LUKE 1; JOHN 1:1-14 (BLOCKING THE LIGHT)

When I came upon John 1:5, I was a little confused for the translations that I consulted either interpreted that the darkness could not overcome the light or the darkness could not understand it. So which is it? Overcome or understand? 

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." ESV

"And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it]." AMP

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light." CEB

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not suppressed it." CJB

"The light keeps shining in the dark, and darkness has never put it out." CEV

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not defeated it." ERV 

"The Light shone where it was dark and the darkness did not stop the Light from shining." WE

"And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not." ASV

"The light shines on in the darkness, and the darkness has not understood it." MOUNCE

"The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." NASB

"...and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it." YLT

To discover which it is, I decided to look at this verse in the Greek translation word by word. Ok, John 1:5 in the Greek is "kai to phōs en  tē skotia phainei kai hē skotia auto ou katelaben." "Kai" is a conjunction that means "and, even, also, namely, very often, moreover, or indeed." "To" is a definite article, which means "the." "Phōs" is a noun that can mean "light (especially in terms of its results, what it manifests); in the NT, the manifestation of God's self-existent life; divine illumination to reveal and impart life, through Christ." "En" is a preposition that can mean "in (inside, within); (figuratively) "in the realm (sphere) of," as in the condition (state) in which something operates from the inside (within)." "Tē" is a definite article that means "the." "Skotia" is a noun that can mean "darkness, a brand of moral, spiritual obscurity (i.e. which blocks the light of God when faith is lacking)." "Hē" is a definite article, which means "the". "Auto" is a personal pronoun that can mean "he, she, it, they, them, same." "Ou" is a particle or negative that can mean "objectively negates a statement, "ruling it out as fact." "Katelaben" is a verb that can mean "seize tight hold of, arrest, catch, capture, appropriate, overtake, perceived, comprehended, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), "making it one's own."

The two words that I found most interesting are "skotia" and "katelaben." What I find noteworthy about the definition of skotia is that it can mean "which blocks the light of God when faith is lacking." Wow! So it means not only spiritual darkness but a lack of faith that blocks the light of God. That makes it personal. When you say that it means spiritual darkness, then it is easy to objectify it and focus on it as the enemy without. But when you call it a lack of faith that blocks the light of God then you can begin to see the darkness as the enemy within. That spiritual darkness can be within you, which blocks the light of God. That I can be blocking the light of God if I am lacking in faith. No wonder unbelief is a sin as stated in Romans 14:23 "whatever is not from faith is sin." (MOUNCE) For if I do not have faith then I am blocking the light of God. I just can't get over that. 

So let's look at katelaben: "seize tight hold of, arrest, catch, capture, appropriate, overtake, perceived, comprehended, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative (eager self-interest); to grasp something in a forceful (firm) manner; (figuratively) to apprehend (comprehend), "making it one's own." Now "ou" is in front of katelaben which negates katelaben. So let's look at it in a series of sentences.

The darkness did not seize tight hold of the light.

The darkness did not arrest the light.

The darkness did not catch the light.

The darkness did not capture the light.

The darkness did not  appropriate the light.

The darkness did not  overtake the light.

The darkness has not perceived the light.

The darkness has not  comprehended the light.

The darkness did not take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative, the light.

The darkness did not forcefully grasp the light.

The darkness did not  apprehend the light.

The darkness did not  make the light it's own.

Ok, so "seize tight hold of, arrest, catch, capture, overtake, take hold of exactly, with decisive initiative, forcefully grasp, and apprehend" have a similar tone. "Appropriate", however, conveys the sense of using the light for one's own selfish purposes. Of course, nothing quite demonstrates the utter depravity of the darkness as the definition, "make the light it's own." Then, when you begin to realize that it is you that holds the darkness -when you are lacking in faith- that is trying to make the light it's own is quite shocking. However, that is exactly what happens when we allow unbelief to set in. We become self-seeking creatures that try to make God's light our own in order to satisfy ourselves in our craven lusts instead of trusting God to fill our longings in His way.

Now we have the definitions that are in the thinking area: "perceived" and "comprehended". Perceive means "to become aware of, know, or identify by means of the senses" or "to recognize, discern, envision, or understand." It's French and Latin word origins mean "obtain, gather," also, metaphorically, "to grasp with the mind,"  or literally "to take entirely." Comprehend means "to understand the nature or meaning of; grasp with the mind; perceive" or "to take in or embrace; include; comprise." It's Latin word origin means "to take together, to unite; include; seize" (of catching fire or the arrest of criminals); also "to comprehend, perceive" (to seize ortake in the mind)." These two words also have the tone of making the light it's own; but along with it expresses the absolute lack of understanding the darkness has with the ways of God's light. It is as if the darkness cannot understand  the motives and purposes of God's light and, therefore, determines that those motives and purposes have no merit. God has warned us in His word about falling into this trap.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5 ESV

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways

    and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isaiah 55:6-9 ESV

In conclusion, due to the nature of darkness it appears that the darkness does not understand the nature of the light of God; and because of that lack of comprehension the darkness has tried to overcome the light with no success. Thinking about unbelief in this manner has really stopped me in my tracks to consider all the times that I have had not faith in God to supply all of my needs and fulfill my desires in His way so that I may not continue the practice. I don't want to be the darkness that blocks the light of God.