That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us - that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full (1 John 1:1-4).

"Just as the Gospel of John begins with a Prologue (John 1:1-18), so does the first letter of John. In both, the eternal Word or logos is the central theme" (King. 1). A "prologue" is "an introduction or preface" (American Heritage).

False teachers had arisen, whom John labeled as "liars," "antichrists," "false prophets," and "deceivers" (1 John 2:22; 4:1-3; 2 John 7). They were the early gnostics, those who arrogantly claimed a superior, mystical knowledge. Some were Cerinthians, who denied the true deity of Christ (1 John 5:10). Others, the Docetists, denied his true humanity and claimed He only seemed or appeared to be a man (1 John 4:2-3). They had left the believers because they were not really of the believers (1 John 2:18-19). In sharp and militant contrast, the apostle, in the very first clause of his letter, emphatically declares the essential deity of Christ, and in the following three clauses just as strongly states his humanity. "The first clause assures us that Jesus was no mere man; the others assure us that he was really man" (Plummer. 2).

The Subject
That which was from the beginning... concerning the Word of life....

The simple sentence that forms the heart of the prologue is "that which we have seen and heard we declare to you." His subject is the apostolic testimony, thus he uses the neuter "That which" rather than the masculine "He who." But the subject of that apostolic testimony is Jesus Christ, so John begins by identifying the One about whom he testifies.

"That which was from the beginning" is a direct reference to John 1:1, and thus speaks, not of the beginning of the discipleship of his readers (cf. 1 John 2:24; 3:11) but of creation itself (Genesis 1:1). First John 1:1 takes us back to John 1:1, which in turn directs us back to Genesis 1:1.

...the writer places himself at the initial point of creation, and, looking back into eternity, describes that which was already in existence when creation began. Thus, "in the beginning" characterizes the absolute divine Word as He was before the foundation of the world and at the foundation of the world. "From the beginning" characterizes His development in time (Vincent).

The Word who from eternity is God, Who in the beginning created the world, was in time manifested as a man.

Jesus is the "Word" in that He is the Person in the Godhead through Whom the Father created the worlds (John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:1-2). He is the One Who in His own Person and word reveals God to man (John 1:18; Matthew 11:27).

"The phrase ‘the Word of life,’ means the Word in which life resided, or which was the source and fountain of life" (Barnes. 280). He has life within Himself (John 1:4; 5:21, 26; 14:6; 1 John 5:11-12), and His words impart life (John 6:68). In relationship with Him, we receive life (John 5:26, 40; 10:10; 20:31).

The Basis of Knowledge
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled....

The apostle’s knowledge is not based on speculative philosophy, mystical visions, or subjective feelings. It is historical knowledge, based on his own objective experience with the Word Who was manifested as a man.

This is not what someone else related to him. This is his own testimony based on three of the five senses: hearing, seeing, and touching.

This testimony is not repeated in this letter but is contained in the book of John, which records John’s witness "that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:30-31).The apostle assumes readers of First John have read the book of John. John speaks authoritatively. He repeatedly uses verbs that indicate his own, personal, eye witness knowledge.

John heard the very words Jesus spoke and relates more of them than any other witness.

He saw the Master with his own eyes even after His resurrection.

Furthermore, he "looked upon" the Lord. The phrase "looked upon" means "to behold, view attentively, contemplate .... It signifies a more earnest contemplation than the ordinary verbs for to see" (Vine. 1:115). "There was an intense and earnest gaze, as when we behold one whom we have desired to see, or when one goes out purposely to look on an object" (Barnes. 279).

After His resurrection Jesus invited His disciples, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). When Thomas refused to believe unless He could "see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side," the Lord showed Him the very marks and invited, "Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side" (John 20:25-27). "Hands cannot handle a spirit (cf. Luke 24:39). But John’s hands had handled Jesus. So Jesus had real substance" (King. 8).

The Role of the Apostles
the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us....

To manifest something is "to make ... visible or known what has been hidden or unknown" (Thayer. 648). "No one has seen God at any time" (John 1:18; 1 John 4:12), but, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), and in so doing manifested Himself to men (cf. John 21:1,14).

Jesus chose His apostles to be the "eye witnesses of His majesty" (Acts 1:1-8; 2:32; 3:14-15; 10:39-42; 2 Peter 1:16). Their responsibility was to "declare," i.e., "announce, make known" (Thayer. 36), this testimony to the whole world (Acts 1:1-8), and they did so (Colossians 1:5-6, 23). They could not have been mistaken, and they had no motive to lie. Their "testimony is true" (cf. John 19:35; 21:24; 2 Peter 1:16).

The Purpose of the Testimony
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.

John and the other apostles announced their testimony in order to bring others into fellowship with themselves and, more importantly, "with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ."

To "have fellowship," means to have anything in common with others; to partake of it; to share it with them.... The object of the apostle in what he wrote was, that they might have the same views of the Saviour which he had, and partake of the same hope and joy (Barnes. 281).

The sharing of which he speaks is that mentioned in the context - life, indeed, eternal life, and the joy that comes from knowing we are its heirs (cf. 1 John 5:13; 1 Peter 1:3-9).

Spiritual life is fellowship with the Father and with the Son, and this life we have in the Son is "eternal life," "without end, never to cease. everlasting" (Thayer, 21). We have life in Christ Jesus now, and we have eternal life in hope (Matthew 25:46; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30; John 12:25; Romans 2:6-7; 6:22; Titus 1:2; 3:7).

On the basis of the apostolic Word we share with the apostles the life, fellowship with God, the reception of salvation and all spiritual blessings, through His Son, Christ Jesus. Thus, our joy is made complete (cf. 1 Peter 1:3-9).

The manuscript evidence supports the word "our" rather than "your" as the modifier of "joy" in verse four. This is irrelevant to the point. John’s greatest joy was to know that his children walked in truth (3 John 4). Our greatest joy is to know we have salvation, life in Christ (1 Peter 1:3-9). The teacher, the taught, and the Savior all rejoice together in our salvation (John 15:11; Philippians 2:17-18).

Conclusion

The apostle John wrote the book of John to give unbelievers reason to believe that they might have life (John 20:30-31). He wrote First John to show us how to maintain our fellowship with God and His Son Christ Jesus, that we might have the joy of knowing we have eternal life.

Works Cited

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, The. 4th edition.
Barnes, Albert, James, Peter, John, and Jude (Notes on the New Testament).
King, Daniel H., Sr. The Three Epistles of John (Truth Commentaries).
Plummer, A., The Epistles of St. John (The Pulpit Commentary. 22).
Vincent, Marvin, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament.
Vine, W.E., An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
Thayer, J.H., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament.