ACC ~ 1 John 1 v1 - 4

OVERVIEW:

Uniquely among these letters, 1 John does not have an opening salutation. Instead it begins in much the same way as the Fourth Gospel, a fact that for most of the Fathers confirmed their belief that the apostle John was the author of both, though this was challenged by some on literary grounds (ISHO‘DAD). The emphasis is placed firmly on the incarnation of the Son of God and the witness to that incarnation that was the hallmark of a true apostle. The central theme of the epistle is love (AUGUSTINE). The Word of life was manifest in the flesh (AUGUSTINE). He rose in the same flesh in which he died (ANDREAS). The disciples now testify to what they saw (DIDYMUS, BEDE). It was in his incarnate and human form that he became visible and touchable (BEDE, SEVERUS). What always existed had an incarnate beginning in time (PETER CHRYSOLOGUS). With their own eyes the original disciples had seen the resurrected Lord, the same who was in the beginning (DIDYMUS). We proclaim what we have heard and seen that you may have fellowship with us in the worshiping community, where our fellowship is with the Father and the Son (HILARY OF ARLES, ANDREAS, BEDE). Those who have heard but not seen—the later generations of disciples—share in the same joy as the first generation (AUGUSTINE, ANDREAS, BEDE, THEOPHYLACT).

1:1 | We Have Seen the Word of Life

THE GENERATION OF THE SON HAS NO BEGINNING. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: When the elder wrote this, he was explaining that the principle of generation is not separate from the principle of creation. For when he says “which was from the beginning” he is referring to the generation of the Son which has no beginning, because he exists coeternally with the Father. Therefore the word was signifies eternity, just as the Word himself, that is, the Son, which is one with the Father in equality of substance, is eternal and unmade. When he says that “our hands touched the Word of life,” he means not merely the Son’s flesh but his power as well. One tradition has it that when the disciple touched Christ’s physical body he put his hand right inside and was not stopped by the hardness of the flesh from doing so, because the flesh made way for the disciple’s hand. ADUMBRATIONS.

VARIOUS HYPOTHESES. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: Many think that these words apply to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus and say that John is speaking of himself and the other disciples who first of all heard that the Lord had risen and afterwards saw him with their own eyes, to the point where they touched his feet, his hands and his side and felt the imprint of the nails. For even if Thomas was the only one who actually made physical contact with him, he was representative of the others, for the Savior told them all to touch him and see for themselves. But others take these words in a deeper sense, noting that they do not simply speak about touching but also about handling the “word of life which was from the beginning.” Who can this refer to, other than to the one who said: “I am that I am”? Another interpretation is that we have now seen openly with our own eyes the one who was in the beginning, of whom the law and the prophets spoke, saying that he would come. He has indeed come and was seen in the flesh, and after much handling of the scriptural texts which bear witness to him, this is what we believe about the Word of life. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

THE CENTRAL THEME—LOVE. AUGUSTINE: This book is very sweet to every healthy Christian heart that savors the bread of God, and it should constantly be in the mind of God’s holy church. But I choose it more particularly because what it specially commends to us is love. The person who possesses the thing which he hears about in this epistle must rejoice when he hears it. His reading will be like oil to a flame. … For others, the epistle should be like flame set to firewood; if it was not already burning, the touch of the word may kindle it. TEN HOMILIES ON 1 JOHN, PROLOGUE.

WHAT ALWAYS EXISTED. PETER CHRYSOLOGUS: How can you believe that what always existed took a beginning later on? SERMONS 57.

SEEN AND TOUCHED. SEVERUS OF ANTIOCH: Given that this same John also said, “No one has ever seen God,” how can he assure us that the living Word of life has been seen and touched? It is clear that it was in his incarnate and human form that he was visible and touchable. What was not true of him by nature became true of him in that way, for he is one and the same indivisible Word, both visible and invisible, and without diminishing in either respect he became touchable in both his divine-human nature. For he worked his miracles in his divinity and suffered for us in his humanity. CATENA.

WITH HIM FROM THE BEGINNING. BEDE: The disciples were with Jesus from the beginning, and so they could preach what they had seen and heard in his presence without any ambiguity. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPELS 2.16.

WRITTEN AGAINST HERESIES. BEDE: It was against heretics like Cerinthus and Marcion that John wrote his Gospel, stating both in his own words and in those of the Lord that the Son is consubstantial with the Father. Here in his letter he does the same thing again by conveying the Lord’s teaching in his own words and confounding the foolishness of the heretics with his apostolic authority. ON 1 JOHN.

WHAT HAS BEEN FROM THE BEGINNING. OECUMENIUS: John writes this against both the Jews and the Greeks, because they were protesting that the mystery which has appeared among us is too new to be taken seriously. He therefore answers them by saying that in fact it is very old and has been there from the beginning. It is higher than the law and even higher than the creation itself, because while creation has a beginning this was there already. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

WE HAVE TOUCHED THE WORD OF LIFE. THEOPHYLACT: When John talks about having seen this life, he means that the disciples understood its meaning, and when he says that they touched it, he means that they had investigated it thoroughly. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

THIS LETTER NOT BY THE APOSTLE JOHN. ISHO‘DAD OF MERV: About this epistle many have erred, supposing that it was written by the apostle John, yet if they had investigated the matter they would have seen that the thought, shape and authority of this letter are greatly inferior to the sound words of the Evangelist. COMMENTARIES.

1:2 | We Proclaim to You Eternal Life

WE SAW IT. DIDYMUS THE BLIND: Note that there is an important difference between seeing and contemplating. For what is seen can be told to others, which is not always possible with things which are contemplated. For there are many things which may be perfectly well contemplated but which cannot be expressed in words because they are known by some ineffable understanding. In this verse it should be noticed that those who are bearing witness are not validating the life of Jesus but improving themselves by their confession. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

THE LIFE WAS MADE MANIFEST. AUGUSTINE: The life itself has been manifested in flesh, so that what can be seen by the heart alone might be seen also by the eyes, in order that hearts might be healed. TEN HOMILIES ON 1 JOHN 1.1.

THE SAME FLESH CRUCIFIED. ANDREAS: John says this with reference to the close union of the Word with the flesh. Or perhaps he says this with reference to the resurrection, considering the way in which it was made known to the apostles by the action of Thomas. That proved that Christ rose again with the same flesh in which he had been crucified. CATENA.

WE TESTIFY TO IT. BEDE: The life of which John is speaking here was the same as that of which we read in his Gospel, when Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life.” It was manifested and declared in the flesh by the divine miracles, and the disciples who were present saw and later testified to them with undoubted authority. ON 1 JOHN.

1:3 | We Also Proclaim to You

FELLOWSHIP WITH US. HILARY OF ARLES: Our fellowship is in the unity of our faith here on earth and in the eternal dwelling place of God in heaven. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

WITH THE FATHER AND HIS SON. ANDREAS: What did they proclaim, but that eternal life has appeared to us and that we have become witnesses of it? What you gain from this proclamation is the right to share this experience with us. For the one who is in fellowship with us has fellowship with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ, and since you share in the same fellowship, we shall all have joy together, in that we have been united to God. CATENA.

THAT WHICH WE HAVE SEEN AND HEARD. BEDE: John shows quite clearly that those who want to have fellowship with God must first of all be joined to the church and there learn that faith and be blessed with its sacraments, which the disciples truly received during the time of Christ’s incarnation. Nor do those who believe the apostles’ testimony belong any less to the Lord than those who believed him when they heard him preaching in the flesh do, although there might be some distinction in the quality of the works of faith which they perform. ON 1 JOHN.

1:4 | Bringing Our Joy to Perfection

SHARING IN THIS JOY. AUGUSTINE: The disciples saw the Lord in the flesh, and they heard his words, which they made known to us. We have also heard but have not seen. Are we less happy than they, who both saw and heard? No, for John goes on to say that the reason for his preaching is that we might share in their fellowship. TEN HOMILIES ON 1 JOHN 1.3.

THAT OUR JOY MAY BE COMPLETE. HILARY OF ARLES: The fullness of joy comes when we are in fellowship with the apostles, as well as of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.

JOY IN FELLOWSHIP. BEDE: The joy of all teachers is complete when by their preaching they bring many into the fellowship of the holy church and also into the fellowship of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ, through whom the church is strengthened and grows. ON 1 JOHN.

THE SOWER IS HAPPY TO HAVE REAPERS. THEOPHYLACT: John says that having his hearers as fellow participants in the grace of eternal life will make him and the other disciples happy in the same way that a sower is happy to have the reapers alongside him on the day of harvest. COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN.