ii. 18). Nowhere in Peter, James, Jude, or the Apocalypse. Frequent in John’s Gospel and Epistles, and in the latter, uni- formly.*
3. The regular course of the sentence, broken by ver. 2, is now resumed, by the repetition of that which we have seen and heard. Only the order is reversed: seen and heard instead of heard and seen (ver. 1), and the two elements of experience, sight and hearing, are thrown together without the repeated relative that which. In ver. 1, the climax advanced from the lower evidence of hearing to that of sight. Here, in recapitu- lating, the process is reversed, and the higher class of evidence is put first.
Unto you also («al tuiv). The also is variously explained. According to some, referring to a special circle of Christian readers beyond those addressed at the conclusion of the Gospel. Others, again, as referring to those who had not seen and heard as contrasted with eye-witnesses. Thus Augustine on John xx. 26 sqq. ‘‘He (Thomas) touched the man, and confessed the God. And the Lord, consoling us who, now that He is seated in heaven, cannot handle Him with the hand, but touch Him by faith, says, ‘ Because thou hast seen thou hast believed ; blessed are they who have not seen and believe.’ It is we that are described ; we that are pointed out. May there there- fore come to pass in us that blessedness which the Lord pre- dicted should be: the Life itself has been manifested in the flesh, so that the thing which can be seen with the heart alone might be seen with the eyes also, that it might heal our hearts.”
Fellowship (xowwviav). This word introduces us to one of the main thoughts of the Epistle. The true life in man, which comes through the acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God, con- sists in fellowship with God and with man. On the word, see on Acts ii.42; Luke v.10. The verb cowavéw, to come into fel- lowship, to be made a partner, to be partaker of, occurs 1 Pet.
* Let the student by all means consult Canon Westcott’s ‘‘ additional note” on p. 27, of his ‘‘ Commentary on the Epistles of J; ohn.”