Book of 1 John Chapter 1 Vs. 1

 The Word of Life

Verses 1-4: As an apostolic eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry, including His death and resurrection, and as one of the three most intimate associates of the Lord John, Peter, James, John affirms the physical reality of Jesus Christ’s having come in the flesh (4:2-3). In this way, John accentuated the gravity of the false teaching by immediately focusing on a strongly positive affirmation of the historic reality of Jesus’ humanity and the certainty of the gospel. Although the false teachers claimed to believe in Christ, their denial of the true nature of Christ i.e. His humanity demonstrated their lack of genuine salvation (2:22-23). The affirmation of a proper view of Christ constitutes the first test of genuine fellowship.

1 John 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, of the Word of life;”

That which was... That glorious and wonderful person, Jesus Christ the Lord (1Jhn. 1:1, 1:3-4).

That which (ὃ)

It is disputed whether John uses this in a personal sense as equivalent to he, whom, or in its strictly neuter sense as meaning something relating to the person and revelation of Christ. On the whole, the περί, concerning (A. V., of), seems to be against the personal sense. The successive clauses, that which was from the beginning, etc., express, not the Eternal Word Himself, but something relating to or predicated concerning περί Him. The indefinite that which, is approximately defined by these clauses; that about the Word of Life, which was from the beginning, that which appealed to sight, to hearing is, to touch. Strictly, it is true, the περί is appropriate only with we have heard, but it is used with the other clauses in a wide and loose sense (compare John 16:8). The subject is not merely a message, but all that had been made clear through manifold experience concerning it (Westcott).

Was (ἦν)

Not ἐγένετο came into being. See on John 1:3; see on John 8:34; see on John 8:58. It was already existing when the succession of life began.

from the beginning.

Ten things concerning Jesus Christ:

1. From the beginning (1Jhn. 1:1; John 1:1-2); from everlasting (Mic. 5:1-2; Heb. 1:8)

2. We have heard Him with our ears (1Jhn. 1:1).

3. We have seen Him with our eyes (1Jhn. 1:1).

4. Our hands have handled Him (1Jhn. 1:1).

5. He is the Word of Life (1Jhn. 1:1; John 14:6).

6. We bear witness of this Life (1Jhn. 1:2).

7. He is that eternal Life (1Jhn. 1:2).

8. He is not the Father but was with Him from all eternity (1Jhn. 1:2; John 1:1-2).

9. He was manifested to us (1Jhn. 1:2).

10. We declare Him to you for two reasons:

(1) That you may have fellowship with us, with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ (1Jhn. 1:3)

(2) That your joy may be full (1Jhn. 1:4)

This phrase refers to the proclamation of the gospel that centers in Christ’s person, words, and works as contained in apostolic testimony. “From the beginning”. Although John’s gospel uses a similar phrase meaning eternity past (John 1:1, “in the beginning”), the phrase here (in the context of verses 1-4), refers to the beginning of gospel preaching when the readers first heard about Jesus (2:7, 24).

The phrase also emphasizes the stability of the gospel message. Its contents do not change but remain stable from the very beginning; it is not subject to change due to current worldly fads or philosophical thinking.

we have heard.

We have absolute certainty of the reality of what we proclaim. We have actually heard, seen, and touched Him, not transiently, but frequently. We lived with Him daily for years. We heard His teaching and saw His divine works (1Jhn. 1:1-3; 2Pet. 1:16; Acts. 5:31; 1Cor. 15:1-8).

Have heard - have seen (ἀκηκόαμεν - ἑωράκαμεν)

Both in the perfect tense, denoting the still abiding effects of the hearing and seeing.

With our eyes

Emphasizing the direct, personal experience in a marvelous matter.

The words used here point to the vivid recollection of the person of Jesus that John still had even in his old age. For John, even 60 years later, those memories were permanently etched on his mind as if the events had just happened.

