1 John 1:1, commentary and pictures

That which was from the beginning is the eternal Word of life who was with the Father and was then manifested in flesh and blood as a real man. To have heard, seen with the eyes, looked upon, and handled Him means direct personal embodied contact, close observation, and daily companionship, not hearsay. It is written in simplest language with decided certainty from experimental knowledge, with no supposition, guess-work, or doubt. What was seen and heard is declared so that hearers may have fellowship with the witnesses, and truly that fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, that joy may be full. The message heard from Him is that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, so to walk in the light gives fellowship with one another and cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. It is the pattern for all Christian witness, that those who have tasted truth as a living reality tell what they themselves have heard, seen, handled, and experienced of His saving power.

Words and Eyewitness Sense

That which was from the beginning is Christ as the eternal Word of life, who was with the Father and was then manifested to men in flesh and blood as a real man. The Word of life means eternal life in person, divinity clothed with humanity, the eternal life which was with the Father made known in human life and human experience. He is the Saviour to whom the Jewish sacrificial offerings pointed, the one who would give Himself as an offering for sin, who came not to leave people in sin but to take away the sin of the world through obedience to the truth. The witnesses heard Him, saw Him, looked upon Him and touched Him, and testified to what they had experienced and declared it so others might share their fellowship with the Father and with His Son and have full joy.

Heard, seen with the eyes, looked upon and handled with the hands mean direct personal embodied contact with a real living God, not hearsay. It was close looking, daily companionship, talking with Him, learning of Him and loving Him, hearing, seeing, closely looking at and touching by hands the Life openly shown. The Life was manifested and seen, the eternal life which was with the Father manifested to them, and what was seen and heard is declared so hearers may have fellowship with the witnesses and truly with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. That firsthand seeing and hearing grounds the message in direct experience of Christ from the beginning.

John writes in simplest language with decided certainty and no hesitation, and that simplicity holds depth and true practical godliness. His is experimental knowledge with no supposition, guess-work, doubt, controversy or contention, but certain testimony and definite knowledge that Christ lived on this earth, an experience every soul may have. It is the firm decided testimony of an old man nearly one hundred years old who had personally been with Christ, had heard, seen, looked upon and handled the crucified and risen Saviour, and who repeated the glad message over and over to declare what he had seen and heard. That certain witness was given when questions caused doubt and dissension to establish believers, and it is preaching from firsthand certain knowledge, not cunningly devised fables, spoken with earnestness, positiveness and authority as plain truth that hearers know is reality.

The contact was scene after scene of His wonderful pure holy life, whose beauty no human words could fully express, lived in close association with Jesus during His ministry hearing His words and seeing His deeds. The disciples knew for a certainty they had been in daily companionship with the Commander of the heavenly host made flesh dwelling among them, bearing witness in their lives to the loveliness of His character. They spoke and traveled with Him, handled His resurrected body with its wounded hands and feet so there was no room to doubt He was the crucified Jesus, heard His words of hope and comfort, and watched Him ascend, which connected heaven for them with the living Jesus their Friend. At the transfiguration the seeing with eyes and hearing with ears was the three chosen disciples seeing Jesus glorified with Moses and Elijah paying Him homage and hearing the voice from the excellent glory declare His divinity as the Son of God, evidence that cannot be doubted that He is the promised Messiah, to strengthen them to endure His humiliation and crucifixion and then after He was risen to substantiate that He is indeed the Son of God.

John's Setting and Purpose

John bore this witness as an aged man nearly one hundred years old, the oldest living eyewitness who had been with Christ, who loved to relate his blessed experience often and yet kept self out of sight by not mentioning his own name. His testimony rested on firsthand embodied knowledge of the Word of life, the crucified and risen Saviour whom he had heard and seen with his eyes and looked upon and handled, revealing the life of Christ in his own life and repeating the glad message over and over out of a heart overflowing with love that no power could stop. He continued to repeat it in exile on the lonely isle of Patmos, where his persecutors thought his voice would be silenced and counted him past service as an old broken reed, but there he received a wonderful revelation from his Lord of the future for those living in the closing days of earth's history, a view of heavenly things and messages for the church in all ages which he was bidden to write in a book.

The testimony was given when questions were brought in to cause doubt and dissension in the early history of the Christian church, when faith wavered under fierce opposition and persecution. Its purpose was to establish the faith of believers and give them courage, steadfastly to maintain faith and steady young believers in danger of losing hold on Christ. At the same time it stood as firsthand evidence against those who had rejected and crucified Him, holding up the crucified Redeemer before those who rejected Him and hated Him and wished to forget Him as a witness against their wicked deeds in crucifying the Lord of glory.

What was seen and heard is declared so that hearers may have fellowship with the witnesses, and truly that fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, that joy may be full. The purpose is to bring real men and women into contact with God, to show what God is doing and what man must do to meet God's requirements. This witness is a word to be repeated to brethren in responsible positions and is addressed to those living in the last generation.

The message heard from Him and declared is that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. To claim fellowship while walking in darkness is to lie and not do the truth, while to walk in the light as He is in the light gives fellowship with one another and cleansing from all sin by the blood of Jesus Christ His Son. To say there is no sin is self-deception with truth absent, to confess sins brings faithful and just forgiveness and cleansing from all unrighteousness, and to say sin has not been committed or to deny sin makes God a liar with His word absent from within.

Christ our Mediator is kept as the center, the all and in all, the foundation and object of faith and hope, so the reader's mind is centered on the comprehensive truths presented rather than on the witness himself.

Christ Revealed as Life

The life was manifested and seen, and is borne witness to as that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to the witnesses. The Word of life was from the beginning and was truly encountered, heard and seen with the eyes and closely looked upon and touched with the hands. What was seen and heard is declared so that hearers may have fellowship with the witnesses, and truly that fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, so that joy may be full. This witness is addressed to those living in the last generation, and the message heard from Him and declared with it is that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

He is the Saviour to whom the Jewish sacrificial offerings pointed, the one who would give Himself as an offering for sin. He came not to leave people in sin but to take away the sin of the world through obedience to the truth, by the gift of God's only begotten Son in love. This manifested life brings salvation by pardon and cleansing from sin by the blood of Christ, with mercy and forgiveness to all who come to Christ trusting in His merits. With it comes power to become sons of God, with His perfect law put into mind and heart.

All that is comprehended in Deity was represented in His human life, so that in witnessing to the name of Christ the witnesses bore witness of the Father also. His words echo what God has said, and knowing Him as revealed in the Word is the way to know what God is like. That which was heard and seen and handled was scene after scene of His wonderful pure holy life, whose beauty no human words could fully express, borne witness to in lives reflecting the loveliness of Christ's character.

By studying His life and beholding His glory, John was changed into the same image from glory to glory and from character to character, till he was like what he adored. Imitating the life in which he delighted, his Master's lessons were engraved on his soul, he represented Christ's character and spoke with simplicity eloquent with pervading love, feeling insult and slight to Christ to the depths of his being, and showing the glory of the Lord and the beauty of holiness with Christlike radiance in his face. Close association with Jesus made the witnesses fit to proclaim His words, character, precepts, and example as the spotless standard for human life, and studying Christ's life and character and communing with Him through living faith likewise transforms His ministers toward His likeness and prepares them to lead others to Him.

The testimony to the Word of life in the first chapter is the foundation needed to understand and receive the second chapter. God's little children are to sin not and not continue in sin and transgress the law. If any sin there is an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Knowing Him is shown by keeping His commandments, and keeping His word perfects the love of God in those who walk even as He walked under the old commandment heard from the beginning.

Confirming Scripture and Prophecy

The firsthand account of hearing, seeing with the eyes, looking upon, and handling the Word of life who was from the beginning confirms the teaching of the Old and New Testaments. That witness was secured by Christ's promise before He left that the Holy Spirit would bring all things to their remembrance, and it has come down through the ages to the present time so that those living now may have fellowship with the men who bore it. Their testimony, confirmed by prophecy, gives evidence of Christ's coming in fulfillment of prophecy.

Though later believers did not see Jesus themselves, they can trust the disciples' testimony and by faith share their sight and hearing of Him. Through the apostles' sight and hearing later believers learn about Jesus and accept by faith the evidence of His miracles and divinity.

The seeing with the eyes and hearing with the ears includes the three chosen disciples seeing Jesus glorified at the transfiguration and hearing the voice from the excellent glory declare His divinity as the Son of God, with Moses and Elijah paying Him homage. This gives evidence that cannot be doubted that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, to strengthen the witnesses to endure His humiliation and crucifixion. What they witnessed was to be kept secret until the Son of man was risen from the dead, and then to be given after the resurrection to substantiate that He is indeed the Son of God.

The same John who gave this faithful testimony to eternal life manifested in Christ, declared so that others may have fellowship with him and with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ, was in old age banished to the lonely Isle of Patmos where persecutors thought his voice would be silenced. There he received a wonderful revelation from his Lord of the future for those living in the closing days of this earth's history, which he was bidden to write in a book, being given a view of heavenly things and messages to write out for the church in all ages. It shows that Christ's true and faithful servants cannot be put where Jesus Christ cannot find them, and that God honors aged servants found true and faithful, even when counted by men as past service, by giving through them the most glorious truths concerning the last chapters of this earth's history.

The verse is full of brave courage, hope, faith, and assurance, holding up the crucified Redeemer before those who rejected Him, hated Him, wished to forget Him, and crucified the Lord of glory. It stands as a witness against their wicked deeds, testifying against those who had rejected and crucified Him even when John was exiled on Patmos. The aged John preached it with zeal and success as the doctrine of Christ, and when the faith of Christians wavered under fierce opposition he repeated it with dignity, power, and eloquence. It was a testimony of power that his adversaries could not controvert and that greatly encouraged his brethren.

