John 1:5 (GNV)

Passage

And that light shineth in the darkenesse, and the darkenesse comprehended it not.

Nearby Context

John 1:3 All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made.

John 1:4 In it was life, and that life was the light of men.

John 1:5 And that light shineth in the darkenesse, and the darkenesse comprehended it not.

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

John 1:7 This same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of that light, that all men through him might beleeue.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "In it was life and that life..." into verse 6's "There was a man sent from God...", so "light" and "shineth" 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 "shineth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.