Author: Charlie Garrett

Saturday, 7 March 2020

…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. 1 John 1:3

With the parenthetical thought of verse 2 complete, John returns to the thought which began in verse 1 by saying, “that which we have seen and heard.” In this, he reverses the thought of verse 1 –

Verse 1 – That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes
Verse 3 – that which we have seen and heard

The restatement of the thought is to solidify the fact in our minds that this really happened, and that their testimony is reliable. What the eyes have seen, the ears also heard. There is no disconnect between the two, as if there was a delusional vision. Rather the senses were united in what occurred.

John leaves out the words “and our hands have handled” from verse 1. In this, the mind must insert that thought, which is actually an effective way of having someone mentally remember that point as well. If someone said, “John is tall, handsome, and rich,” and then a minute later said, “John is handsome and tall,” the mind would reach back to retrieve the third thought by itself.

In leaving out “and our hands have handled,” and in that now being called to memory in this way, John continues with, “we declare to you.” This, once again, takes us back to the post-resurrection occurrence which was cited in the commentary of verse 1 from Luke 24. After revealing Himself to the apostles, John’s gospel takes up the narrative –

Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.”
So he said to them, “Unless I 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, I will not believe.”
²⁶ And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” ²⁷ Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”
²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”
²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:24-29

The apostles had handled Christ, but Thomas was not with Him. Later, Thomas was there, and he too saw Him, speak to Him, and touch Him. It is this final proof, added to all of the times they had previously been with Him, that assured them concerning the Word of life. The apostles, through John’s words now, declare that life, as he says, so “that you also may have fellowship with us.”

The testimony of the apostles was given, but it is only a testimony. There must be an acceptance that what is presented is true. In accepting that, the blessed state of fellowship is realized – not just in understanding, but in full possession. This is the reason for John’s repetition of thought from verse 1. He understands that faith must be involved. Jesus said as much, and so he is giving the surest testimony he can so that it can come about.

In receiving their words, there is, as he says, “fellowship with us.” But in their fellowship already exists a higher fellowship which will likewise be granted to those who, by faith, accept their words. Of this, John says, “and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

The Greek has an article before fellowship which, if included in the English, would make the translation cumbersome, but it is important to see – “indeed, the fellowship now, the of us, is with the Father and with the Son of Him – Jesus Christ.” John is providing emphasis in showing that the fellowship which exists – which they have and possess – is not just among one another, but it is inclusive of both the Father and the Son. It is the distinctive characteristic which belongs to true believers.

There is a harmony which is – right now and always – realized in this communion. Further, John carefully repeats the preposition meta, or “with,” before both “Father” and “Son” – with the Father and with the Son. In this, he is clearly and unambiguously showing that the two are separate entities within the Godhead who are both involved in the fellowship which exists among believers.

Life application: Despite the unclear, or purposefully twisted, thinking of cults such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Bible clearly proclaims the Godhood and Manhood of Jesus Christ. Here John is addressing the Gnostic belief that Jesus wasn’t truly a man, but was rather a spirit being. His proclamation could not be any clearer. This is similar to the gospels which relate that they physically handled and also ate with Jesus. The writing is purposeful, and it is meant to make explicit the physical nature of the risen Christ – something various cults, incredibly, still deny.

It is this incarnation which allows the fellowship described in today’s verse. Without a complete understanding of Jesus, we can never truly understand God the Father. But, because of Christ’s coming, we have the surety that our fellowship with them is real, and in turn our fellowship among other believers is both sound and worth pursuing. Unlike other relationships, that of Christian fellowship should be on an entirely different level because of the work of Jesus.

Lord Jesus, You are the tie that binds – You tie us to a sound understanding of God the Father; You tie us to eternal fellowship with the Holy Spirit; and You tie us together as friends in the fellowship of believers. Because of You, our fellowship is complete. Thank You for what You have done to unite us! Amen.

Friday, 6 March 2020

…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— 1 John 1:2

John, after introducing us to “the Word of life,” now begins a parenthetical thought beginning with, “the life was manifested.” Here, he is using the term “the life” in a manner almost synonymous with “the Word.”

