John 1:8 (ASV)

Passage

He was not the light, but [came] that he might bear witness of the light.

Nearby Context

John 1:6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.

John 1:7 The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him.

John 1:8 He was not the light, but [came] that he might bear witness of the light.

John 1:9 There was the true light, [even the light] which lighteth every man, coming into the world.

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "light", "came", "might", "bear", and "witness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "light" and "came", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "The same came for witness that he..." into verse 9's "There was the true light even the...", so "light" and "came" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "light" and "came" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.