"Light of the World" (Phṓs tou kósmou) is a phrase Jesus used to describe himself and his disciples in the New Testament.[1] The phrase is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew (5:14–16) and John (8:12). It is closely related to the parables of salt and light and lamp under a bushel, which also appear in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
In 8:12 Jesus applies the title to himself while debating with the Jews and states:[1]
Jesus again claims to be Light of the World in 9:5, during the miracle of healing the blind at birth, saying:[2]
When I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.
This episode leads into 9:39 where Jesus metaphorically explains that he came to this world, so that the blind may see.[2]
In the Christological context, the use of the title Light of the World is similar to the Bread of Life title in 6:35 where Jesus states: "I am the bread of life: he who comes to me shall not hunger."[3] These assertions build on the Christological theme of 5:26 where Jesus claims to possess life just as the Father does and provide it to those who follow him.[4] The term "Life of the World" is applied in the same sense by Jesus to himself in 6:51 .[2]
Light is defined as life, as seen in 1:4, "In him was life; and the life was the light of men". Those who have faith through him will have eternal life. In John's Gospel, "darkness is present in the absence of light; the absence of eternal life," and darkness referring to death, spiritually.[5]
Jesus also used that term to refer to his disciples in :[1]
This application of "light compared with darkness" also appears in 1:5 which applies it to God and states: "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all".[6]
Light and darkness in John's Gospel is an antithesis that has symbolic meaning and is essential to understanding the author of John. The fourth gospel expresses certain ideas using the antithesis more frequently than any other writings in the New Testament. The Johannine community may have borrowed the symbolic use of the antithesis Light–Darkness from Essene literature, "which considered History as a permanent conflict between Good and Evil, using Light as a symbol of Truth and Righteousness and Darkness as that of Falsehood and Evil".[7]
Examples of dualistic concepts in the Gospel of John:
| Light | Darkness | |
|---|---|---|
| Known | Unknown | |
| Jesus Christ | Moses | |
| Heavenly | Earthly | |
| Above | Not Above | |
| Spirit | Flesh | |
| Sight | Blindness | |
| Insiders | World | |
| Day | Night |
In the extra-canonical Gospel of Thomas, a used similar phrase appears, "There is light within a man of light, and he lights up the whole world. If he does not shine, he is darkness".[8]
Light is a recurring theme in Gnostic religions such as Manichaeism[9] and Mandaeism.[10]