Like at other times, it is expressing the nature of Christ. He is the Truth, He is the Light, He is the Way, etc. The words “the life” are no different here. The One who bears the meaning of “life” – in its fullest sense – was manifested, meaning made clear, or made known. He was plainly revealed in the coming of Christ.

This is analogous to what is said of Christ in John 1:14 which says, “And the Word became flesh.” The only difference is that a different characteristic of Christ is revealed in these words. In the gospel of John, He is the Word – the One who explains the Father to us, He is the Life – the One who reveals life itself to us, and so forth. The various terms are given to help explain these natures so that we can come to a fuller understanding of who Christ is.

John then repeats the same idea that he said in verse 1, “and we have seen.” “That which was from the beginning” was seen. “That which” was the Word from John 1:1, but it is also the Life. The apostles had seen the very source of life itself – with their own eyes. He was manifest unto them not as a secret enlightenment for a select few, but as a means of conveying the truth of God to the world. For this reason, John says they “bear witness.”

In John 1:7, John the Baptist came “to bear witness of the Light.” The One who would draw all peoples to Himself as a beacon through His death, as noted in John 12:32, is also the One who would come to give life. Certain people were selected to bear witness to these things. There would be an experiential knowledge which would lead to a personal testimony, and that would lead to the proclamation of the gospel.

Understanding this, John then says that he and the others who had seen these things now “declare to you that eternal life.” The Greek is much more precise, stating, “the life, the eternal.” The apostles declared the Life. It is He who is the Life, and it is He who provides eternal life. There is a development of thought being presented.

Adam was created to live and not die. But through sin, death entered the world. In the doing of the law, man was promised to live (Leviticus 18:5). But fallen man is incapable of fulfilling the law. However, Christ, the Life, was capable of doing so. In His fulfillment of the law, He could provide that eternal life for man by removing the law, taking it out of the way, and thus bringing eternal life.

The process requires more than the words of John to understand. Indeed, it takes all of Scripture to grasp what God has done in Christ, but John’s words make the simple proclamation that it is so. This is the declaration of the life, the eternal life “which was with the Father.”

In saying that the Life was with the Father, it is saying that He is prior to the creation. The same Life that was with the Father, apart from any created thing, is the Life that was manifested to the world in Christ. They are not two, but one. This is confirmed by Jesus’ own words, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).

The Father expresses Himself in and through the Son. The life that is in the Father is the Life who came to dwell among the people He created. It is this Life that John says, “was manifested to us.” This Life – which has always been, but which has not been seen in man since the fall of Adam – is what was presented to the world. Christ came to perform a mission which was to restore life to man and to thus reclaim man for the Father in the state which He was originally intended to exist.

Of this, Vincent’s word studies states –

“In living, active relation and communion with the Father. ‘The preposition of motion with the verb of repose involves eternity of relation with activity and life’ (Coleridge). The life eternally tended to the Father, even as it emanated from Him. It came forth from Him and was manifested to men, but to the end that it might take men into itself and unite them with the Father. The manifestation of life to men was a revelation of life, as, first of all and beyond all, centering in God. Hence, though life, abstractly, returns to God, as it proceeds from God, it returns bearing the redeemed world in its bosom. The complete divine ideal of life includes impartation, but impartation with a view to the practical development of all that receives it with reference to God as its vivifying, impelling, regulating, and inspiring center.” 

Life application: When reading John’s gospel and epistles, it’s hard not to get the sense that he simply couldn’t believe the blessing of encountering Jesus Christ, the Son of God. His words overflow with amazement at the immensity of what he had personally experienced.

From eternity past, the Word existed. But John exclaims that he and others saw the Word, looked upon the Word, handled the Word – all evidences of the incarnation. This is the life that was manifested to him and those he walked with. He again says, “we have seen” the Word. It is as if he is saying, “It’s really true and my words are insufficient to explain; let me repeat myself in an attempt to do so.”

