another. All his experience, zeal, and influence were to be spent in testifying to the true Light. This he was to do “that all might believe through him”. The whole of this Gospel is a citing of witnesses, but John’s comes first and is of most importance. At first sight it might seem that his mission had failed. All did not believe. No; but all who did believe, speaking generally, believed through him. The first disciples won by Jesus were of John’s training; and through them belief has become general.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
for a witness: i.e. with a view to bearing witness; not merely to be a witness. That would be martur (mart us, as in Act 1:8, Act 1:22, &c.) This is marturia = a bearing witness. Greek. eis. App-104. Not the same word as in Joh 1:16.
to bear witness = in order that (Greek. hina) he might bear witness. Greek martureo, a characteristic word of this Gospel. See note on p. 1611,
witness. Greek marturia, a characteristic word of this Gospel.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
that = in order that. Greek hina. Often found in John.
all: i.e. all, without distinction.
through. Greek dia. App-104. Joh 1:1.
him. John the Baptist. Compare Joh 5:33. Act 10:37; Act 13:24.
believe. See App-150. A characteristic word of this Gospel. See note on p. 1611.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
7.] The purpose of Johns coming was to bear witness to a fact, which fact (Joh 1:33) was made known to him by divine revelation.
, not as E. V., for a witness, but for witness, for the purpose of bearing witness: so A.V.R.
. … is an expansion of .:-the subject of his testimony was to be the Light,-and the aim of it, that all might believe ( , see ch. Joh 12:36) through him (i.e. John: not (Grot.), which confuses the whole, for then we must understand after . which is here out of place).
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Joh 1:7. , for a witness) The evangelist again touches on this, Joh 1:15, and again, Joh 1:19. But with the fullest and most tender feeling he interweaves with this testimony of the Forerunner his own testimony as an apostle, by means of most noble digressions, in which he states the nature and grounds of the Baptists office, and partly premises, partly subjoins an explanation of his [the Baptists] brief sentences, and declares the full complement of his testimony [gives a clear filling up of it]: [thus forming a kind of succinct prelude to our Lords own speeches, which He was about to set forth in this very Gospel.-Harm., p. 153.] What Matthew, Mark, and Luke term a Gospel, this John for the most part terms a testimony or witness: the former term expresses the relation to the promise, that went before: the latter expresses the altogether certain knowledge of him, who announces it: the former is used in reference to Christ as He was manifested; the latter, with reference to the Glory of Jesus Christ, the Son of GOD, when raised from the dead: accordingly, in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles, both are often employed. Testimony applies to a thing, known for certain by witnesses, a thing not falling under the eyes at least of the hearers, and yet all important to them: accordingly to it answers faith. There follows immediately the declaration, that he might bear witness of the Light: and the words, that he might bear witness, are handled forthwith: the words, of the Light, are handled at Joh 1:9.- , that he might bear witness) The sum of his testimony was: He, who comes after me, etc., Joh 1:15.- , concerning the Light) John comprises under the appellation of the Light, the things which he wrote, Joh 1:1-5.-, in order that) They need Testimony, who were in darkness.-, all men) to whom He had come.[14]- , through him) through John, not , not in John, but in Christ, Joh 1:12.[15] The power of Johns testimony extended itself so as even to come under the knowledge of the Gentiles, Act 10:37 [Peter addressing the Gentiles, Cornelius and others, That word ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, etc., after the baptism, which John preached.] , through, in a higher sense, is said of Christ, 1Pe 1:21 [Who by Him do believe in God.]
[14] May it not express the grace of God, who will, , have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1Ti 2:4.-E.
[15] Grot. wrongly understands through Him, the Light, which would confuse the whole, by rendering it necessary to understand after .-E.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 1:7
Joh 1:7
The same came for witness,-Christ was the light. John came to prepare for him that all, through Christ, might believe in God. [More literally for testimony. This is the predominant character of John. All else is incidental or subordinate to this. The preaching, the baptism, the rousing men to repentance, while all in themselves useful and good, are only circumstances of the testimony, only side employments of the witness bearer.]
that he might bear witness of the light,-He in this verse might more naturally refer to John, but a similar expression in verses 9 and 10 shows that it refers to Jesus the light. [This sentence gives the subject of the testimony. The light here is not abstract, but concrete. It is the light incarnate; in other words, the Lord Jesus Christ. He was to testify to the world that the light had come into the world.]
