1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked on, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we to you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleans us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Fellowship with God in Light

1. Observe the grammatical form of 1Jn 1:1-3. In 1Jn 1:1 a sentence is begun which, interrupted by the parenthesis in 1Jn 1:2, is continued in 1Jn 1:3. The sense is, ’We declare unto you that which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, etc., concerning the Word of Life.’ From the beginning] cp. Joh 1:1. Heard.. handled] the evidence of eyewitness. The Docetists taught that Christ was a mere phantom: cp. Luk 24:39. Of the Word of life] RV ’concerning the Word of life’: cp. ’bread of life,’ Joh 6:35. For ’the Word’ (Logos) see on Joh 1:1.

2. This v. is parenthetical, reiterating the fact that the preëxistent Eternal Word was manifested to men. In 1Jn 1:3 this manifestation is said to determine man’s relation to God.

3. Declare we unto you] RV adds ’also,’ Fellowship with us] i.e. union with us in Christian fellowship. And truly] RV ’yea, and.’ Fellowship with Christian teachers involves fellowship with God in Christ.

4. That your joy may be full] RV ’that our joy may be fulfilled.’ ’Fellowship with Christ and with the brethren is the measure of the fulness of joy’ (Westcott).

5. Light.. darkness] The one suggests truth and goodness, the other falsehood and evil. All truth and goodness emanate from God. To walk in the light, therefore, i.e. to possess and practise these, is to have fellowship with Him. On the other hand, to be without these is to be without God ( 1Jn 1:6).

7. One with another] i.e. with other Christians, the result of fellowship with God. The blood of Jesus Christ] RV omits ’Christ.’ Only those who ’walk in the light’ can appropriate the cleansing efficacy of the life laid down upon the Cross. Cleanseth] The present tense denotes a continuous process—the progressive sanctification of the believer’s soul: cp. Joh 13:10.

8. Deceive ourselves] lit. ’lead ourselves astray.’

9. Just] RV ’righteous.’

Forgive.. cleanse] ’Forgive’ refers to the remission of punishment, ’cleanse’ to the removal of pollution.