Archaic terms
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12 KJV)
The
King James seems to be the most archaic in terms of colloquialisms, but
is a great place to start if you are digging for life. If you use a
modern version you can bypass some of the odd words like “followeth”.
Let's try that and see if it helps.
Once more Jesus addressed the crowd. He said, I am the Light of the world.
He who follows Me will not be walking in the dark,
but will have the Light which is Life. (John 8:12 AMP)
But
what are the implications when Jesus uses a word like follow and
walking in the same sentence? (remember, I said there was life in the
words, so that is what I am looking for).
The dictionary explains the word follow as:
1. To go after or behind; to walk, ride or move behind, but in the same direction.
2. To pursue; to chase; as an enemy, or as game.
3. To accompany; to attend in a journey.
Perhaps
one of the most dramatic examples can be seen the Lord Of the Rings as Samwise Ganji followed Frodo Baggins to Mordach and middle earth.
Thayer's definition states: to join one as a disciple, become or be his disciple.
The implications are that Jesus is asking for more than just a casual relationship.