From the beginning (ἀπ' ἀρχῆς)

The phrase occurs twice in the Gospel (John 8:44; 15:27); nine times in the First Epistle, and twice in the Second. It is used both absolutely (John 3:8; 2:13, 2:14), and relatively (John 15:27; 1Jhn. 2:24). It is here contrasted with in the beginning (John 1:1). The difference is that by the words in the beginning, the writer places himself at the initial point of creation, and, looking back into eternity, describes that which was already in existence when creation began. The Word was in the beginning. In the words from the beginning, the writer looks back to the initial point of time and describes what has been in existence from that point onward. Thus, in the beginning characterizes the absolute divine Word as He was before the foundation of the world and at the foundation of the world. From the beginning characterizes His development in time. Note the absence of the article both here and in John 1:1. Not the beginning as a definite, concrete fact, but as apprehended by man; that to which we look as beginning.

looked upon.

Greek: theaomai, gazing with a purpose; see with desire; regard with admiration. Related to theoreo, to gaze at, as a spectacle. It is used of physical sight and the actual presence of the object on which the gaze is fixed. It means a prolonged and continued gaze. All total, the words are used 81 times.

Have looked upon (ἐθεασάμεθα)

Rev., correctly, beheld. The tense is the aorist, marking not the abiding effect of the vision upon the beholder, but the historical manifestation to special witnesses. On the difference between this verb and ἑωράκαμεν we have seen, see on John 1:14, 1:18.

Have handled (ἐψηλάησαν)

The aorist tenses. Rev. handled. For the peculiar force of the verb see on Luke 24:39. The reference is, probably, to handle me (Luke 24:39), and to John 20:27. This is the more noticeable from the fact that John does not mention the fact of the Resurrection in the Epistles and does not use the word in his own narrative of the Resurrection. The phrase therefore falls in with the numerous instances in which John assumes the knowledge of certain historic facts on the part of his readers.

Word of life.

The Word was made flesh and dwelled among men so that they would have as much proof of His personal existence, as they had of any other person in their midst (John 1:1-2, 1:14; 1Tim. 3:16).

John here and below alludes to his eyewitness status. That of which he speaks, he has witnessed personally. His witness pertains to the Word of Life, which is the proclamation concerning the One in whom was life (John 1:4).

John was there from the beginning. His knowledge is first-hand. John is not writing from something someone else has told him, He is stating things he knows to be fact. John is aware that Jesus is the Word, which created all things.

Compare John 1:1, 1:9, 1:14. The construction of the first three verses is somewhat involved. It will be simplified by throwing it into three parts, represented respectively by 1Jhn. 1:1, 1:2, 1:3. The first part, that which was from the beginning - Word of Life, forms a suspended clause, the verb being omitted for the time, and the course of the sentence being broken by 1Jhn. 1:2, which forms a parenthesis: and the Life - manifested unto us. 1Jhn. 1:3, in order to resume the broken sentence of 1Jhn. 1:1, repeats in a condensed form two of the clauses in that verse, that which we have seen and heard, and furnishes the governing verb, we declare. Thus the simple sentence, divested of parenthesis and resumptive words would be, We declare unto you that which was from the beginning, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the Word of Life.

Of the Word (περὶ τοῦ λογοῦ)

Better, as Rev., concerning the Word.

Of life (τῆς ζωῆς)

Lit., the life. See on John 1:4. The phrase ὁ λόγος τῆς ζωῆς, the Word of the Life, occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. The nearest approach to it is Phlp. 2:16; but there neither word has the article. In the phrase words of eternal life (John 6:68), and in Acts 5:20, all the words of this life, ῥήματα is used. The question is whether λόγος is used here of the Personal Word, as John 1:1, or of the divine message or revelation. In the four passages of the Gospel where λόγος is used in a personal sense (John 1:1, 1:14), it is used absolutely, the Word compare Rev. 19:13. On the other hand, it is often used relatively in the New Testament; as word of the kingdom (Mat. 8:19); word of this salvation (Acts 8:26); word of His grace (Acts 20:32); word of truth (Jas. 1:18). By John ζωῆς of life, is often used in order to characterize the word which accompanies it. Thus, crown of life (Rev. 2:10); water of life (Rev. 21:6); book of life (Rev. 3:5); bread of life (John 6:35); i.e., the water which is living and communicates life; the book; which contains the revelation of life; the bread which imparts life. In the same sense, John 6:68; Acts 5:20. Compare Tit. 1:2, 1:3.

