The Word of Life Proclaimed

2 and a the life was manifested, and we have b seen and c testify and proclaim to you d the eternal life, which was e with the Father and was a manifested to us—

editing

1 John 1:1-2

sbl

That Word of Life which was from the beginning, and was manifested to us, and we have seen and heard and looked at and touched it with our own ears, eyes and hands.

General-Specific

+ concerning the Word of Life—

+ περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς—

Idea-Explanation

+ καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη,

+ and the life was manifested(φανερόω),

[p ...] καὶ

[p ...] and

+ ἑωράκαμεν

+ we have seen(ὁράω)

+ καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν

+ and testify(μαρτυρέω)

[s +] καὶ

[s +] and

+ ἀπαγγέλλομεν

+ proclaim(ἀπαγγέλλω)

+ ὑμῖν

+ to you

General-Specific

+ τὴν ζωὴν

+ the ... life,

Idea-Explanation

+ τὴν αἰώνιον

+ eternal

Temporal

+ ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα

+ which was(εἰμί) with the Father

[s +] καὶ

[s +] and

General-Specific

+ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν—

+ was manifested(φανερόω) to us—

Ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς —

καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν —

ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν, ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθʼ ἡμῶν. καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.

Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.

Ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετʼ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν•

ἐὰν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετʼ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος, ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

Ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς—

ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν· καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ·

καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.

Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῷ σκότει περιπατῶμεν, ψευδόμεθα καὶ οὐ ποιοῦμεν τὴν ἀλήθειαν·

ἐὰν δὲ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ περιπατῶμεν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν τῷ φωτί, κοινωνίαν ἔχομεν μετ’ ἀλλήλων καὶ τὸ αἷμα Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἁμαρτίας.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

phrasing

1 John 1:2 SBL

1 John 1:2

2 καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη, καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν—

1 John 1:1-2

That Word of Life which was from the beginning, and was manifested to us, and we have seen and heard and looked at and touched it with our own ears, eyes and hands.

General-Specific

+ concerning the Word of Life—

+ περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς—

Idea-Explanation

+ καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη,

+ and the life was manifested(φανερόω),

[p ...] καὶ

[p ...] and

+ ἑωράκαμεν

+ we have seen(ὁράω)

+ καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν

+ and testify(μαρτυρέω)

[s +] καὶ

[s +] and

+ ἀπαγγέλλομεν

+ proclaim(ἀπαγγέλλω)

+ ὑμῖν

+ to you

General-Specific

+ τὴν ζωὴν

+ the ... life,

Idea-Explanation

+ τὴν αἰώνιον

+ eternal

+ ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα

+ which was(εἰμί) with the Father

[s +] καὶ

[s +] and

General-Specific

+ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν—

+ was manifested(φανερόω) to us—

καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

καὶ ταῦτα γράφομεν ἡμεῖς ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν ᾖ πεπληρωμένη.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἔχομεν, ἑαυτοὺς πλανῶμεν καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

ἐὰν εἴπωμεν ὅτι οὐχ ἡμαρτήκαμεν, ψεύστην ποιοῦμεν αὐτὸν καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν.

COLOR KEY

Verbs Nominative Nouns Genitive Nouns Dative Nouns Accusative Nouns

notes

NOUNS DECLINED

NOTES

v1>v2 OR v1

STEP 1

Grasping the Text in Their Town *1 Question: What did the text mean to the biblical audience? After just qualifying and bolstering the credibility of their testimony, John declares that the World of Life was manifested to them, that they have seen Him, and that they are hereby solemnly testifying to what they've heard, seen, and touched with their own ears, eyes and hands - they are testifying and proclaiming to their audience what they've experienced first-hand themselves - the Life eternal, which was in the beginning, with the Father, but now manifested to them.

