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by Howard Watson
First John chapter one; we are beginning our study
at verse one. (KJV with Greek text compliment). "That which
was from the beginning"; (what was from {the} beginning "arche":
at creation as pre-existing, divine in character, "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." John
here testifies to his personal experience of hearing, seeing and
touching. This is not hearsay or secondhand information but personal,
vital and real.
Further it is not his experience alone but of others also since
he speaks in the plural of more than one (we). The use of the word
"Word" is a translation from the Greek word "logos"
and refers back to the Gospel of John 1:1 where we read "In
the beginning was the Word "logos"...." Here John
says the Word of life "zoas" meaning living or life giving.
The apostle gives three truths about Jesus Christ. A. He exists
before all things. B. He is the reason behind all intelligence and
order in creation. C. He is the life giving source of all life.
As Christians we are given these assuring words from John in order
to rest our faith upon Jesus as our Lord and Savior. He is our only
true source of life now and forevermore with God our Heavenly Father.
Yes, this is marvelous and amazingly real for each believer who
has and is experiencing a new life of change from spiritual deadness
to the fulness of Christ living within, by His Spirit. May God be
praised!
Study 2 verse two chapter one: "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;..."
John repeats again that he has personally seen the manifestation
(the Greek text here has "ephanerothe" which means to
have seen the life as clearly revealed to his own eyes and understanding)
of the life of Jesus and again he gives personal witness and testimony
of that life of the Son of the Father/God.
John could not give witness too often; nor can we. The word translated
with is "pros" and indicates the place of relation as
to, or towards, or unto the Father.
That life which John saw, was life eternal "aionion".
This means everlasting and unending duration. How can John say this
since Jesus was crucified and died on the cross of Calvary? The
answer is found, not only in the divine character and evident relationship
of Jesus with His Father/God, Jehovah, or his earthly ministry of
loving service to the poor, lame, lost ,blind and dying; but also
in John's keen memory of all those things which he saw as a called
disciple of Jesus, having enjoyed a special relationship as the
beloved disciple.
This eternal life which John witnessed was greater than death itself
which Jesus had come to defeat in His own body on the cross and
in the tomb. Jesus crushed death by His own life's blood, in His
pure love and power under the authority of Father/Jehovah, for God
raised Him from the grave and John must give witness to that great
visual and personal manifestation of Jesus as he had fulfilled prophesy
and came out of the tomb's (death) grip.
In His last testament Jesus told John and the other disciples to
go and witness to the full truth of what they had seen and heard
to everyone in every place (Matt. 28:18ff). John went and left this
testament of his going. Am I going and are you going?
First John chapter one verse three: John the Baptist was the forerunner
of Jesus Christ as prophesized by Isaiah in chapter 40:3: "A
voice is calling, clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness:
make smooth in the desert a highway for our God...."NAS This
scripture is quoted in Luke 3:4-6 in reference to the ministry of
John the Baptist, the earthly relative of Jesus through His mother
Mary and the mother of John, Elizabeth.
The apostle John was one of the first young men to be called to
discipleship by Jesus. He and his brother James, were also called
the sons of Boanerges (sons of thunder)-- Mark 3. They were fishermen
along with Peter and Andrew. The Apostle John was one of the inner
circle of disciples called by Jesus as followers/learners. he left
his fishing to learn of Jesus. Only John followed Jesus into the
trial area where Jesus was pronounced guilty of making Himself to
be the Son of God and worthy of crucifixion--Luke 22:66-77.
It is this John who scribed First John 1:3 "That which we have
seen and heard declare we unto you...."KJV John was not alone
in seeing miraculous works and hearing the wonderful words; others
both had seen and had heard, so he uses the plural "we."
John was writing and declaring for all of them, from the birth to
the cross, the grave to the tomb, the resurrection and the ascension
to the Father/God. First, what he had heard "heorakamen"
from "horao" which is first person plural perfect tense.
The perfect tense in the Greek language carries the meaning of completed
action with its' continuing state and affect for present time. It
has a certain distinction of timeless completeness in contrast to
the aorist, present, and future tenses. It was true when it occurred
and stands true today. The Greek word for have heard "akekaoamen"
from "akouo" is also perfect tense with the same meaning.
These disciples including John had witnessed the full measure of
the message, the works and the person of Jesus Christ, the anointed
Son of God with power of authority and dominion over disease, infirmity,
the devils of Satan, and death. He forgave sin and released people
from sin's chains of bondage. All of this was only part of what
John and the others had witnessed, and as one of them, John writes
this account.
To the believers in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord comes fellowship
together in the oneness of Christ's spiritual body on earth, the
Church "ecclesia", the called out individuals of Faith.
John writes of the believer's fellowship "koinonian" (from
the Greek "koinonia" and the root "koino" meaning
common, belonging equally to several). This beautiful fellowship
of blood bought/washed Saints was a common sharing and communion
of all the hearers of the message/gospel of Christ in wholly committment
of selves to the merciful and gracious God through the faith of
Christ.
The believers along with the Apostle writer, John, were recipients
of inner love, joy and peace which no man can buy; for man has not
the price of purchase. Jesus paid it all in full with His sinless
life's blood. God the Father sealed it with the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the grave. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to
atone for mankind's sins.
John the Baptist had called Him the lamb of God which taketh away
the sins of the world: "The next day John (the Baptist) seeth
Jesus coming unto him, and saith, 'Behold to Lamb of God, which
taketh away the sin of the world'."--John 1:20 KJV
My friends it is His blood which cleanseth me and all who will come
to Him in repentance of sin and unbelief for cleansing and new freshness
of life.
First John chapter one verse 4
Full joy is the blessing in the hearts and lives of all blood washed
Christians. "Kaira" - joy is the experience of present,
fully complete joy in Christ. Joy unspeakable, beyond human and
earthly cause, can only come through Christ's great victory over
death, hell and the grave at Calvary.
Verse five tells of the message of the gospel of light, "phose";
which banishes darkness in order that we can walk clearly within
God's will at this present time. God is light in whom is no darkness
or shadow of turning or change.
Verse six reminds us that we cannot walk (live, abide)in sinfulness
and have fellowship with our God and Savior. To walk in the light
of God is to walk (live) in the truth. Truth here is definitely
the pure unblemished truth out of God and Christ Jesus which is
in direct line with God's holiness.
Verse seven tells us again of our fellowship, "koinonian",
of setting aside of our personal interests by joining in the common
interests of other Christians in Christ's work. We all share the
same God and Savior whose blood brings us together as one fellowship/body.
Verse eight: We were all sinners defiled by deadly sin but have
been washed/cleansed from our sins by the life blood of Christ Jesus.
The real truth is found in the fact of our personal sin without
God and our unfaithfulness to truth and God's holy law.
Verse nine tells us to face the true fact of our personal disobedience
and failures and to confess "homologomen," our sin. All
the history of our life agrees to our personal sin and rebellion
against truth and God, in our walking without God. This is the truth
which the sinner must realize and admit before he/she can be changed
to walk in the reality of God and the truth of God.
Verse ten tells us when we confess to God the truth of our personal
sinfulness, He will definitely forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness
and iniquity "adikias." If the ungodly person refuses
to admit to his/her sin, then God becomes a liar and Christ's work
on the cross is of no value.
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