John 3:20

John 3:20-21 . For every one that doeth evil — That is conscious to himself that he lives in known sin, and is inclined to continue to do so; hateth the light — Which would detect and expose his evil practices, and thereby cause anguish and shame to his guilty mind; neither cometh to the light — But keeps aloof from it, being unwilling, not desirous, to know his true character, and the dangerous and miserable condition which he is in. Thus Christ, and his genuine gospel, is hated, because sin is loved. And sinners hate the light, because it discovers the evil and sinfulness of their ways unto them, and condemns them for them.

But he that doeth the truth — That complies with the will of God, as far as he knows it; that sincerely and conscientiously endeavours to conform his conduct to the eternal law of righteousness; cometh to the light — With confidence and joy, brings his opinions and practices, his desires and designs, his affections, intentions, and resolutions, his tempers, words, and actions, to the test of God’s word; that his deeds may be made manifest — As in open day; that they are wrought in God — Are performed as in his sight, according to the direction of his word, with a single eye to his glory, and in consequence of that union of soul with him, which is the highest dignity and happiness of a rational creature. “Be it therefore known to you all,” as if our Lord had said, “that this gospel which I preach is the great touchstone of men’s true characters; and as nothing but a corruption of the heart can oppose it, so I faithfully warn you, that if you reject it, it is at the peril of your souls.” Observe, reader, we have in this passage the character of a good man: 1st, He is one that doeth την αληθειαν , not truth merely, but the truth, namely, that walks according to the truth, as it is in Jesus, and that uprightly and conscientiously. 2d, He is one that cometh to the light, that is ready and desirous to receive the truth, as far as it appears to him to be so, and discoveries of God’s mind concerning him, whatever uneasiness may be created to him thereby.

John 3:20 . The principle is explained in this verse. Underlying the action of men towards Christ during His historical manifestation was a general law: a law which operates wherever men are similarly invited to walk in the light. The law which governs the acceptance or refusal of light is given in the words πᾶς γὰρ ὁ φαῦλα … ἔργα αὐτοῦ . φαῦλος , originally “poor,” “paltry,” “ugly”; οἱ φαῦλοι , “the vulgar,” “the common sort”. In Polybius, φαῦλα πλοία , πολιτεία φαῦλα , badly constructed; φαῦλος ἡγεμών , a foolish general, and in xvii. 15, 15 it is opposed to deliberate wickedness. Dull, senseless viciousness seems to be denoted. Here and in John 3:29 πράσσειν is used with φαῦλα , and ποιεῖν in the next verse with ἀλήθειαν , on which Bengel remarks: “Malitia est irrequieta; est quiddam operosius quam veritas. Hinc verbis diversis notantur”. Where a distinction is intended, πράσσειν expresses the reiterative putting forth of activities to bring something to pass, ποιεῖν the actual production of what is aimed at. Hence there is a slight hint of the busy fruitlessness of vice. Paul, as well as John, uses πράσσειν , in certain passages, of evil actions. The person thus defined μισεῖ τὸ φῶς , “hates the light,” instead of delighting in it, καὶ οὐκ ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς , and does not bring himself within its radiance, does not seek to use it for his own enlightenment; ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ , “lest his works be convicted” and so put to shame.

Doeth (πράσσων) The present participle, indicating habit and general tendency. Evil (φαῦλα) Rev., ill. A different word from that in the previous verse. Originally, light, paltry, trivial, and so worthless. Evil, therefore, considered on the side of worthlessness. See on James 3:16. Lest his works should be reproved (ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ). Rather, in order that his works may not be reproved. Ελέγχω, rendered reprove, has several phases of meaning. In earlier classical Greek it signifies to disgrace or put to shame. Thus Ulysses, having succeeded in the trial of the bow, says to Telemachus, "the stranger who sits in thy halls disgraces (ἐλέγχει) thee not" ("Odyssey, xxi., 424). Then, to cross-examine or question, for the purpose of convincing, convicting, or refuting; to censure, accuse. So Herodotus: "In his reply Alexander became confused, and diverged from the truth, whereon the slaves interposed, confuted his statements (ἤλεγχον, cross-questioned and caught him in falsehood), and told the whole history of the crime" (i., 115). The messenger in the "Antigone" of Sophocles, describing the consternation of the watchmen at finding Polynices' body buried, says: "Evil words were bandied among them, guard accusing (ἐλέγχων) guard" (260). Of arguments, to bring to the proof; prove; prove by a chain of reasoning.

It occurs in Pindar in the general sense of to conquer or surpass. "Having descended into the naked race they surpassed (ἤλεγξαν) the Grecian band in speed ("Pythia," xi., 75). In the New Testament it is found in the sense of reprove (Luke 3:19; 1 Timothy 5:20, etc.). Convince of crime or fault (1 Corinthians 14:24; James 2:9). To bring to light or expose by conviction (James 5:20; Ephesians 5:11, Ephesians 5:13; John 8:46; see on that passage). So of the exposure of false teachers, and their refutation (Titus 1:9, Titus 1:13; Titus 2:15). To test and expose with a view to correction, and so, nearly equivalent to chasten (Hebrews 12:5). The different meanings unite in the word convict. Conviction is the result of examination, testing, argument. The test exposes and demonstrates the error, and refutes it, thus convincing, convicting, and rebuking the subject of it. This conviction issues in chastening, by which the error is corrected and the erring one purified. If the conviction is rejected, it carries with it condemnation and punishment. The man is thus convicted of sin, of right, and of judgment (John 16:8). In this passage the evil-doer is represented as avoiding the light which tests, that light which is the offspring of love (Revelation 3:19) and the consequent exposure of his error. Compare Ephesians 5:13; John 1:9-11. This idea of loving darkness rather than light is graphically treated in Job 24 and runs through Job 24:13-17.

He that makes a trade of sin, and doth evil presumptuously, loving and delighting in it, doth not love the light, nor, if he can avoid it, will come near it; for the light is that which makes things visible, and discovereth them. As it is of the nature of natural light to show things to others as they are; and therefore thieves, and adulterers, and drunkards, care not for the light, but choose the darkness for their deeds of darkness, and come as little abroad in the light as they can when they do them: so it is of the nature of Christ and his gospel to discover men’s errors, both as to the obtaining of justification and eternal salvation, and the errors also of men’s lives; and therefore men and women possessed of errors in their judgments, or delighting in a filthy conversation, hate Christ and his gospel; because that a discovering the right ways of God discovereth the crookedness of their ways, opposite to the truths and ways of God.

20 . doeth evil ] The Greek word for ‘doeth’ is not the same as that in the next verse; but it is not quite certain that any distinction of meaning is intended, although John 5:29 inclines one to think so. There the words are paired in precisely the same way as here. On the other hand in Romans 7:15-20 these same two words are interchanged indifferently, each being used both of doing good and of doing evil. In order to make a distinction practiseth evil has been suggested. But ‘evil’ also requires re-translation, for in the Greek it differs from ‘evil’ in John 3:19 . The meaning in this verse is rather ‘frivolous, good-for-nothing, worthless.’ He that practiseth worthless things (the aimless trifler), hateth the light , which would show him the true value of the inanities which fill up his existence. lest his deeds should ] Better, in order that his works may not . reproved ] The margin gives ‘discovered.’ In John 8:9 the same word is translated ‘convict,’ in John 8:46 ‘convince,’ and in John 16:8 ‘reprove’ with ‘convince’ in the margin. Of all these ‘convict’ is perhaps the best; in order that his works may not be convicted of being worthless, proved to be what they really are. See note on Matthew 18:15 .

John 3:20 . Πράσσων ) ποιῶν , John 3:21 .[54] Evil is restless: it is a something more given to working than truth is. Hence they are marked by different words, as ch. John 5:29 .[55]— ἐλεγχθῇ ) should be reproved , should be convicted of being such as they actually are: against the will of the evil-doer himself. The opposite to this is φανερωθῇ , may be made manifest , John 3:21 : ἐλέγχω , a word suited to this passage, from ἓλη and ἔγχω [I bring to the sun-light]: for ὁ ἔλεγχος εἰς φῶς ἄγει τὰ πράγματα .[56]— τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ) Appositely, it is first said, the works of him [ αὐτοῦ being put last], in the case of the man who flees from the light; then in John 3:21 , αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα [the αὐτοῦ first], his works in the case of him who knows that he will not be put to shame. [54] The former implies the continuous state of the evil-disposed, they practise evil; ποιῶν , the particular act or acts . Germ. thun and machen : Lat. agere and facere .—E. and T. [55] And shall come forth, they that have done good, οἱ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ποιήσαντες , to the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, etc., οἱ τὰ φαῦλα πράξαντες , they that have practised evil.—E. and T. [56] Buttmann denies we can trace the affinities of ἐλέγχω : Lidd. and Scott connect it with λέγω .—E. and T.