"This writing begins without any of the formal features characteristic of a letter, such as we found in 2 John and 3 John. Since the conclusion also lacks any typical features of a letter, we must conclude that the writing is not so much a letter as a written sermon or address."12
John began this epistle by explaining to his audience why he wrote. He said he wrote so his readers would enjoy the fellowship with God that is possible only to those who have seen Him. This fellowship, he explained, rests on the reality of Jesus Christ's incarnation, and it results in full joy for those who experience it.
1:1 The "beginning"(Gr. arche) may refer to the beginning of all things (John 1:1) or the beginning of the creation (Gen. 1:1). It could also refer to the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry (i.e., His incarnation; John 1:14), the beginning of the readers' experience as Christians, or the beginning of the Christian gospel. The last option seems most consistent with what John proceeded to say about that beginning (1 John 2:7, 24; 3:11; cf. Mark 1:1-4; Acts 1:21-22). The baptism of Jesus, the start of His public ministry and its proclamation, signaled this beginning.
John's verbs indicate progressively closer approach to the object of investigation. The essence of fellowship is increasing intimacy. Our fellowship with God must involve drawing closer to Him and viewing Him more intently all the time to be genuine fellowship. John used his three basic senses to highlight the reality of the object. He cited personal experience and appealed to empirical evidence to support the humanity of Jesus Christ (cf. Luke 24:39). Some false teachers were denying His humanity.13Specific instances of personal encounter with Jesus Christ had left a continuing impression on John as is clear from the verb tenses (perfect in the Greek text).
John may have used "we"editorially to represent himself personally, or "we"may include all Christians. It is more likely, however, that "we"represents John and the other eyewitness of Jesus Christ. In this epistle John was speaking for others beside himself, and he was seeking to persuade still other believers of something not all of them had experienced or acknowledged (cf. Luke 1:2).14
The "word of life"probably refers to the message about Jesus Christ, namely, the gospel.15John referred to Jesus as "the Word"in his Gospel. The phrase "word of life"seems more likely to describe the message about the Person who is and who personifies life (cf. v. 2; Phil. 2:16; Acts 5:20). John probably spoke of Christ as "what"rather that "He"because John wanted to emphasize here the content of the message about Christ rather than the person of Christ.
1:2 "Life"is a title of Jesus Christ here as "Word"is in John's Gospel. It reflects Christian experiences about which John wrote here whereas "Word"(Gr. logos) reflects the facts Jesus declared that John recorded in the fourth Gospel. Grace and truth explain the Logos in John's Gospel (John 1:14), but light and love clarify Life in his Epistles.
In verse 1 the progression in the series of verbs (heard, seen, beheld, and handled) reflects increasingly intent attention to Jesus as the essence of fellowship. The progression in the verbs in verse 2 (manifested, seen, bear witness, and proclaim) shows the result of contemplating Jesus Christ and enjoying His fellowship, namely, witness. One first sees the manifested Christ. Then having seen he or she is able to bear witness. Finally one feels impelled by what that one has seen to announce to others the message of life.
There is a strong stress on the eternality of the life, Jesus Christ, in this verse. The emphases on the quality of the life (eternal) and its equality with the Father make this point. The Incarnation is in view.
Eternal life is such a dominant theme in this epistle that one writer even entitled his commentary on 1 John, The Epistle of Eternal Life.16In John's writings "eternal life"is synonymous with "salvation."17
1:3 "You,"the recipients of this epistle, must have been genuine believers (cf. 2:12-14, 21, 27; 5:13). They had not known Jesus Christ in the flesh as the apostles had. John wrote so they could enter into the intimate fellowship with Him that the apostolic eyewitnesses enjoyed.18
"This verse introduces the purpose of the Epistle: that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.'"19
"The main theme of the Epistle is fellowship with God."20
"Here we are given, without any hesitation, a description, the summum bonum, of the Christian life; here, indeed, is the whole object, the ultimate, the goal of all Christian experience and all Christian endeavour. This, beyond any question, is the central message of the Christian gospel and of the Christian faith."21
Fellowship requires and rests on information, a common body of knowledge, and acceptance of that data. John wrote to share this information with his readers.
"It is an interpretive mistake of considerable moment to treat the term fellowship' as though it meant little more than to be a Christian.'"22
False teachers were preaching information about Jesus Christ that was not true. John also wrote to combat their deception.
1:4 Here "we"is probably editorial. "These things"refers to what John wrote in this epistle. Not only would his readers experience full joy, but so would John as the readers entered into and continued in intimate fellowship with God (cf. 3 John 4). Joy is the product of fellowship with God. When there is no joy, there is no fellowship (cf. John 15:11; 16:24).
In summary, John wrote as an apostolic eyewitness. He identified two dangers that are still prevalent in the church today. One is the assumption that Christian fellowship is possible without common belief in Christ. The other is the assumption that someone can have a relationship with God without a relationship with Jesus Christ.23John wrote this epistle so his readers might join in the fellowship with God that is possible only for those who have seen God as the apostolic eyewitnesses of the incarnate Christ had done.
"He has the heart of a pastor which cannot be completely happy so long as some of those for whom he feels responsible are not experiencing the full blessings of the gospel."24
These verses, rather than 5:13, constitute the comprehensive purpose statement of the epistle.25
"It is usually true that in the introduction to a book we find the key to that book. In the first four verses of this Epistle we find the key."26
