The noun John translates a Greek demonstrative pronoun (literally “that one”) which is translated “he” in Revised Standard Version.
The Greek text says that John was a lamp, and Good News Translation changes this equational statement to a simile: John was like a lamp. Since it was the activity of John, rather than his appearance, that was like a lamp, it may be important in some languages to translate “John shone, as it were, like a lamp” or “John gave light, as it were, just as a lamp would.”
It may also be useful to incorporate one of the two participles, burning and shining, into the initial statement, for example, “John, as it were, was shining just like a burning lamp” or “… a lamp with a burning wick.” The word burning must not be translated in such a way as to suggest that the lamp itself was burning. To do so might suggest that John himself was burning up!
Again the pronoun you is emphatic, and it is used in contrast with the pronoun I of the next verse, which is also emphatic.
The Greek term rendered in Good News Translation as to enjoy is a strong word, as its use in 8.56 (Good News Translation rejoiced) indicates.
The translation of You were willing for a while to enjoy his light is more complex than it may appear. A literal rendering of this sentence may give the impression that the Jews simply enjoyed the benefits from the lamp which John provided. An even more serious difficulty is involved in the expression enjoy his light, for light must be understood figuratively, as referring to what John said. Therefore one must say in some languages “What John said, which was like a light, caused you to be happy.” The second part of verse 35 may then be translated “for a while you were willing to have his words, which were like a light, make you happy.” Such translations make clear that John’s words were the cause of the joy.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .