John 1:4 (WEB)
In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Catechism · 3
The Liturgy - Work of the Holy Trinity
“Communion with the Holy Trinity and fraternal communion are inseparably the fruit of the Spirit in the liturgy.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Jn 1:3-7.
Jesus Died Crucified
“Above all, his human nature has been assumed by the divine person of the "Author of life", the "Living One".” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Acts 3:15; Rev 1:17; Jn 1:4; 5:26.
Christ's Faithful - Hierarchy, Laity, Consecrated Life
“Each one is called personally: "You, follow me"” — Catechism footnote: Jn 21:22; Cf. Mt 4:19. 21; Jn 1:4.
Fathers and councils · 41
Origen
- Origen, Against Celsus VI.5Book VI
“John also, who lived after him, said, “That which was in the Logos was life, and the life was the light of men;” which “true light lighteneth every man that cometh into the world” (i.e., the true world, which is perceived by the understanding), and maketh him a light of…” — editor's note: Cf. John i. 3, 4.
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Gregory of Nyssa
“For if, according to the great John, the Word is Life, but that life is temporary and not eternal, as their heresy holds, and if, moreover, the temporary life has place in other creatures, what is the logical consequence?” — editor's note: Cf. S. John i. 4
Read the whole comment“…additions deny the existence, in the strict sense, of the Christ, saying simply and without qualification “The Word was God,” and was Life, and was Light, not merely speaking of Him as being in the beginning, and with God, and in the bosom of the Father, so that by their relation the absolute existence of the…” — editor's note: Cf. S. John i. 1, 4
Read the whole comment““The blessed John,” he says, “after saying that the Word was in the beginning, and after calling Him Life, and subsequently giving the Life the further title of ‘Light,’ says, a little later, ‘And the Word was made flesh.’” — editor's note: Cf. S. John i. 4 and 14.
Read the whole comment“Now seeing that the Word declares that the living in God is the life of the soul, and seeing that this living is knowledge according to each man’s ability, and that ignorance does not…” — editor's note: S. John i. 4
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Irenaeus of Lyons
“But “what was made in Him,” says John, “is life.”” — editor's note: John i. 3, 4. The punctuation here followed is different from that commonly adopted, but is found in many of the Fathers, and in some of the most ancient mss.
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Tertullian
“…the print of thy foot: and God shall give thee a wearying heart, and a pining soul, and failing eyes, that they see not: and thy life shall hang on the tree before thine eyes; and thou shalt not trust thy life.”” — editor's note: In ligno. There are no such words in the LXX. If the words be retained, “thy life” will mean Christ, who is called “our Life” in Col. iii. 4. See also John i.…
Read the whole comment“…course of the end up to the beginning; so that every economy, ending in Him through whom it began,—through the Word of God, that is, who was made flesh,—may have an end correspondent to its beginning.” — editor's note: See John i. 1–14.
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Augustine of Hippo
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehendeth it not.”” — editor's note: John i. 1–5.
Read the whole comment“But what mystery there was in, “The Word was made flesh,” I could not even imagine.” — editor's note: We have already seen, in note 1, sec. 13, above, how this text (1) runs counter to Platonic beliefs as to the Logos. The following passage from Augustin’s De…
Read the whole comment“That which was made then was in existence; but it had its existence in the Word: and all the works of God existed there, and yet were not as yet “works.”” — editor's note: John i. 3, 4.
Read the whole comment“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.”” — editor's note: John i. 1–14
Read the whole comment“But Christ, for that He is with the Father, the Truth, and Life, the Word of God, of whom it is said, “The Life was the Light of men;” for that I say He is with the Father, the Truth, and Life, and we had no way whereby to go to the Truth, the Son of God, who is ever in the Father the Truth…” — editor's note: John i. 4.
Read the whole comment“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”” — editor's note: John i. 1–5.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“For it is written “In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the word was God,” and “all things were made by Him,” and “He was life,” and “He was the true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”” — editor's note: John i. 4
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Ambrose of Milan
“It is Truth, Righteousness, the Power of God: not dumb, for it is the Word; not insensible, for it is Wisdom; not vain and foolish, for it is Power; not soulless, for it is the Life; not dead, for it is the Resurrection.” — editor's note: Christ the Word: S. John i. 1–18. Wisdom: 1 Cor. i. 24, 30. Life and Resurrection: S. John xi. 25.
