1 Jn 1:1-5
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
The New Testament > 1 John > Chapter 1
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Contents |
Questions
What kind of a document is this?
What relationship does this text have to other Johannine literature, especially the Gospel of John?
Who is the "we" that is bearing testimony?
Lexical notes
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Exegesis
Verse 1
1 John is labeled as an “epistle,” though from the outset it challenges this categorization. A normal epistle would begin with a prescript, where the sender identifies him or herself and then identifies the recipient. Paul’s epistles are good references on this literary custom. A typical example is the opening of 1 Corinthians: “Paul…and our brother Sosthenes, to the church of God that is in Corinth…” (1:1-2). But 1 John does not follow this convention at all. Neither the sender nor the recipients are identified. Instead, there is an opening declaration, a testimony of certain truths. In this sense, 1 John is not proper epistle. However, this commentary will refer to 1 John as an epistle in title only, not as a classification.
“[We declare to you…]” These words do not actually appear in the Greek, and the KJV reflects this feature. Most modern translators have added in this introductory sentence, or another like it, to soften the harsh beginning. It anticipates verse 3. Otherwise, it opens with five relative clauses and reads very stiffly. The JST also recognizes the abruptness of the original text and offers a smoother introduction: “Brethren, this is the testimony which we give of…” These first four verses present a complex grammatical declaration, difficult to follow even in English. Verses 1-4 make up one long sentence in Greek. The exegesis of these passages is extremely tricky, and there is certainly more than one way of reading them.
“We…” The difficulty of understanding the first Johannine epistle is complicated by the use of the first person plural throughout. Sometimes it refers to just the author(s), and sometimes it refers to the author(s) and the recipients. The testimony borne by this group is found also in the Gospel of John. In the concluding remarks of chapter 21 the group collectively testifies to the veracity of the work. Speaking of the Beloved Disciple, they write, “This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true” (21:24). The similar opening lines of 1 John let us know that it is not John himself who is writing, but a representative of the Johannine school, a group of his followers taught and trained in his teachings and style. The author is capable of using the first person singular “I” when he writes (e.g. 2:1). The opening testimonial is written by a single author, but given on behalf of the entire school.
“…from the beginning…” This opening phrase immediately recalls the opening lines of the Prologue to the Gospel and Genesis. These two texts refer to a primordial beginning that precedes the creation of the world. Others catchwords include “life,” “word,” and “light.” In the Gospel all of these refer to Jesus Christ, but in each case 1 John employs these terms for slightly different ends. The same is true for the understanding of “beginning.” The same phrase appears also in 1 John 3:11 and 2 John 5. In both cases, it does not refer to a cosmic event such as the one in Genesis or the Gospel of John. Rather, the “beginning” in the Johannine Epistles refers to the foundational events of the community, perhaps including the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ. The author seeks to recall the origins of the community. This rhetorical move establishes the writer’s authority as one who knows what has been “from the beginning,” and calls the community to remember these events. The writer makes a claim to truth that excludes the claims of the opponents about how things are supposed to be.
“…what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands…” Here, it seems, the author presents himself, on behalf of the school, as a historical witness to something. He emphasizes that he has experienced it audibly, visually, and palpably. The physicality and historicity of the events he is describing are meant to counter the claims of the opponents, who deny the fleshly reality of Jesus Christ. Again, the use of the first person plural refers to the collective experience of the school. The traditions of the Johannine community emphasized the material reality of Jesus at the time of the resurrection (John 20:27-9). The author is not necessarily a first hand participant in these events, but a keeper of the collective traditions of the school. He bears testimony of the experiences of those who have gone before him.
“…the word of life…” In the Prologue of the Gospel, the Word (logos) refers to the pre-incarnate Jesus. Many scholars, including the translators of the KJV, have similarly capitalized the reference to the “Word” in 1 John, thus attributing the same personal qualities to this “word” as the “Word” in the Gospel of John 1:1-4. The “Word of Life” is considered to be a title of Jesus. But this is not necessarily the most correct reading of the text. It is better to understand it as the “message” of life. The term for “word” is used in other constructions in the New Testament, like the “word of God” that follow this pattern. In Philippians 2:16, the “word of life” refers to the message of the gospel. This does not mean that it contradicts John 1:1-4, but that it has a different use in mind. The “word of life” is not the object of the previous relative clauses. In this passage, the word is not personified as it is in the Gospel. It is introduced by the preposition “concerning,” being mistranslated in the KJV as “of the Word of life.” In other Johannine passages, the “life” is the blessing given to believers. Perhaps the “life” is the result of the message of the “word.” Consider the “bread of life” (John 6:35), “light of life” (8:12), and “water of life” (Rev 21:6). Verse 2 clarifies even further. The Life refers to Christ, and his “word” is the gospel message, “the proclamation of Jesus’ person and ministry.”
