A Johannine Study (John 1:5)

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

The myth of philosophical dualism is epidemic. There is no shortage of stories that tell of the battle between good and evil. For every protagonist, there is an antagonist: every hero has an enemy; opposite to God is the devil; the innocent are harassed by evil accusers. Films thrive when they employ storylines with these kinds of plots. Such movies have great appeal to viewers, especially when they are led to believe that the good guy (i.e. Jedi Knight) is really good, and the bad guy (i.e. the Dark Lord) is really bad!

In certain Asian cultures where Taoism is prevalent, the Ying and Yang is a symbol of contrary forces. Advocates of this philosophy propound dualism in their cultural worldview. In this perspective, good alone cannot create peace. Good must work in tandem with evil to form balance within nature, which, in turn, creates peace. By no means, though, does this kind of dualism exist in Asian cultures alone. It is the tendency of all humans to think dualistically, albeit to different degrees.

Dualism is “the view that there are just two mutually irreducible substances”1. While this view has a place in film and false religions, it has no place in defining God. God is not defined by human categories. Unfortunately, dualism has persisted in devaluing the character of God since the dawn of creation. In the first three chapters of Genesis, we know that God blessed Adam and Eve with everything they needed. In the midst of his providence, he had one caveat: Do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17). Defying their creator, they chose to eat the fruit of that tree (Genesis 3:6). This first sin produced the illusion that humans are able to adequately judge between good and evil. Subsequently, as inheritors of this false belief, humans have distorted perceptions of God that arise from a dualistic understanding of him.

John has words for people who presume to know God dualistically: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” In other words, good and evil are not polar opposites. They are not in equal contention with each other. Good is ultimate! Evil holds no power over good. When the light shines, evil must give way.

There is no doubt that John is calling God the ultimate good, omnipotent in every way. In this we should take courage, Christian! Evil will not overcome God, nor will it impede on our salvation. God’s grace is wonderfully efficacious.