CHAPTER 1

(A.D. 90)

INTRODUCTION

¹That which was from the beginning (speaks of Jesus Christ; He is from everlasting), which we have heard (John was personally with Christ for 3-1/2 years), which we have seen with our eyes (John saw what Christ was as a Man), which we have looked upon (what he saw was more than a passing glance; it was gazing with a purpose), and our hands have handled (refers to the fact that Christ was human), of the Word of Life (says in the Greek, The Word of The Life, referring to the fact that Christ is also God);

²(For the life was manifested (not hidden, but rather revealed), and we have seen it(made visible to the human race through the humanity of our Lord), and bear witness (we can testify to the fact), and show unto you that Eternal Life (this Life, which Christ is and has, is Eternal), which was with the Father (the Son is the same essence as the Father), and was mani fested unto us;) (This was made visible to us, and given to us as well.)

FELLOWSHIP

³That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you (hence, this Epistle), that you also may have fellowship with us (something possessed in common by both, in this case Christ): and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. (Fellowship with Christ guarantees fellowship with the Father.)

⁴And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (This should have been translated, our joy may be full. John wanted others to know Christ as He knew Christ.)

⁵This then is the Message which we have heard of Him (presents the true Message of the Cross in comparison with the false), and declare unto you, that God is Light (as to His nature, essence, and character, God is Light), and in Him is no darkness at all. (Spiritual darkness does not exist in Him, not even one bit.)

⁶If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie (to claim Salvation while at the same time walking in darkness automatically dismisses our claims), and do not the Truth (such a life is a lie, and is not true):

⁷But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship one with another (if we claim fellowship with Him, we will at the same time walk in the Light, which is the sphere of His Walk), and the Blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (Our Faith being in the Cross, the shed Blood of Jesus Christ, constantly cleanses us from all sin.)

SIN

⁸If we say that we have no sin (refers to the sin nature), we deceive ourselves (refers to self-deception), and the Truth is not in us. (This does not refer to all Truth as it regards Believers, but rather that the Truth of the indwelling sinful nature is not in us.)

⁹If we confess our sins (pertains to acts of sin, whatever they might be; the sinner is to believe [Jn. 3:16]; the Saint is to confess), He (the Lord) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins (God will always be true to His Own Nature and Promises, keeping Faith with Himself and with man), and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (All, not some. All sin was remitted, paid for, and put away on the basis of the satisfaction offered for the demands of Gods Holy Law, which sinners broke, when the Lord Jesus died on the Cross.)

¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned (here, John is denouncing the claims of sinless perfection; he is going back to Verse 8, speaking of Christians who claimed they had no sin nature), we make Him a liar (the person who makes such a claim makes God a liar, because the Word says the opposite), and His Word is not in us. (If we properly know the Word, we will properly know that perfection is not in us at present, and will not be until the Trump sounds.)