1 John 1: 1 - 2

Intro

Who, When, Why

Who: Apostle John - Beloved disciple, brother James, Part of Jesus’ inner circle, also wrote Gospel of John, Revelation, 2 & 3 John.

When: about AD 96, probably after writing the Revelation.

Where: Written while Pastoring the Church at Ephesus. Paul founded that fellowship.

Why: To address the Gnostic heresy infecting the church at that time. He includes four stated purposes:

v1.3 …that you may have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.

v1.4 …that your joy may be full.

2.1 …that you may not sin.

5.3 …that you might know that you might know that you have eternal life.

Verse 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life;

1 John corresponds to the Gospel of John and he uses some of the same language to make his point. That which was from the beginning we can parallel with . In the beginning was the Word.

Beginning is in Greek ἀρχή archḗ, ar-khay'; from G756; (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank):—beginning, corner, (at the, the) first (estate), magistrate, power, principality, principle, rule.

That which.. is a play on . Speaking of the Word, λόγος lógos, log'-os; from G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ):

logos Vs rhema - God’s word vs God’s message to me.

So here John is proclaiming that Jesus is the beginning, the first in order and rank.

John now begins to describe his own experience with the Word, Jesus. which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,

What is John using to describe his interaction with Jesus? His senses.

Hearing, seeing, and touching & feeling. we have looked upon describes careful observation. theaomai is used and is where we get our word theater.

Think of it as they watched Him quiet the winds and the storm. They said what manner of man is this?

concerning the Word of life; here again the Word is logos.

Life is zōē.

(A popular name for girls today.)

The definite article is used in Greek and could be translated “concerning the Word of the Life”. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

The reason John is using the senses is due to the Gnostic heresy. One of the things the were saying was that Jesus was not human but was a spirit and had no physicality, no body. The would say he left no footprints on the beach when He walked. The JW’s have picked up on some these teachings.

Hand out - Gnosticism

Verse 2

the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you

the life was manifested, the life is again zoe, was manifested, that is past tense, really happened. He came in the flesh, which is what manifested means.

make actual and visible, realised

Greek phaneroō - to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way, make actual and visible, realised, to make known by teaching, to become manifest, be made known,

to make known by teaching

of a person, expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear, to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood.

to become manifest, be made known

I like to say “man infested.”

of a person

and we have seen, a completed act with continuing results.

expose to view, make manifest, to show one's self, appear

and bear witness, and declare are both in an “active tense” meaning John continues to witness and continues to declare.

to become known, to be plainly recognised, thoroughly understood

bear witness is the word where we get our word martyr, martyreō.

declare literally means from the message, or announce.

that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

that eternal life - aiōnios , zoe or life from the ages, without beginning, has always been.