Verse 2
“…this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it…” Verse 2 is a parenthetical explanation of the “life” in verse 1. It is clear from this verse that it is not the “word” that is personified, but the “Life.” The Johannine tradition holds that they have seen and testify concerning this Life. In the Prologue to the Gospel, “life” is an attribute of the Word, “in him was life” (1:4). But later, Jesus declares, “I am the life” (John 11:25; 14:6). In the Johannine literature, Christ is “revealed.” The same verb is used to describe how Jesus appeared to the disciples at the resurrection (John 21:1, 14) and also describes his earthly ministry (John 1:31; 7:4).
“…the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us…” This clause finishes off the parenthetical statement. It also serves as further evidence that the Life, not the “word” is personified in 1 John. Here, the Life has pre-existence with the Father, just as the Word “was with the God” in John 1. The Life is called Eternal to indicate that this life comes from the realm or sphere of God. Life was revealed to them in the person of Jesus Christ. The Gospel of John refers to God as “Father” more than all of the other Gospel writers combined. For Johannine community, the relationship between God and his children was intimate.
Verse 3
“…we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us…” The author resumes his introduction. He explains the purpose of his testimony. It is intended to persuade his audience to remain faithful to the Johannine tradition. He emphasizes “fellowship” as the ideal. The Greek word for “fellowship” (koinonia) connotes a close bond of unity. Unity is one of the primary themes of 1 John stresses the value of community or fellowship in order to strengthen his own community after the disruptive schism (see 2:19).
“…truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ…” The Johannine school shares the intimate relationship with divinity that it encourages among its members. Again, “fellowship” is seen as the ideal relationship of unity. This verse also teaches the divine heritage of Jesus Christ.
Verse 4
“…We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.” The KJV reads “write we unto you that your joy…” However, in light of better manuscript evidence this tradition is no longer supported. The dative case “unto you” in later copies of the text on which the KJV is based had replaced an earlier emphatic “we”. Additionally, the reading of “your joy” is also a later addition. “Our joy” is preferred. The text promises a fulfillment of joy to those who will obtain fellowship with the community and with God.
Verse 5
“…the message…” The root of this word (angelia) is shared by the word for “gospel” (euangelia). The euangelia is the “good message.” The point that follows is emphasized by the use of this word. The use of the definite article also puts weight on the teaching. The active verb used here, “to proclaim” (anangelien) also derives from the same root.
“…we have heard from him and proclaim to you …” The antecedent to the pronoun “him” is not immediately clear. Does it refer to the Father or Jesus Christ? Most likely, the message which they have heard from the beginning refers to the preaching of Jesus during his mortal ministry.
“…God is light…” This is the message that receives special attention. The text does not say that this is a quotation of Jesus, but rather that this is the substance of his teaching. There is no exact parallel saying known from any other source of Jesus’ life. In John’s Gospel, Jesus declares, “I am the light” (8:12; cf. 1:4-5, 7-9; 3:19; 12:35, 46). This is one example of the difference between the two texts. Often where the Gospel is Christocentric, the Epistle is theocentric. But this analysis fails to uncover the different ways that the Gospel and the Epistle understand the concept of light.
The claim that God is light is not intended to make any philosophical claim of God’s essence, nor to define God cosmic being. It is not making a metaphysical claim, but an ethical one. Other “God is…” sayings are found in both the Gospel and the Epistle. Compare “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and “God is love” (1 John 4:8). These “God is…” sayings are not meant to define God, but to define what God is to humanity.
There is a key difference between the way that the Gospel uses the term “light” and how the Epistle uses it. The Gospel takes part in a tradition in which the “light” is a cosmic character. In Gen 1:3 God creates “light.” This light is unique because it is not associated with any of the heavenly bodies, namely the sun, moon, and stars. Many ancient interpreters believed that this light was created to make it possible for God to see while he was working. Philo equates this light with the image of the Word (logos), explaining, “it was a light higher than the stars, the source of the starlight that can be seen.” For Philo, the divine hierarchy begins with God, then the Word, and then Light. Aristobulus, another Jewish philosopher, explains that this light illuminates all of creation: “…the first [day], the one in which the light was born by which all things are seen together.” The Prologue of the Gospel tells a similar story of the Word, comparing the Word to the Light: “In him was life, and the life was the light of all people…the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:4, 9). The Gospel sees Christ as the pre-existent cosmic light of creation that enters the world in the human form of Jesus.
The Epistle does not rely on the same interpretation of the cosmic light as the Gospel. Instead, it understands light and darkness in ethical terms. The next verses (1:6-10) give claims and counterclaims about morality and sin. The statement “God is light” introduces these sections. A cosmic being is not implied. Instead, light and dark, or “walking in light” and “walking in darkness” are metaphors for righteous conduct within the context of an ethical dualism. These shades represent “two ways” between which believers must choose.
“…and in him there is no darkness at all…” The pattern of a positive statement followed by a negative one that continues the same thesis can be found in other biblical texts (Deut 32:4; Ps 92:16). Both these biblical examples emphasize God’s righteousness. 1 John uses light and darkness as symbols of ethical dualism.
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