1.
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, of the Word of life;
Verse 1
From beginning; the beginning of the new dispensation, that is, from the commencement of the ministry of Christ.--Which we have heard, &c. By these expressions John intends to declare, emphatically, that he had every conceivable means of knowledge that his testimony in respect to the life, death, and resurrection, of Christ was true.--Of the word of life; Jesus Christ
2.
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
Verse 2
And show unto you; declare John in unto you.--Which was with, the Father. This corresponds in a striking manner with the declaration in 1 John 1:1,1 John 2:14. that he who was manifested in the flesh, as the Savior of men, previously coëxisted with the Father.--Was manifested; by becoming flesh, and dwelling upon the earth.
3.
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Verse 3
May have fellowship with us; may join with us in acknowledging and obeying him.
4.
And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
Verse 4
That your joy may be full; that you may attain to perfect and eternal joy.
5.
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
Verse 5
That God is light. There are several of the divine perfections which might be represented metaphorically by light. That holiness is the one here intended, is evident from 1 John 1:7, where it appears that it is an attribute of God, in respect to which men are bound to conform to him.
6.
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Verse 6
With him; with God.--Walk in darkness; live in sin.--Do not the truth; do not act consistently with truth.
7.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Verse 7
The blood of Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ denotes the death of Christ, and the sufferings attendant upon it,--including the whole of that protracted scene of suffering, which, commencing at Gethsemane, and ending on the cross, constituted the great propitiatory sacrifice by which the world was redeemed.
8.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Verse 10
Make him a liar; since he has in so many ways declared that the conduct and characters of all men are entirely inconsistent with the requirements of his law.