Because of the absolute surety the apostles held concerning their eyewitness, John says that they bear witness, and declare what they had seen. One can imagine him going to bed, night after night, and saying, “These eyes beheld the Lord; my own two eyes.” When waking up in the morning, he probably repeated himself, “My own two eyes….” And so, he proclaims what he saw – that the eternal life which was with the Father became flesh and dwelt among the sons of men. It is this Life – this bridge between the finite and the infinite – which was manifested to a select group of people who would tell the story of eternal life to a world stained by sin and by darkness.

John will continue to weave together his words in a way which will detail the work of the Word, the significance of the Word, and the love of God as displayed in the Word. All of this was done to give eternal life to anyone who would but believe. Take time to think about the eternal Word of life, coming in human flesh to reveal the heart of the Father.

Surely no greater story has ever been told than that which details the life and work of Jesus Christ. O God, thank You for allowing our eyes to see Jesus in the pages of the Holy Bible. In seeing Him, we see You. May we faithfully study the words You have provided, and may our doctrine be pure as we pursue an understanding of His work and His glory. Amen.

Thursday, 5 March 2020

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— 1 John 1:1

To help grasp the structure of the first three verses of the epistle, the following comments from Vincent’s Word Studies are provided –

“The construction of the first three verses is somewhat involved. It will be simplified by throwing it into three parts, represented respectively by 1 John 1:1, 1 John 1:2, 1 John 1:3. The first part, That which was from the beginning – Word of Life, forms a suspended clause, the verb being omitted for the time, and the course of the sentence being broken by 1 John 1:2, which forms a parenthesis: and the Life – manifested unto us. 1 John 1:3, in order to resume the broken sentence of 1 John 1:1, repeats in a condensed form two of the clauses in that verse, that which we have seen and heard, and furnishes the governing verb, we declare. Thus the simple sentence, divested of parenthesis and resumptive words would be, We declare unto you that which was from the beginning, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld, and our hands handled concerning the Word of Life.”

As in the Gospel of John, John immediately begins the epistle with a thought that extends to before the creation. The words, “That which was from the beginning,” demonstrate that there was a beginning. As there was a beginning, then that which was there from the beginning existed before “the beginning.” Existence cannot create itself, and therefore it is either created, or it is uncreated. If there was a beginning to something, then there is a time when it did not exist. Therefore, it was created. If it was created, then it was by the hands of the Creator. As the Creator has no beginning, He is uncreated.

John’s words demonstrate, without any doubt, that the subject of his epistle – meaning “the Word of life,” who is Jesus Christ – is the eternal God. He is uncreated, and thus He is the Creator. However, rather than saying, “He whom,” John says, “That which.” John goes beyond the physical being of the Person of Jesus Christ into a realm which the mind cannot fully grasp. All that relates to God – His knowledge; His omnipotence; His wisdom; His mercy, goodness, and glory – these, and so much more, are what the neuter words “that which” are expressing. It is reminiscent of the words of the Lord to Moses on Mount Sinai –

“And God saith unto Moses, ‘I AM THAT WHICH I AM;’ He saith also, ‘Thus dost thou say to the sons of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.’” Exodus 3:14 (YLT)

The word “was,” as in “was from the beginning,” is the Greek eimi. It signifies being, or existence. It is saying, “That which” existed, not that it egeneto, or came into being. John’s words are penned so that no error in thinking will come about from an improper analysis of what is being conveyed.

Next, like John 1:1, there is no article before “beginning.” The Greek reads ap’ arches, and so rather than speaking of a concrete statement of being, it speaks of a state of being. Taken together with John 1:1, we have the following –

In the beginning was the Word
That which was from the beginning

It seems certain that John is assuming his audience is aware of his gospel. In the gospel he speaks of the Word “before” the creation, and here he speaks of “that which” was “from” that beginning, but which has already been defined as being before it. His existence was, and His existence continues. It was revealed within His creation. As John next says, “which we have heard.”

The words “have heard” are in the perfect tense. The words were heard, and they stand. What was communicated is, and it is fixed. The effects of the hearing continue on. However, there is more than just hearing, as of a prophet of old. The words were conveyed by a physical being. The only explanation for this is the incarnation. There is the preexistence of the word, uncreated and thus infinite. But there is also the Word “which we have seen.”

