1 John 1:5

Heard of him. Rather, “heard from him,” that is, from God, or possibly, from Christ. John wishes to make clear that he did not invent or discover the message he is about to convey to his readers, but had received it from the Lord, whether directly from Christ or by revelation.

Declare. Gr. anaggello, “to announce,” “to make known,” “to disclose,” a different word from that used in vs. 2 and 3 (apaggello) for “shew” and “declare.” Anaggello suggests bringing the tidings up to or back to the receiver, whereas apaggello emphasizes the source of the news, that is, from whom it comes.

God is light. The absence of the article in Greek before the word for “light” specifies “light” as one aspect, or quality, of God’s nature (cf. on ch. 4:8). Compare light as an attribute of Christ in John 1:7—9.

In the Bible, light is closely associated with Deity. When the Lord set His hand to creation, light was the first element to be brought into existence (Gen. 1:3). Divine manifestations are usually accompanied by ineffable glory (Ex. 19:16-18; Deut. 33:2; Isa. 33:14; Hab. 3:3-5; Heb. 12:29; etc.). God is described as “everlasting light” (Isa. 60:19, 20) and as dwelling “in the light which no man can approach unto” (1 Tim. 6:16). These physical manifestations are symbolic of the moral purity and perfect holiness that distinguish God’s character (see comment on “glory” [doxa], John 1:14; Rom. 3:23; 1 Cor. 11:7).

One of the most notable qualities of light is its power to dispel darkness. On the highest plane, the spiritual, God exhibits this quality in a superlative degree — the darkness of sin cannot exist in His sight (Hab. 1:13).

In him is no darkness at all. Literally, “darkness in him is not, not one [darkness].” The double negative emphatically denies the presence of any element of darkness in God’s nature. It is typical of John to make a categorical statement such as “God is light,” and then to reinforce it with a denial of the opposite (cf. vs. 6, 8; ch. 2:4; John 1:3, 20; 10:28). There is an immediate reason for John’s emphatic declaration. Gnostic theory held that good and evil were necessary counterparts of each other, and that both sprang from the same divine source — God. If, however, God is utterly and entirely “light,” without the slightest admixture of darkness, then Gnosticism (see Vol. VI, p. 55) was teaching something contrary to God’s nature and must be rejected by those who accept the apostle’s words.

In John’s writings “darkness” (skotos or skotia) is the antithesis of “light,” even as in Paul’s epistles sin is the antithesis of righteousness (Rom. 6:18, 19) and “flesh,” of “Spirit” (ch. 8:1). See John 12:35, 46; see on John 1:5; 8:12.