STEP 2

Measuring the Width of the River to Cross *1 Question: What are the differences between the biblical audience and us? This is not an Old Testament passage, so the width of the river is automatically narrower as a result. The unique challenges that the audience seems to have been dealing with according to the MacArthur Bible Handbook *7 , is the beginnings of Gnosticism *6 , which posited the claim that Jesus did not have an actual, phyisical body, but only "seemed" to be real. The second false idea they put forward was that the spirit of Christ "descended" on his body at his baptism, but left him before the curcifixion. John may have been addressing an audience dealing with such false teaching as this. In this area, there could be a wide difference between them and us, or there could be a lot of similarities, depending on who you are talking about, or what false teaching you are addressing. False teaching is prevalent in our time as it was in theirs, but there might be small or big differences between the false teachings of both ages. Knowing this would neccessitate the investigation of these various false teachings of today. The IVP Bible Background Commentary *8 also asserts that many of John's readers could have been dealing with the idea of the "manifestations" of the Greek gods appearing as divine apparitions. Jesus was not to be mistaken merely as another one of these, or similar to them.

STEP 3

Crossing the Principlizing Bridge *1 Question: What is the theological principle in this text? Although in our time we might not be dealing specifically with Gnosticism, many of the multitude of false teachings and beliefs of our time could reflect the same kind of erroneous thinking, and could alter the application of the principle in this text. The theological principle, however, stays the same. The point, or theological principle, regardless of the erroneous thinking is this: J esus was physically manifested during a single, one-time event, was experienced litterally and physically by John and many others, who are now testifying to and proclaiming Him to any who read their words. They are credible, reliable, first-hand eye-witnesses of the manifested, crucified, and risen Jesus Christ, fully man, and fully God.

STEP 4

Consult the Biblical Map *1 Question: How does our theological principle fit with the rest of the Bible? The rest of the Bible clearly and unequivocably affirms the principle. The physical and real pregnancy of Mary is well detailed (Luke 1:26-38). The physical and real birth of Jesus is clearly written, as well as the fact that He was fully man and fully God (John 1:14; Luke 2:1-20). The first-hand and personal experience of the Apostles, John the Baptist, and many others, can be crearly seen documented throughout all of the gospels and their subsequent writings (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 1:9-13; 9:1-8; Luke 9:28-36; John 20:27-29). And as Peter also confirms, they (the Apostles) were not following cleverly devised tales (as the false teachers who they are now contending with do), but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. They themselves heard the utterance made to Jesus by God Himself from heaven when they were with Him on the holy mountain (2 Peter 1:16-21). And as he concludes with his eye witness testimony in that section, all who hear it will do well to pay attention to the prophetic word made more sure to them, as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in our hearts.

STEP 5

Grasping the Text in Our Town *1 Question: How should individual Christians today live out the theological principles? What follows in this epistle of John, can be trusted. They are not some second-hand, untrustworthy hearsayers who do not hold the verbal evidence with an unbroken chain of custody. No, they are first-hand, trustworthy eyewitnesses, who are relaying exactly what they factually heard, saw and touched, not as a spiritual or emotional experience, but with their actual physical senses. The Word of Life was made flesh and dwelt among them, and they have seen His glory as of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. That is what they are going to relay in the next five chapters of this book. And we can trust it. We can listen to it and believe it, and as a result, we can have fellowship with John and the Apostels, and have fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3). If we believe the testimony of John, we may known that we have eternal life (1 John 5:14).

DISCLAIMER

Although the english diagram contains the NASB text, my approach is to leave the greek in its original form, while I might have to change the english to reflect the greek a bit more literally. This might be neccessary especially where the english translates whole phrases in a different order compared to the greek, otherwise block diagramming them side-by-side might be a challenge. A less extreme example, in 1 John 1:1, the NASB english "and we have touched with our hands" is translated from "αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν", which more literally puts their hands as the subject doing the action of the verb of touching, otherwise χεῖρ would have been in the dative as ὀφθαλμός (eye) is in the same verse. Full disclosure - my greek is still in the beginning stages, so this is based merely on my own current understanding of how the language works.

NAVIGATION

Go to INDEX

FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES

*1 - 5 Steps to Understanding Any Biblical Text: The Interpretive Journey from "Grasping God's Word" *2 - Greek Tenses Explained *3 - Oxford Dictionary *4 - Daily Dose of Greek *5 - A First John Reader by S.M. Baugh *6 - Gnosticism - GotQuestions.org *7 - MacArthur Bible Handbook by John MacArthur *8 - IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

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