that all might believe through him.-[That all might believe on Christ through the testimony of John. See verses 29-42 for the beginning of this result. This idea of testimony is one of the fundamental notions of the gospel of Christ. It is correlative to, and inseparable from, that of faith. Testimony is given only with a view to faith, and faith is impossible except by means of testimony. The only faith worthy of the name is that which fastens itself upon a divine testimony given either in act or word.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
a witness: Joh 1:19, Joh 1:26, Joh 1:27, Joh 1:32-34, Joh 1:36, Joh 3:26-36, Joh 5:33-35, Act 19:4
that: Joh 1:9, Joh 3:26, Eph 3:9, 1Ti 2:4, Tit 2:11, 2Pe 3:9
Reciprocal: 2Sa 23:4 – as the light Isa 43:10 – my witnesses Isa 53:1 – Who Eze 36:29 – save Mal 3:1 – I will Luk 1:77 – give Luk 3:4 – Prepare Joh 1:15 – bare Joh 1:31 – but Joh 4:38 – other Joh 5:35 – was Joh 11:48 – all Joh 12:32 – all men Joh 12:36 – believe Rom 5:18 – all men Rom 11:32 – concluded them all 2Pe 1:19 – a light
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
It is customary, when some notable person is about to appear before an audience, for another to present or introduce him. And even this temporary speaker is supposed to be a man of some importance. He will usually make a brief reference to the timeliness of the subject to be discussed before the audience, and always bears testimony of the qualifications of the speaker to handle the matter. Likewise, it is stated that the forerunner of the Light bore witness of Him, and the purpose stated is, that all men through him might believe.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 1:7. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness concerning the Light, that all might believe through him. The impression produced by the Baptist had been great, but he had come to bear witness to One higher than himself. Here we meet for the first time with this word witness, one of the characteristic words of the writings of John, occurring in various forms nearly fifty times in his Gospel, and thirty or forty times in his Epistles and the Apocalypse. The importance of the thought lies in its simplicity. The true witness declares what he has seen and heard (1Jn 1:2-3); his testimony reflects the truth so far as he has received it, just as the faithful mirror reflects the light that has come upon it. John came to bear such witness concerning the Light, that through him all might be led to believetrustfully to accept that Light, and yield themselves up to its influence. The introduction of the word all is very remarkable. More clearly than any other passage this verse teaches us how great were the results which the Baptists mission was intended to produce, immeasurably greater than those which were actually realised. Had Israel been faithfully and obediently waiting for the fulfilment of the divine promise, Johns witness respecting Jesus would have turned all Israel (and, through Israel, all men) to the Saviour. In immediate effects the work of John, like that of One higher than John, would be pronounced by men a failure. In the light of this verse we can better understand such passages as Malachi 4; Mat 11:9-14; Luk 7:29-30.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
[See also the “General Considerations on the Prologue” in the comments of Joh 1:18.]
Ver. 7. This one came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him.
The pronoun , this one, sums up all the statements of the preceding verse, as of Joh 1:2 summed up all those of Joh 1:1. The verb , came, indicates a more advanced step than the , appeared, of Joh 1:6; the entrance of John upon his public activity. This character of witness has such importance, in the view of the evangelist, that he presents it, the first time, without an object: as a witness or (more literally), for testimony; the second time, with an indication of the object of the testimony. The first expression makes prominent the quality of witness in itself (in contrast to the superior dignity of the personage who is to follow). The second completes the idea of this testimony.
This idea of testimony is one of the fundamental notions of our Gospel. It is correlative to and inseparable from that of faith. Testimony is given only with a view to faith, and faith is impossible except by means of testimony. The only faith worthy of the name is that which fastens itself upon a divine testimony given either in act or in word. Testimony resembles the vigorous trunk of the oak; faith, the slender twig which embraces this trunk and makes it its support. But did the light need to be attested, pointed out? Does not the sun give its own proof of itself? Certainly, if the Word had appeared here below in the glory which belongs to Him (the form of God, Php 2:6), the sending of a witness would not have been necessary. But He was obliged to appear enveloped in a thick veil (the flesh, Joh 1:14); and, in the condition of blindness into which sin had plunged man (Joh 1:5, the darkness), he could not recognize Him except with the help of a testimony. The evangelist adds: That all might believe through him; evidently: Believe on Christ through John, and not on God through Christ, as Grotius and Ewald thought. The question in this verse is not of the office of Christ, but of that of John. When the critics of Baur’s school charge our author with setting up, in agreement with the Gnostics, two kinds of men, of opposite origins and destinies, the psychical and the pneumatical, they seem to be forgetful of these words: That all might believe through him.
We find here a new indication of the part which the forerunner had played in the development of the writer’s own faith. To the affirmation of the fact, John adds, as in Joh 1:3, a negative proposition, designed to exclude every opposite idea.
Fuente: Godet Commentary (Luke, John, Romans and 1 Corinthians)
Verse 7
To bear witness of the Light; to announce the coming of the Light.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
1:7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all [men] {n} through him might believe.
(n) Through John.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
John the Baptist was the first of many witnesses to the light that John the Apostle identified in this Gospel (cf. Joh 4:39; Joh 5:32; Joh 5:36-37; Joh 5:39-40; Joh 8:18; Joh 10:25; Joh 12:17; Joh 15:26-27; Joh 18:13-18; Joh 18:37). The Apostle John frequently used courtroom terminology in his Gospel to stress the truthfulness of the witnesses to the Light. John the Baptist bore witness to the light of God’s revelation but also to the person of the Light of the World (Joh 8:12). This Gospel stresses the function of John the Baptist as a witness to the light. The writer often emphasized something by simply repeating it, as he did here with the word "witness." The other Gospels also identified John the Baptist’s origin and character in their introductions (Matthew 3; Mar 1:1-8; Luk 1:5-24; Luk 1:57-80).
John the Baptist’s ultimate purpose was eliciting belief in Jesus (cf. Joh 1:35-37). That was also John the Evangelist’s purpose in writing this book (Joh 20:30-31). Consequently John the Baptist’s witness is an important part of the argument of the fourth Gospel. It was not immediately apparent to everyone that Jesus was the Light. Both Johns needed to identify Him as such to them.
"Since the Reformation, theologians have viewed saving faith as simultaneously encompassing three components-notitia, assensus, and fiducia. In notitia the individual becomes aware of the conditions, promises, and events that constitute divine revelation, especially the events surrounding God’s consummate self-revelation in Jesus Christ. In assensus the individual expresses objective confidence in the truthfulness of these claims (Rom 10:9; Heb 11:3; Heb 11:6; 1Jn 5:1). In fiducia the individual places his or her personal trust in Jesus Christ. Central to this threefold model is a single key assumption: Faith, as presented in the New Testament, necessarily entails the recognition and acceptance of specific, objective content." [Note: Timothy Paul Jones, "The Necessity of Objective Assent in the Act of Christian Faith," Bibliotheca Sacra 162:646 (April-June 2005):150.]