as “what” instead of the masculine hos (who). The more common view is that John uses the neuter relative so that he captures all that is included—combining the person, his message, and everything else about him together.50 If the masculine hos was used, it would limit the reference to the person. If the feminine relative pronoun hē was used, it would limit it to the message (angellia). John chooses to use the neuter so that it would be all inclusive of the person and the message. Jobes’ suggestion that the neuter may be used because the author is thinking of euangelion (gospel), which is neuter, or “the more abstract idea of the significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection”51 could also be a possibility if it were not for the difficulties it faces as to how such would be seen and touched. The object of the verbs seem to be more personal than non-personal.
The two descriptions: “was from the beginning” (1:1) and “was with the Father” (1:2) place the person and message in eternity while “was revealed” (1:2) places the same in history. The person and message are both eternal and part of human history.
The “beginning” (archē) in question here precedes the beginning of Gen 1:1 (beginning of creation).52 It parallels the beginning of the Gospel of John 1:1. It is a beginning that relates the existence of Jesus and all that his person entails with the existence of God. In other words, it is a beginning that moves out of history into eternity. On the other hand though, the eternal one was made manifest. It was in his state of “having been manifested” that John and his associates had the privilege of exercising their senses in knowing about him. Before they had contact with him he “was” already, and in their contact with him, he was “real.” He is eternal God who became incarnate. John is not making these statements for the fun of it. He is cutting the roots of false teachers among his readers, as it will become clearer when he brings in the need of confession that Jesus is Son of God become flesh (2:22–23).53
The use of the imperfect ēn in the two phrases “was from the beginning” and “was with the Father” is significant from two fronts. First, the use of einai (of which ēn is an imperfect form) is generally distinct from ginesthai. While the latter carries with it the idea of a beginning or coming into existence,54 einai assumes existence. Secondly, the tense used here is imperfect whose exegetical significance is “continuance in the past.”55 The point, therefore, is that the existence of the person John is talking of here was in continuance in the beginning, and so also was his fellowship with the Father.
We are further told in 1:1 that the content of the witness and announcement concerns “word of life” (ho logos56 tēs zōēs), a life further defined as “the life eternal” (tēn zōēn tēn aiōnion) in 1:2. The use of logos is not new in the writings of John, for he uses the same for Jesus in John 1:1. The relation of “word” to its description “of life” (tēs zōēs) is either that he (the word) gives life57 or he himself is life.58 Identification of Jesus as “life” is not far-fetched in view of Jesus’ own claim in John 14:6: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” Jesus gives life because he himself is Life.
By implication, therefore, we have here a reliable witness concerning one whose titles include “Word” and “Life”; one who is eternal, having his existence in continuance with the Father in the beginning; yet one who has been revealed. He is outside of history (since he is eternal) but has been made to become part of history (since he has been revealed). This is one of the distinguishing features of what John announces here, from other forms of beliefs.59 There is combination in it of both eternity and time. During the phase of his life in which he was living on this earth, he was seen, heard, beheld, and touched. In his eternal existence, he was with the Father.
The goal of the activities of bearing witness and announcing is that the readers will also have fellowship with the writer and his team (hina kai humeis koinōnian echēte meth’ hēmōn, “in order that you [yourselves] also may have fellowship with us,” 1:3), whether the team is limited to the apostles60 or includes all believers61 that share the experience John expresses in the four sensory verbs. There are four levels of fellowship here.62 First there is the fellowship John has with his fellow-apostles.63 Then, there is the fellowship John is inviting his readers to have with him and the other apostles. John then adds a third fellowship, which is much more blessed than these horizontal ones (apostle with apostle and apostles with readers/hearers). Both the apostles and their readers who accept the invitation have a fellowship with the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (1:3)64 who themselves have been in fellowship with one another from the beginning, that is eternity (1:1). This is a wonderful community65 of fellowship (koinōnia).
Where there is the fellowship John has in mind here, heart meets heart in the openness of sharing and sincere support of each other. It begins with those who are themselves “witness bearers” or “announcers.” Using modern language, it starts with the ministers of the gospel. It does not dwell on whether one was a fisherman, tax collector, a tent maker, or whatever else our backgrounds are. It is a fellowship around the joy of salvation and the duty to announce it to others. The competition we see from time to time among those who bear the titles “pastor,” “Bible teacher,” or “bishop” is out of place. It fails miserably in reflecting the business they have been called to. There is eternal fellowship between the Father and the Son, which we are called upon to not only exemplify but also to announce and invite others to. It is a fellowship which leads us to “share all things in common” in the sense that none of us will starve while others feast. In our day, it is an international fellowship since we live in a global village. We are meant to rejoice together and to cry together, to eat together and to starve together—all hearts united to God to please him, and to each other in love. Nevertheless, and as John will show later in disputing some wrong teachings, the fellowship within the context of relationships has as its base the context of belief. This is why John relates this fellowship to the witness on whose bases the facts about the Word of life are reaffirmed. Schnackenburg rightly observes that even in the forward, the author “focuses on the heresy he is combating throughout the letter.”66 This, however, should not be emphasized to the point where it becomes the controlling factor of John’s message here. John’s message is broader than just correcting the heresy. His message is not just corrective of error but much more a reaffirmation of a wonderful blessing that is ours as believers. We have a fellowship whose base is eternal, in the Trinity, and whose completion is achieved by inviting others to enjoy it. We, however, do so as a team, fellowshipping in life of holiness and purity of doctrine.
The readers’ positive response to the witness borne and announcement made becomes an opportunity to increase the joy of the witness bearers. John says, “in order that our joy may have been made full or complete” (hina hē chara hēmōn ē peplērōmenē, 1:4). The use of the verb “complete” or “make full” (plēroun) is deliberate here, with regard to this joy. In other words, it is not that they do not have joy even before the readers’ response. They do, on the basis of their own fellowship with God and Jesus Christ. Until the readers are brought in, however, there is still something missing. Here is a lesson for us. Yes, we need to enjoy the presence of God all the time. However, when we fail to invite others to enjoy that blessing also, the process is not complete. The duty of the believer is not to enjoy and store for oneself, but to enjoy and dispense the same to others, to enjoy also. It is a call to a mission that never ceases as long as we are in the world.
The literal translation of the periphrastic construction ē peplērōmenē in 1:4 is “may have been made complete,”67 that is, by the act of sharing and much more so by the positive response of the hearers. True Christian ministry means rejoicing when we see others grow in their faith. It is a fellowship that leaves out all competition and jealousies. We are not called to build our empires but to bring others to fellowship with God and other members of the community of faith. What a corrective reminder to us serving the Lord in the twenty-first century where we witness all sorts of unhealthy competitions for control and pursuit for personal fame and prosperity!
Inescapable Fact and Its Implication (1:5–10)
(1:5) And this is the message which we have heard from him
