1 John1
New Living Translation
1We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
2This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.
3We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
5This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
6So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
7But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
10If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 John 1.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The apostle prefaces his epistle to believers in general, with evident testimonies to Christ, for promoting their happiness and joy. (1–4). The necessity of a life of holiness, in order to communion with God, is shown. (5–10).
vv1-4
That essential Good, that uncreated Excellence, which had been from the beginning, from eternity, as equal with the Father, and which at length appeared in human nature for the salvation of sinners, was the great subject concerning which the apostle wrote to his brethren. The apostles had seen Him while they witnessed his wisdom and holiness, his miracles, and love and mercy, during some years, till they saw him crucified for sinners, and afterwards risen from the dead. They touched him, so as to have full proof of his resurrection. This Divine Person, the Word of life, the Word of God, appeared in human nature, that he might be the Author and Giver of eternal life to mankind, through the redemption of his blood, and the influence of his new-creating Spirit. The apostles declared what they had seen and heard, that believers might share their comforts and everlasting advantages. They had free access to God the Father. They had a happy experience of the truth in their souls, and showed its excellence in their lives. This communion of believers with the Father and the Son, is begun and kept up by the influences of the Holy Spirit. The benefits Christ bestows, are not like the scanty possessions of the world, causing jealousies in others; but the joy and happiness of communion with God is all-sufficient, so that any number may partake of it; and all who are warranted to say, that truly their fellowship is with the Father, will desire to lead others to partake of the same blessedness.
vv5-10
A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion. God holds no heavenly fellowship or intercourse with unholy souls. There is no truth in their profession; their practice shows its folly and falsehood. The eternal Life, the eternal Son, put on flesh and blood, and died to wash us from our sins in his own blood, and procures for us the sacred influences by which sin is to be subdued more and more, till it is quite done away. While the necessity of a holy walk is insisted upon, as the effect and evidence of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, the opposite error of self-righteous pride is guarded against with equal care. All who walk near to God, in holiness and righteousness, are sensible that their best days and duties are mixed with sin. God has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world, by providing a sufficient, effectual Sacrifice for sin, needed in all ages; and the sinfulness of believers themselves is shown, by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and to apply by faith to the blood of that Sacrifice. Let us plead guilty before God, be humble, and willing to know the worst of our case. Let us honestly confess all our sins in their full extent, relying wholly on his mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a free and full forgiveness, and our deliverance from the power and practice of sin.
Key Words
ὅς (hós): the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
ἦν (ēn): I (thou, etc.) was (wast or were)
ἀπό (apó): "off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)
ἀρχή (archḗ): (properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank)
ἀκούω (akoúō): to hear (in various senses)
ὁράω (horáō): by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear
ἡμῶν (hēmōn): of (or from) us
ὀφθαλμός (ophthalmós): the eye (literally or figuratively); by implication, vision; figuratively, envy (from the jealous side-glance)
θεάομαι (theáomai): to look closely at, i.e. (by implication) perceive (literally or figuratively); by extension to visit
καί (kaí): and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Cross References
1 John 1Direct linguistic parallel regarding the Word's eternal existence 'from the beginning' before creation.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Empirical evidence of Christ's resurrection; using the same Greek term for hands handling his physical body.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
The incarnation of the Word, transitioning from eternal existence to visible, beheld glory.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Old Testament personification of Wisdom 'set up from everlasting, from the beginning' paralleling the Word.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Thomas physically touching the resurrected Christ, illustrating the ultimate sensory confirmation of the incarnate Word.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Establishes that the Word is the radical source and fountain of life and light.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Contrasts the deception of covering sins with the mercy found through honest confession.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Classic Old Testament pattern of confessing sin to receive faithful forgiveness and cleansing.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Contrasts the physical handling of Christ with pagans groping blindly after an unknown God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The apostolic mandate to bear witness because they have been eyewitnesses from the start.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Promises that entering fellowship with God results in complete, fulfilled joy.
Supported by JFB
Demonstrates the absolute ethical incompatibility between divine light and spiritual darkness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Underscores that no living man is righteous before God, refuting claims of sinlessness.
Supported by John Calvin
Direct Old Testament confirmation that there is no man on earth who does not sin.
Supported by John Calvin