1 John Chapter 1
Verses 1-4 That which is from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared, we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.
Viewing with the "Right Lens" of Understanding
By the time of this circular letter was written and distributed, Jesus had ascended to heaven some 50-60 years before this time. There were still many eye witnesses that were available to testify to Christ's existence and their experiences. Their witness countered any heresy concerning who Jesus was and to ensure the truth that Jesus came in the flesh and "dwelt among them." John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth." Fellowship of Believers - More than a Gathering The goal of John's teaching was shared fellowship. The idea of fellowship, from the Greek koinōnia (Christian fellowship and communion with God) was an important concept in the New Testament. Term reflected a close and familiar intimacy and communion among believers. John noted the importance of fellowship with each other and, he reminds the reader that we also have fellowship with both Christ and God the Father. A right relationship with God is seen as essential to right relationships with other people [This is the basis for the idea expressed in the book The Cross-Centered Gospel] Our fellowship as believers is grounded and anchored to the authority and testimony represented in God's Word. While we may not all agree on the same doctrine, we can be like-minded and experience unity on the foundational truth of the gospel of Jesus. |
Qualified Proclamation
The author, who is believed to be John the Apostle, establishes his authority to proclaim the truth about Jesus, the Christ, as he and others still remaining were eyewitnesses to this testimony.. Remember The recipients of this letter may not have seen and heard Jesus speak in person, but they could trust this account because of the eyewitness testimony which could still be validated. In addition, this testimony was authenticated by the existence of both oral testimony handed down by early church creeds and earlier written accounts. We are like these 2nd and 3rd generation Christians. Although we have not seen and heard Christ directly, we have this eyewitness record to testify to the teachings and existence of Jesus. These things John and others saw Jesus do, and which they heard Jesus teach, served as the basis for what they "proclaimed." The Greek word translated "proclaim" is apangellomen, which includes the idea of announcing or reporting. John could accurately teach about Jesus because he personally served with Him and had learned directly from the Lord. |
Acts 2:42 The Fellowship of Believers
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. The Greek word for "fellowship" is koinónia and means: partnership, contributory help, participation, sharing in, communion, spiritual fellowship, a fellowship in the spirit. Properly: what is shared in common as the basis of fellowship (partnership, community). When we think of "communion", we generally think of sharing wine and in the breaking of bread.in memory of Christ's death and shed blood on our behalf. While this is the basis for our beliefs, which would otherwise be in vain (1 Corinthians 15:14), the idea of 1st century "fellowship" was significantly more than that which included the breaking of bread contained in the larger framework of the "communion" of believers. This communion was more than just the presence of believers in their local community...it was the gathering of believers and unification of believers across "the world" based on the common belief and celebration of Jesus affecting their daily lives which was lived in relationship with God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ and in relationship with each other. |
vs 5-10 "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light; as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us."
Guiding Principles: for walking in the light
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Warning Principles for walking in falsehood
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