ὅ, _i.e._ the Logos and the Eternal Life which He manifested. _Cf._ 1 John 1:4 : πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον with note. ἦν, “verbum æternitatis significativum non habentis initium” (Clem. Alex.). It “was” ere it “was manifested”. ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, בְּרֵאשִׁית (Genesis 1:1). The Logos already was when time began. “... [ Continue Reading ]
The Preface. “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we beheld and our hands felt, concerning the Word of Life and the Life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the Life, the Eternal Life, which was with the Father... [ Continue Reading ]
A parenthesis reiterating the assurance of the reality of the manifestation. The Apostle heaps assurance upon assurance with elaborate emphasis, and the cumbrousness of his language should not be removed by devices of construction or punctuation, making 1 John 1:1 a complete sentence: (1) “That whic... [ Continue Reading ]
ὃ ἐωρ. καὶ ἀκ., not merely a resumption but a reiteration of the protasis. καὶ ὑμεῖς, “ye also” who have not seen Jesus. κοινωνίαν, not merely knowledge through hearsay of what the Apostles had known as eye-witnesses, but personal and direct communion with the living Lord. This St. John proceeds to... [ Continue Reading ]
ἡμεῖς, clearly the editorial plural. The reading ὑμῶν seems at the first glance more attractive than ἡμῶν as evincing a generous solicitude on the part of the Apostle for the highest good of his readers, _viz._, the fulfilment of their joy. Rothe: “Wer es weis, dass das uranfängliche Leben erschiene... [ Continue Reading ]
ἀγγελία in N.T. only here and 1 John 3:2. ἐπαγγελία could only mean “promise” (_cf._ 1 John 2:25). ἀπαγγέλλειν and ἀναγγέλλειν both mean “announce,” the former with reference to the source of the message (ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ) and the latter to its destination. “ _Quod Filius annunciavit, renunciat a... [ Continue Reading ]
The Message of the Incarnation and the Duty which it brings. “And this is the message which we have heard from Him and are announcing to you, that God is light, and darkness in Him there is none. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and be walking in the darkness, we lie and are not doing the... [ Continue Reading ]
The heresy of Antinomianism, represented by the Nicolaitans (_cf._ Introd. p. 156). ἐὰν εἴπωμεν, a gentle and charitable hypothesis. He does not charge his readers with actually holding this pernicious doctrine, and he includes himself (“we,” not “ye”). περιπατεῖν, Heb. הָלַךְ, of the whole course o... [ Continue Reading ]
The heresy of Perfectionism. Some might not say, with the Antinomians, that they were absolved from the obligation of the moral law, but they maintained that they were done with sin, had no more sinful propensities, committed no more sinful acts. In opposition hereto the Apostle asserts two facts: ... [ Continue Reading ]