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THE KING ’S BUSINESS
all else that which will rob them of their good opinion of themselves. Men are more, ready to give up their sins than they are their confidence in their own morality. This thought is more fully developed in the next versé. The rendering “ works” of the Revised Version is much to be preferred to the rendering “ deeds” of the Author ized Version. The order of the words in the Greek is very suggestive. It is impossible to exactly reproduce it in the English, but it lays tremendous emphasis upon the “ evil” character of men’s works. V. 20. “For every one that doeth evil (rather, who is practicing worth less things') hateth the light, neither cometh (rather, and cometh not ) to the light, lest his deeds should be re proved ( rather, in order that his works may not be reproved, or convicted).” This verse is closely connected with the preceding one and gives the rea son why it is that men as a class love the darkness rather than the light. They know' the light would reveal and expose the character of their, works. As said in commenting on the preced ing verse, -men will give up anything rather than give up their good opinion of themselves, and, therefore, hate above everything else that which will rob them of their good opinion of themselves. It is far easier to get a drunkard to give up his drink, or to get an impure man to give up his im purity, or to get any sinner to give up his sins, than it is to get men to give up their confidence in their own morality. Pride is the* last sin that men will surrender. It shuts more men out of the Kingdom of God than any other sin. While men boast of their morality, every man knows at heart that he has done wrong, and he dreads the light, and hate's the light, that will expose and convict his works. While the sick' man .will thank the physician for bringing to light some
hidden disease that threatened his life, the sinner hates the one who brings his sin to light and thus, lays his pride in the dust (cf. ch. 7:7). In verse 20 we have an advance in the thought over verse 19, there we see men loving the darkness rather than the light; here we see men posi tively hating the light» Experience with men shows that the statement is not too strong, the hatred of men for the truth revealed by the Lord Jesus, yes, their hatred for Him Who is the Truth, is one of the most amazing facts about men, but it is a fact. We would naturally think that when the truth was clearly revealed that men would accept it at once, that when the light was manifested that men would hurry to the light, but, in point of fact, instead of accepting the truth when made clear, men grow angry at the truth, and at the one who proclaims it. Instead of coming to the light when it i$ revealed, men flee from .it. The great majority of men in America and England know the truth if they were only willing to admit it. Oftentimes they are willing to admit it; but, even when they admit "it, if you ask them if they will accept it, they will refuse, even though when they are forced tQ admit that they have no reason for refusing it. It is simply because they will not have it, and the reason they will not have it is, because they are doing evil and know they are doing evil and know that the light if they accept it will convict their works. The word here translated “ doeth” in the Authorized and Revised Versions is not at all the word translated“ doeth” in the following verse. The word here used means to “ exercise, practice, be busy with, or, carry on.” The thought is . that men are practicing, busying themselves* with, or carrying on, evil or worthless things. The fact that it is a continuous or habitual practice is brought out by the present tense of the participle here used. The phrase
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