1 John 1:1-4 Study Guide
Christian Fellowship
1 John 1:1-4
Quick Facts
Most likely written by John in the last third of the 1st Century
The letters of John are written in response to false teaching in an unnamed church
Key themes include right belief, devotion and obedience to God
This section seems to begin similarly to the Gospel of John (John 1:1;14)
Main Point of the Sermon: Christian fellowship comes through knowing Christ, loving truth, and belonging to His Church.
Commentary
(1) “That which was from the beginning,” This term is often used in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) and in other sources to mean without a beginning. John is establishing for his audience the nature of the one in whom he is about to discuss. The subject is Jesus, so this points to His eternal and divine nature.
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life
In addition to Jesus being divine and without a beginning, He was also a man. This first verse reveals the unique nature of Christ that belongs to Him and no one else. He is both truly divine and truly man.
This seems simple enough to us today because the matter of Jesus’ divine nature was settled in 325 A.D. and 381 A.D. at the Council of Nicaea. To the first century Christian this would have been a challenging concept. It also speaks to the nature of the church’s dispute, which led to this letter. Over the history of the Church some have challenged Jesus’ human nature, suggesting that He is divine and spirit only. The opposite has also been a heretical view of Christ in that He is man and not divine.
John leaves no question here in 1 John 1:1 as to the nature of Christ, nor does He in the Gospel that bears his name:
—“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
—“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a)
(2) the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us
Eternal life proceeds from God, He is the giver of this precious treasure and purchases with His own Son. Here John uses the term “we”, which most agree means John and his fellow witnesses of Jesus on earth. This is important because he is about to layout a refutation of the heresy and false teaching that has split the church. He is asserting his own authority as an Apostle, a witness of Jesus’ ministry, and most qualified to share the following truths.
(3) that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
John is writing these things as a witness to Christ, which is something Jesus told him he’d be. As a witness, his responsibility is to share the truth about Christ with as many people as possible so that they might enter into the same fellowship. What kind of fellowship? One that includes a familial relationship with God as Father and Jesus as brother. It is also a familial relationship with all other Christians who have accepted the witness and believed. See below for more on fellowship.
(4) And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
The joy here belongs to the fellowship, it is available to all who believe and belong to God. John’s concern here is pastoral. Any pastor or shepherd longs to see those under his care to find their greatest joy in Christ. This joy is everlasting and stands the test of man’s ups and downs. One who has joy in Christ needs nothing else because s/he has everything in Him. As we will discover later in this letter, the Christian’s joy is found to increase as they know Christ, obey Him, and grow in their love for both Him and those in the fellowship”
—“I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.” (2:26)
—“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.; My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1:6; 2:1)
—“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (4:7-8)
Theological Development
Fellowship: What many consider today as fellowship is only a kernel of the biblical definition. You might think of fellowship as something you “do” before and after a worship service. Instead the fellowship is the union of believers by the blood of Christ. Within this fellowship there is a deep and abiding love that sees God’s people care for one another in a self-sacrificing way that is a glimpse of Christ's extravagant love for His people. In this community is the presence of a great gift- “True joy comes from participation in the Kingdom of God.” Participation is a key aspect of the koinonia (fellowship) where each person has a role to play in the life of the collective body. We see a wonderful and clear picture of this life in Acts 2:42-47, “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Absolute Truth: Postmodernism is the day in which we live in where many reject the notion that truth is absolute. At its core is the rejection that God has created the world, everything in it, and that truth can be known. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but one that has been present since the Fall. Adam rejected the truth that God had given to him and exchanged it for a lie. John here is writing to a local church or churches that have seen the encroachment of false teaching.John lays out an early creed that God is known through Christ. He is divine, human, and totally unique. John also points the churches to the teaching of the Lord Jesus. We are called to know His teachings, to obey that truth, and share it with the world (Mt. 28). We are also called to love one another.
For this reason we as followers of Jesus are called to be lifelong learners who treasure Christ and all that He taught. Through our learning we apply His teaching and share them with others. We must treasure these truths, stand up for them, and be watchful for false teachers and teachings.