Though the phrase, the Word of the Life, does not elsewhere occur in a personal sense, I incline to regard its primary reference as personal, from the obvious connection of the thought with John 1:1, 1:4. In the beginning was the Word, - in Him was life. As John does not purpose to say that he announces Christ as an abstract single idea, but that he declares his own concrete historical experiences concerning Christ, - so now he continues, not the Logos (Word), but concerning the Word, we make annunciation to you (Ebrard). At the same time, I agree with Canon Westcott that it is most probable that the two interpretations are not to be sharply separated. The revelation proclaims that which it includes it has, announces, gives life. In Christ life as the subject, and life as the character of the revelation, were absolutely united.

John 1:1-4 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “The same was in the beginning with God.” “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

John was there when Jesus spoke to evil spirits, and they came out of people. John saw the miracles of those being raised from the dead, and the sick healed. John was there when Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. John was there when Jesus walked on the water.

He uses terms that strongly affirm the physical reality of Jesus, for a spirit cannot be heard, gazed at for long periods looked at, or touched as Jesus was by John during His earthly ministry and even after His resurrection. One in whom was life: This refers not only to Jesus Christ but the proclamation of His gospel.

It is a gross understatement to say that he touched Jesus. John lay with his head on the chest of Jesus. John was called the apostle of love, because of his great love for Jesus. John understood Jesus being the Lamb of God. John knew that Life itself was contained in Jesus.

John knew that Jesus was the source of all Light and Life, as we see in the following Scripture.

John 1:4 “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” The only life we have is in Jesus, all else brings death.

Prologue

Again, the first four verses of the epistle constitute its prologue. Here the writer affirmed the tangible reality of the Incarnation of Christ and announced that the goals of his letter were fellowship and joy.

The apostle declared his subject to be that which was from the beginning. Many have thought that he referred here to an absolute beginning, such as described in Gen. 1:1 and John 1:1. This is possible, but in view of the epistle’s concern with the original message about Jesus Christ, it seems more likely that John referred to the beginning of the gospel proclamation. If so, the usage is similar to that found in 1Jhn. 2:7, 2:24; and 1Jhn. 3:11. The writer was then asserting that what he proclaimed was the truth about God’s Son that was originally witnessed by the apostles who had direct contact with Him. Numbering himself among these apostolic eyewitnesses, the author described this proclamation as one which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched.

With these introductory words, the apostle directed his first shafts at the heresy with which he was concerned. The antichrists brought new ideas, not those which were from the beginning of the gospel era. Moreover, their denial of the reality of the incarnate life of Christ could be countered by the experiences of the eyewitnesses whose testimony was founded on actual hearing, seeing, and touching (cf. look and touch in Luke 24:39). John’s message is solidly based on a historical reality.

The exact meaning of the expression concerning the Word of life has been variously explained. By capitalizing the term Word, the NIV interprets this as a title for the Lord like that found in John 1:1, 1:14. But there this title has no qualifying phrase such as the expression of life, which is used here. It seems more natural to understand the phrase in the sense of the message about life for which Phlp. 2:16 furnishes a parallel see also Acts 5:20. Indeed, as 1Jhn. 1:2 shows, life, not word, is personified. Thus John was saying that his subject matter in this epistle deals with the original and well-attested verities that concern the message about Life - that is, about God’s Son, who is Life (cf. 1Jhn. 5:20).