First John 1:1-10
I John 1:1-4:
1:1That-which used-to-be from (the) beginning, which we heard2, which we saw2 with our eyes, which we gazed-upon, and our hands touched-after – concerning the word of the life – .2and the life was manifested, and we saw2, and we witness, and we announce to you the life, the eternal (life), the-one-which used-to-be towards the Father and was manifested to us – .3which we saw2, and we heard2 – we announce also to you in order that also you may have a sharing-in-common with us, but also the sharing-in-common, our (sharing-in-common, is) with the Father and with His son Jesus Christ, .4and we write these-things in order that our joy may be having been filled2;
John writes:
- That-which used-to-be from the beginning (referring to the content of God’s Word, the subject matter of the words that God spoke to mankind; it was continuing to exist during a past time, historically, away-from the time of the start, since the commencement, the origin of mankind),
- which we heard and continue to hear (we listened to it, and that truth has not changed),
- which we saw and continue to see with our eyes (we perceived it with our eyes and understood the object-of-sight in our mind's thoughts, and that truth has not changed),
- which we gazed-upon (we looked at it with a purpose),
- and our hands touched-after (we felt after it as though with our hands stretched-out searching for it) –
- concerning (about, as regards to, encompassing, the central point being)
- the word (the spoken-account containing individual words constituting what is spoken)
- of the life (which is, consists of, issues, emanates the life, enables people to receive God’s life) –
- and the life was manifested (the life has already been caused to be evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth),
- and we saw and continue to see (the life),
- and we witness (we attest with information, we give the declaration of knowledge that we personally have and therefore we state and confirm it on the strength of our own authority concerning the life),
- and we announce to you (we message, report, relate to you)
- the life,
- emphatically and specifically the eternal life (agelong, lifelong, everlasting life),
- the life which used-to-be towards the Father (the life was continuing to exist during a past time, historically, with a purposed reference to the Father; God is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ and all holy-people; God is the only One Who previously had this eternal life)
- and was manifested to us (God’s life has now been evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth to us by God by means of the Lord Jesus Christ) –
- which (referring to the content or subject matter of the word of the life) we saw and continue to see,
- and we heard and continue to hear –
- we announce also to you (additionally we message, report, relate the word of the life to you)
- for the purpose and result that also emphatically you would have (hold; in Greek there is a definite word for “you” plus the verb meaning “you may have” giving emphasis – you yourselves may have)
- a sharing-in-common with us (a partaking of/in/with the same-thing, participation, communion with one-another of what is common to all of us in company and association with us, sharing what all of us already have in the spirit category in full manifestation during the everyday living of our lives in the walk/behavior category),
- but also (even, with emphasis) the sharing-in-common,
- emphatically our sharing-in-common (relative to the spirit category),
- is in company and association with the Father (the only true God; our relationship with God is that He is our Father)
- and in company and association with the Father’s son who is Jesus Christ,
…and emphatically we write these-things (what is written in this letter; in Greek there is a definite word for “we” plus the verb meaning “we write” giving emphasis – we ourselves write these-things [some Greek texts include “to you”]) for the purpose and result that…
- our joy (rejoicing [some Greek texts read “your joy”])
- would be in the state of having been filled and continuing full (filled-up, made full).
The Greek word aionios may be translated “eternal” or “agelong”. In the context of verse 2 above, the life that is now being manifested to mankind will not end. It is eternal, agelong, lifelong, everlasting. It lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages from the time a person receives it. This life can only be received from God by God's giving of holy spirit by means of the Lord Jesus Christ. All holy-people (Christians) have received holy spirit-life within us, which is the spirit of Christ in us; it is the deposit, token, earnest of what we will receive at a future time. This holy spirit-life will remain for the duration of God's life which will not end. The full completeness for us will come to pass when our Lord Jesus Christ will come to gather all holy-people together with him giving us new spiritual bodies, the life of which will be holy spirit-life, like the body he has already received from God, his Father and our Father, when God raised him up alive from-among the dead-people.
Jesus Christ was dead but now he is alive. God marked Jesus Christ out as the son of God by raising him up from among the dead-people giving him his spiritual body. God gave him the name that is above every other name, designating the resurrected Jesus being Lord and Christ, and his name includes the name – SON – God’s son; he inherits everything that the firstborn son should inherit from his Father, the only true God. The word ‘son’ emphasizes origin, quality, and essence. The spirit of holiness is the spiritual essence of the resurrected Christ Jesus. Refer to Matthew 3:17, 17:5; John 17:1; Acts 2:21 and 38, 3:6 and 16, 4:7-12 and 30, 9:20, 13:33, 26:23; Romans 1:3, 4 and 9, 5:10, 8:3, 29 and 32; I Corinthians 1:9, chapter 15; II Corinthians 1:19; Galatians 2:20, 4:4 and 6; Ephesians 1:19-23, 4:13; Philippians 2:9 and 10; Colossians 1:13 and 18; I Thessalonians 1:10; II Thessalonians 3:6; Hebrews 1:1-8, 3:6, 4:14, 5:5-10, 6:6, 7:3, 21 and 28, 10:29; II Peter 1:17; I John 1:3 and 7, 2:22-24, 3:8 and 23, 4:9, 10, 14 and 15, 5:5, 9-13 and 20; II John 1:3 and 9; Revelation 2:18.
[Reference: Genesis 2:9, 3:15 and 22-24; John 1:1-18, 3:16, 5:24, 14:6, 15:11, 26 and 27; Acts 4:20, 5:20, 13:46-48 and 52; Romans 2:7, 5:21, 6:22 and 23, 15:13; I Corinthians 1:9, 9:1; II Corinthians 6:14, 13:14; Philippians 2:2 and 16; Colossians 1:26 and 27, 3:4; I Timothy 3:16; II Timothy 1:4; Titus 3:7; I John 2:25, 4:9-14, 5:11 and 13; II John 1:12; III John 1:4. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
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