Children of the Light

Hey, I learned a new vocab word this week – metonymy (mi-ton’-uh-mee). I’m always up for improving my vocabulary and this was a new word I had never heard before.  It means a figure of speech in which its attribute is given as the name of something. It came up in my Bible study in 1 Thessalonians 5:5

You are all Children of the light

My commentary said that “light” was a metonymy for Christ. So you know me, I had to find out what a metonymy was.

Light (His attribute) was used as the name for our Messiah Jesus Christ in:

Isaiah 60:1 Arise, shine, for your light has come.

John 3:19 Light has come into the world.

Then Jesus clarified by saying:

John 12:46 I am the light that has come into the world 

so that everyone who believes in me will not live in the dark.

OK, I know this is sounding like a Bible school lesson but what can you expect from a former teacher? And there’s more…..

The Greek word used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:5 for light is “photos.” Yes, we still use that word for the pictures from our camera. Our camera photos were first formed by use of light. This Greek word,” photos, “means the source of light, illumination, and radiant energy. And that is the attribute that describes Jesus.

He is the source of light in our life.

He illuminates God the Father so we can know and understand Him better.

He is the radiant energy from God that produces light in us.

He is light.

If we believe in Jesus and are following Him as our Lord then we are His children and possess His light. We are children of Light.

So if you see me and I say, “Hey, come here you child of light you,” you’ll understand the metonymy. (How’s that for using my new vocabulary word?) Bible lesson over.

We are children of the light.