Again, the words “have seen” are in the perfect tense. The word was made manifest, and the effects of that coming continue on. Later in this epistle, John will write, “No one has seen God at any time.” Man cannot see the infinite God, and yet John speaks of having seen the Word. But did John and those with him merely see the word in a vision of the mind? No. He explicitly denies this thought with the continued words, “with our eyes.”

What was beheld was not a spiritual experience only, but it was one that was physically viewable with physical eyes. It is a confirmation that the Word “became flesh” (John 1:14). The story of the incarnation is confirmed by the words of John. He is showing, without a doubt, that God’s manifestation in the Person of Jesus Christ was not merely a spiritual appearance, but one which was physical. They heard the Word, they saw the Word, and John next says, “which we have looked upon.”

The Greek signifies to behold. It is used of a spectator gazing intently upon something, as if in a theater. Here it is in the aorist tense. Rather than focusing on the abiding effects of what they beheld, he is noting the fact that it occurred and that they were given the special opportunity to witness these things. He and the others were able to gaze upon the things Christ Jesus did – healing, teaching, fulfilling prophecy, and even dying on the cross. They beheld this manifestation of the Word as He accomplished the work set before Him.

And then, yet again, John wants his reader to know that even this wasn’t some type of mere vision. In order to do this, he confirms the physical nature of the Word by saying, “and our hands have handled.”

Again, it is in the aorist tense. The apostles were given the opportunity to interact with the Word, and to even touch Him. The word “handled” is the same as that used by Luke –

“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

Hands cannot handle a vision or a dream. Hands cannot touch a spirit being. Rather, there was a physical nature to the Word. His hunger was real, His mourning was real, and His crucifixion was real. Further, after His crucifixion, His resurrection was in a real body. The fact that John doesn’t mention this occurrence in His gospel, and yet he refers to it now, is a confirmation of the words of Luke.

The Word participated in all of these physical events, which extend even to a physical event – the resurrection – which now continues on forever in a physical body. Those things that occurred, as the Word interacted with the created order, truly happened.

All of this, and so much more, is revealed in the opening words of the epistle “concerning the Word of life.” In the Greek, there is an article before “life.” Thus, it reads “concerning the Word of the Life” (YLT). The words speak of the personal being who is Jesus Christ. This is perfectly evident when taken in conjunction with the Gospel of John which says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). It is also evident from the continued words of the epistle now before us.

It is He who is the Source and Author of life, and it is He who imparts new life to those who come to Him. Apart from Him, life cannot exist.

Life application: Among other reasons for what has been seen, this first verse was meant to dispel heresy which had already crept into the church, and which continues to this day. To diminish either aspect of Christ Jesus – that being fully God and that of being fully Man – is to fundamentally error in His nature, purpose, and ability to redeem.

John will continue to explain this, and He will build upon several key words such as the word, light, life, darkness, joy, etc., as he reveals to us the glory which is revealed in Jesus Christ. He will show us how we can and should properly interact with Jesus Christ as we continue our walk in this life.

Lord God Almighty – that You would step out of eternity and unite with human flesh is beyond comprehension. To imagine what occurred and what will be for eternity concerning the Person of Jesus Christ is astonishing. Though we cannot fully grasp these things, we accept them and will continue to contemplate them forever. Help us to always desire to look more and more into the mystery of Christ and Your glory which is revealed through Him. Amen.

Wednesday, 4 March 2020

The book of 1 John; an Introduction.

The book of 1 John is the 62^nd book of the Bible, and it is comprised of 5 chapters of 105 verses, the same number of verses as that of 1 Peter. A verse-per-day evaluation of 1 John will take just about three- and one-half months to complete.

John is the Apostle John who was personally called by Jesus. Matthew 4:21, 22 reveals his formal calling by the Lord –

“Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”

John is held to be the author of the Gospel of John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and the book of Revelation. He is highlighted in the gospels as being one of an inner circle who most closely associated with Jesus. This also included Peter and John’s brother, James. In the gospel which bears his name, he refers to himself as the disciple “whom Jesus loved” (for example, see John 13:23).