Read the whole comment“We have no reason, therefore, to fear the argument which the Arians, in their reckless manner of expounding, use to construct, showing that the Word of God was “made,” for, say they, it is written: “That which has been made in Him is life.”” — editor's note: S. John i. 4. Observe that St. Ambrose follows a different punctuation to that of our Bible. St. Ambrose’s stopping is the same as that adopted by Westcott…
Read the whole comment“O fools, talking as though they knew not the difference between the word uttered and the Divine Word, abiding eternally, born of the Father—born, I say, not uttered only—in Whom is no combination of syllables, but the fulness of the eternal Godhead and life without end!” — editor's note: Col. i. 19; ii. 9; iii. 4; S. John i. 4; v. 26; xi. 25; xiv. 6; Rev. i. 18.
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John Chrysostom
“And that which one saith, “He was life” ( John i. 4 ), pointing out the preservation of the creation, that Himself is the Life of all things,—so also saith this other, “and upholding all things by the…” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“But this “Life” is found to be also “Light,” for he adds, “And the Life was the Light of men.” ( Ver.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“…his own person, doth not so, but leadeth up his language to greater sublimity, saying, “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made” ( c. i. 3, 4, 9, 11 ); and that He was “Life”; and that He was “Light”; and that “He came to His own”: he saith not, that He would not have had power, had He not…” — the author cites it
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Hilary of Poitiers
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” — editor's note: St. John i. 1–14.
Read the whole comment“To comfort us for that powerlessness to describe His generation of which the prophet speaks, the Fisherman adds, And the darkness comprehended Him not.” — editor's note: St. John i. 4.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“The one is the voice of David, the other of the True Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” — editor's note: Ib. i. 4.
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Clement of Alexandria
“Salvation, accordingly, is the following of Christ: “For that which is in Him is life.” — editor's note: John i. 4.
Read the whole comment““For what was made in Him was life.”” — editor's note: John i. 3, 4.
Read the whole comment“For in the Gospel he thus speaks: “And what was made, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”” — editor's note: John i. 3, 4.
Read the whole comment“He, then, who denies the Saviour, denies life; for “the light was life.”” — editor's note: John i. 4.
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Hippolytus of Rome
““For all things,” he says, “were made by him, and not even one thing was made without him, and what was made in him is life.”” — editor's note: John i. 3, 4.
Read the whole comment“And what was formed in Him is life.”” — editor's note: John i. 1–4.
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Cyprian of Carthage
“And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”” — editor's note: John i. 1–5.
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Catena Aurea on John
- BedeCatena Aurea on John
The Evangelist having said that every creature was made by the Word, lest perchance any one might think that His will was changeable, as though He willed on a sudden to make a creature, which from eternity he had not…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
The passage can be read thus: What was made in Him was life1. Therefore the whole universe is life: for what was there not made in Him? He is the Wisdom of God, as is said, In Wisdom hast Thou made them all. (Ps.…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on John
It may also be divided thus: That which was made in him; and then, was life; the sense being, that all things that were made by Him and in Him, are life in Him, and are one in Him. They were, that is, in Him; they…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on John
Or it can be understood thus. In that he had said, without Him was not any thing made, one might have been perplexed, and have asked, Was then any thing made by another, which yet was not made without Him? if so,…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on John
Or to give an other explanation. We will not put the stop at without Him was not any thing made, as the heretics do. For they wishing to prove the Holy Ghost a creature, read, That which was made in Him, was life.…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on John
Or thus: Our Saviour is said to be some things not for Himself, but for others; others again, both for Himself and others. When it is said then, That which was made in Him was life; we must enquire whether the life…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
He had said, In him was life, that you might not suppose that the Word was without life. Now he shews that life is spiritual, and the light of all reasonable creatures. And the life was the light of men: i. e. not…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
Life of itself gives illumination to men, but to cattle not: for they have not rational souls, by which to discern wisdom: whereas man, being made in the image of God, has a rational soul, by which he can discern…
Read the whole comment - Theophylact of OhridCatena Aurea on John
He saith not, the Light of the Jews only, but of all men: for all of us, in so far as we have received intellect and reason, from that Word which created us, are said to be illuminated by Him. For the reason which is…
Read the whole comment - OrigenCatena Aurea on John
We must not omit to notice, that he puts the life before the light of men. For it would be a contradiction to suppose a being without life to be illuminated; as if life were an addition to illumination. (tom. ii. c.…
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Cross-references · 37
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.6.
Cited together in Catechism §612 and 2 other places.
Cited together in Origen on John 1:4 (2) (Catena Aurea) and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.2 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §878.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.2.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.6.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.6.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews II.4.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews II.4.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews II.4.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.6.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews II.4.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in Catechism §878.
Cited together in Against Celsus VI.5.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in Catechism §612.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in The Instructor II.9.
Cited together in Catechism §612.