The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 21

Vcrs. 1-4.-Introduction. I. SUDJECT OF APOSTOLIC PROCLAMATION. 1. What is thrown into prominence. (1) The absolute co11cerni11g the Word of life. "That which wa~ from th 7 beginning,'.' By this form of expression we are taken back to a point wluch has existence only m thought, and from that point we are called to look forward. "Th\t which was ~rom _the _b~ginning," 01:, strictly," that which is timeless," concerning the~ ord of _life, nz. his D1v1 □e Personality and attributes, was included in the procla- mat.10n. It 1s put first as the grand background of the Incarnation. 'l'he Incarnate One m_ust l_Je thought o_f as having timel~ssness and all that belongs to timelessness. (2) 'lne lnstorical concerning the Word of life. "That which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled." John uses the plural number, as writing in the name of the apostles, of whom be was the sole surnvor. There could also be predicated of Christ that ho was tlie Object of sensuous perception. This was not from the be"'inuing, but in time. We thus come upon the hi~torica.l existence of Christ. "That ;hich we have heard." In accordance with the context, we are to think only of what they had heard from the lips of Christ. They bad heen so near him as actually to hear him speaking. They had heard him when he spoke the sermon on the mount, when he taught them to pray, when he bada the sea be SLi!I, when he uttered the seven voices on the cross, when.he saluted them after his resurrection, when he blessed them in parting from them. "Have heard." That which they l111d heard-the words and tone of voice-.:.was their permanent pos- session; and it is the permanent possession of the Church still in substance, though not now associated with impressions through the sense of hearing. "That which we have seen with our eyes." Some had only come iuto contact with those who had seen Christ: they had seen him with their own eyes. They had seen him when he was teaching, when he was walking on the sea, when he was transfigured, when he was hanging on the cross, when he was risen, when he was going up into heaven. "Have seeu." The impressions received through the sensfl of sight remained with them, instead of which we have only the descriptions of the evangelists. "That which we beheld." By a change of verb we are referred to seeing with an intention, and by a change of tense we are referred to separate acts. On occasion after occasion they looked purposely, and satisfied themselves that he was indeed bone of their bone e.nd flesh of their flesh. " Aud our hands handled." This is joined closely in the same tense to what goes before. They had the solid evidence of handling on which to proceed. They not only touched, but touched with au intention. They must often have felt the touch of his hand ; aud we can think of them looking forward to an opportunity, and satisfying tberuselves, in the actual contact, that he was indeed their own flesh. There was one remarkable occasion after his resurrection; when he stood suddenly in the midst of them, they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they beheld a spirit; and he asked them to go beyond beholding. "Handle me, and see; for a spirit bath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having." And :iprarently they were each favoured with the convincing evidence of handling him. (3) The designation of Ghrist as tlie Word of life. "Concerning the Word of life." In the introduction to his Gospel John calls Christ" the Word." The natural interpretation is that he is the Word in relation to Gud as essentially manifesting God. Instead of God here we have Life, which there- fore 'is to be taken as a designation of God. Created life has only a partial significance; life in its absolute significance is only to be fouod in God. The chief elements_ of l!fo are consciousness, activity, gladness; in the Word, God sees brou,~ht out the mfimte richness uf his own conscious, active, glad life. 2. Parenthetical statement. (I) Desig- nation of Cl.rist as the Life. ".And the Life." In the former designation God is thought of as the Life; now Christ, as essentially manifesting God in the particular aspe~t, is designated the Life (Jchn i. 4). (2) Anothei·manifestationwhicli_is connected witl, tl,,e evidence of sight. "Was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness." .As the Word, Christ was manifeBted to God; but here we come upon another manifestation. The reference is to the Incarnation, or his becoming flesh (as it is expressed in John i. 14). .As the Word, he was hidden from men; as the Incarnate, he was manifested to meo, specially to the apostles. He came within the sphere of their vision, and they were put in the positiou of eye-witnesses to the Life as manifested. (3) The second 1,;anif,station not announced out of connection with the first. "And declare unto you the Life, the eternal Life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." OH, I, 1-10,] THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. 17