Based on the terminology of some verses in the gospels, it is speculated by some that John may actually be a first cousin of Jesus. However, this cannot be determined without a measure of speculation.

Like the book of Hebrews, no writer is specifically identified as being the author of 1 John. Extra-biblical writings, however, identify him as the author. These include Irenaeus, who lived approximately AD 140–203; Clement of Alexandria, who lived around AD 150–215; Tertullian who lived around AD 155–222; and Origen, who lived around 185–253. No other name is known to be assigned as the author, and so it is rather certain that he is the one.

In addition to these known early testimonies, comparing the style and content between the gospel of John and the epistle of 1 John provide us with sufficient evidence to be reasonably confident that the traditional idea of John being the author is correct. For example, the opening line of the gospel (John 1:1), and a second verse (John 1:14), match in terminology to the opening line of the epistle (1 John 1:1). From there, numerous other verses are also interestingly similar. One of the many examples would be –

“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:12

Detailed studies have been made, highlighting these similarities, and they provide great assurance that the same person, the Apostle John, authored both books. In addition, in the opening verses of the epistle, the author of 1 John personally speaks of having witnessed the things he writes of. From there, his writings testify to the truth of that claim.

The dating of the letter is reasonably assumed to be from the mid-80s to the mid-90s. Irenaeus makes this claim, but also some of the internal content of the letter – such as refuting the idea of Gnosticism, give hints to this dating. The content of the letter also suggests that it was written about the same time, or after, the gospel of John.

No specific recipients are named – either a specific church or location, or a specific individual. Therefore, it may have been intended as an encyclical letter passed out to various churches to either accompany the Gospel of John, or to confirm the authenticity of the Gospel which had been received earlier. The careful use of the similar content would help confirm that the Gospel was, in fact, authentic.

Another possibility for the writing of the letter would be as a refutation of the Gnostic idea of who Christ was, and how that affected the doctrine and conduct of believers. The letter would be a carefully penned addition to the presentation of Christ in the Gospel to ensure that no theological manipulation of the Gospel would arise. Such aberrant doctrines would lead to moral decay. 1 John will address this, it will address core tenets of understanding Christ, and it will address the concept of the security of believers in salvation.

The placement of the Gospel of John after the three synoptic gospels (which are addressed specifically to Israel, under the Law of Moses), and the placement of John’s three epistles (which come after four letters directed specifically to the Hebrew people), both demonstrate a uniting of Jew and Gentile into one body. In both, the content is obviously directed to a body of believers without regard to such ethnicity but has content applicable to all people within the body. The very structure of the Bible provides insights into the nature of redemptive history.

The main theme of 1 John is “Fellowship.” Thus, the main purpose of the epistle is “To combat moral laxity and error about the Person and work of Jesus Christ.”

The main presentation of Christ in the epistle is “Jesus Christ, the Life.”

A short review of the book includes the following –

Author – The Apostle John
Date – Mid-80s to mid-90s
Theme – Fellowship
Purpose – To combat moral laxity and error about the Person and work of Jesus Christ.
Presentation of Christ – The Life

A limited outline of the book would be –

The Book of 1 John – Light, Truth, and Love

Book Superstructure

• Sure knowledge of the truth.

Book Structure

• Prologue.
• Purpose of letter.
• Final greeting.

Book Outline

1. Jesus Christ, the Light of life.
2. Love for the brethren, not the world.
3. Abiding in Christ.
4. Proof of the Spirit’s indwelling.
5. Overcomers in Christ – the knowledge of the truth.

Life application: We hope that you will spend the next 105 days of your life learning the book of 1 John, one verse at a time. From there, we hope you will apply its truths to your life, molding yourself more each day into being a faithful and wholehearted follower of Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father.

Lord God, may we, as believers in Christ Jesus, be faithful in studying Your word, accepting its truths as revealed in proper context, and then applying those truths to our walk with You. Help us to pursue Jesus Christ, our Life, Light, and Truth. Help us to pursue the Word made flesh as revealed in Your precious written word. To Your glory we pray. Amen.