Model for Witness Today

John's heard, seen, looked upon, and handled becomes the pattern for all Christian witness, for those whose hearts have been touched by grace tell what they themselves have heard, seen, handled, and experienced of Christ's saving power and how His promises have proved true. Even those with little opportunity for instruction can share the good news when they have tasted truth as a living reality. Believers testify from personal experience of His power and help, and a life shaped by Him gives the word life-giving power that makes its reality persuasive. That witness is gathered where God speaks through His servants, catching bright beams of light and receiving precious messages from heaven, then declaring to others what was heard and received so they may have fellowship, while absenting oneself brings real loss and cuts off the spiritual advantage and better knowledge needed to bestow light upon others. What was seen and heard is declared so others may have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Preaching is testimony from firsthand certain knowledge, not cunningly devised fables. Those who believe sacred, eternal truth cultivate earnestness and positiveness mingled with persuasive entreaties, present the plain Thus saith the Lord with authority, exalt the wisdom of God in the written Word, speak what they know and testify what is truth because God has spoken it, let the heart be vitalized by the Spirit, speak with such certainty that hearers know the truth is a reality, preach short and right to the point, and bring people to decision with the assurance of eyewitnesses. The teacher tastes the truth for himself with inwrought conviction until it is a live truth and living reality, not supposition or secondhand knowledge, and being cleansed from sin and under its sanctifying influence declares what the truth has done for his own soul with assurance, persuasion, and earnestness of manner and voice. That firsthand testimony carries life-giving power and freshness that attracts hearers, convicts them it is true, dispels error and unbelief as light in darkness, works sanctification on the receptive heart, and invites hearers into fellowship through knowledge of the truth. The declared testimony is sure and will be met in the judgment, so it must not be given a perverted or wrong view that corrupts Bible doctrines, sows seeds of error, turns souls into the path of error and infidelity, and drags others into darkness.

Faithful workers who have stood in God's work from its early days through storm and trial can speak these words as their own experience. Aged workers can still be used by God, as shown by John's firm, decided testimony as an old man nearly one hundred years old, revealing the life of Christ in his own life and repeating the glad message over and over to declare what he had seen and heard so others might have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, steadfastly maintaining faith to steady young believers in danger of losing hold under persecution. Aged ministers who for many years have learned from the Great Teacher, whose hearts are moved by the Holy Spirit, on whose hearts God has written His laws, and whom He has taught through revelations of His Spirit so they will not easily be deceived, proclaim the Word of life in a most convincing manner to large congregations with the words of eternal life written on the tablets of the soul. Young men entering the ministry or with little experience are to listen to the message God gives through these aged servants and learn precious lessons from them. The same applies to longtime workers such as Elder Loughborough, who could speak of what they had heard and witnessed in years of service, and experienced ministers pass on the work by training younger workers alongside them, with aged believers who have witnessed and upheld the message having a continuing work to declare what they have known so others may share fellowship with the Father and the Son.

The same eyewitness ground belongs to those who witnessed the proclamation of the Advent message from the beginning and the great solemn warning messages to the world, with the word spoken confirmed by the Holy Spirit's power. That personal experience in 1843 and 1844 gives confident certainty that the truth received through the Holy Spirit's working is not a lie, substantiated by the testimony of the Word of God and by the evidences of the last half century, while heresies come to nothing. The true message now is identical without change to that proclaimed for more than fifty years, received by personal experience and faithfully handed on, heard, seen, looked upon, and handled from the beginning and declared now so others may have fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ unto full joy, for God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. Those who have seen and heard hold fast the sacred holy truths and present them in plainness and simplicity, proclaiming the old message again with zeal kindled anew and revealing Jesus by word and deed rather than inventing a new one.

Every channel God has used to communicate truth is to be respected as an appointed human agent through whom the waters of life have flowed, a depository of sacred truth and co-laborer diffusing light, whose defects are not to be depreciated but whose truth and virtues are to be cherished and imitated. Sin must be called by its right name, against hinderers who are not converted and seek their own glory by presenting themselves as originators of new theories claiming truth, which if received lead to denial of the truth given for the past fifty years and substantiated by demonstration of the Holy Spirit. All are warned over the character of their work to fall into line for their own souls and others, holding fast the faith with truth indelibly impressed instead of starting a new track that uses Scripture to substantiate error and leads minds into confusion away from truth. Every soul is to be accountable to God for service, to give deep thought and seek the Lord, to keep singleness of purpose because time to work is short, to receive wisdom from Christ as sanctification and righteousness, to walk in knowledge of the truth as a partaker of the divine nature, to avoid crowding the mind with variety that loses true understanding, to constantly improve the mind to comprehend the plain Thus saith the Lord, to obtain now a genuine experience of more value than recognized, and to walk humbly with God where to be called faithful in least is worth more than gold or silver or precious stones. The testimony is to be read carefully and applied by the Holy Spirit to the heart, calling the reader to let the Holy Spirit abide within, to have Satan expelled from the soul temple, and to open the door of the heart to Jesus to enjoy richest blessing.