Unpacking 1 John 1:1-5
By Jonathan Mitchell
In these introductory verses of John's first letter, he discloses information about Jesus which are noteworthy for our understanding of who Jesus is. We look at these verses through an expanded version of the NT, presenting alternate readings of the Greek text. The translation is an excerpt from the Jonathan Mitchell New Testament. We will read this passage while commenting on the verses one by one.
1. The One who was continuously existing from a beginning (or: He Who was progressively being parted away from [the] Source, Headship and Rule). The One whom we have listened to, and still hear, as it were, ringing in our ears; the One whom we have discerningly seen, and now yet perceive with our eyes (or: in our eyes); the One whom we contemplatively gazed upon as a public spectacle (as an exhibit in a theater) and our hands handled in investigation (felt about for and touched)-groping around the Word of the Life [cf Lu. 24:39](or:the Logos, which is the Living Existence; the Thought which pertains to Life; the Information and Idea from the Life; the message with the character and qualities of the Life;the Reason which belongs to the Life; this Blueprint and the transfer of Information that was conveying Meaning in this that is a Pattern-forming Influence which is this Life;
[note: I have treated ho as the definite article, the One, in the first four phrases here, and in vs. 3; many treat it as a neuter relative and render it: That which]), [cf Mic. 5:2; 2 Pet. 1:16]
Dr. Ann Nyland has also rendered ho "The One who... One whom..." in this verse (The Source New Testament, Smith and Stirling Publishing, 2004, p 477). John is speaking of Jesus Christ here, referring to the time of His ministry as a human, as recorded in the Gospels. Rendering it "that which," as many do, would make his statement refer to the message that Christ preached. However, the last clause, "our hands handled..." instructs us that John is referring to "the Word of the Life" that appeared as the Man, Jesus.
Rudolf Bultmann says "The first expression... apparently means nothing other than what John 1:1 expresses..." (A Commentary on the Johannine Epistles, Edited by Robert W. Funk, Hermeneia, Fortress Press, 1973, p 7-8). My second translation of this sentence, in the parenthetical insertion, expresses the imperfect tense of the verb 'eimi' (being) as a progressive existence, then describes the motion indicated by the preposition 'apo' (parted away from), and finally gives two other semantic meanings of 'arche' (headship; rule). See my expanded translation of John 1:1.
As to the Greek "logos' (Word), the semantic range of this word expands our view to observe that the Christ was Himself the "message," the "idea," the "thought or idea," the "blueprint," and the "reason" which came into the world and manifested in flesh and blood, as verse 2 goes on to indicate. A conflated paraphrase of this term is, as follows: "the transfer of Information that was conveying Meaning in this that is a Pattern-forming Influence." Keith Ward offers us more insights on 'logos,' concluding that:
"[The] ultimate ontological reality is indeed information.... 'shaping' information and semantic information.... a 'shorthand' explanation for complex cases, or as involving new laws governing the behavior of emergent complex systems. Cosmic holistic explanation seeks to explain parts of the cosmos in terms of its total structure and history. This suggests the idea of an ultimate informational principle for the universe... The notion of semantic information is extensible to cover the idea of a cosmic, unembodied consciousness, which carries and transmits the informational code for the construction of this and any possible universe. That is the mind of God" (from: "God as the ultimate informational principle," in Information and the Nature of Reality; From Physics to Metaphysics, Cambridge Uni. Press, 2010, Ed. By Paul Davies and Niels Henrik Gregersen, pp 299-300).
Here, as in John 1:14, "the Word which is the Life" - and the Way to Truly Live (John 14:6) - was incarnated in the life of a Man who could be seen and touched, and who could speak words of life (John 6:63) which folks could hear with their ears. Paul uses this same phrase in Phil. 2:16. Bultmann points out that the "subject matter and person are basically identical" (ibid. p 8). John was speaking of historical, existential experiences as verse 2, below, makes clear. The verbs of this second sentence all "denote sense perception" (ibid. p 9).
We see in this first verse a corporate theme in this letter, and a sense of solidarity, in John's use of the first person, plural, as expressed in the personal pronoun "we." This will be seen again and again.
2. and the (or: this) Life was manifested (or: is brought into the clear light and made visible! And so we have discerningly seen, and still perceptively observe, and are repeatedly testifying (bearing witness; giving evidence) and in a message are constantly reporting back (fully announcing), to and for you folks, this Life which has the character and qualities of the Age (or: the life of, for, and pertaining to, the Age [of the Messiah]; eonian life; or: life-long Life) which Certain [Life] was continuously existing [oriented and proceeding] toward (or: was face to face with) the Father, and was manifested (or: is made visible; appeared) to us, with us, in us, by us, among us, and for us. [cf Jn. 1:1, 14; 2:11; 14:26]
Again, "the Life" - the life of the Second Man, the eschatos Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), the historical appearance of the logos - which humanity was meant to live, was brought to clear light and made visible (manifested) so that folks could witness it, make observations, and report it to all of humanity - as they have done in the Scriptures such as this letter. The first verb, in the second sentence, "we have discerningly seen," is in the perfect tense, which signifies that this happened in the past, but the results continue on ("and still perceptively observe"). We, His Body, just as they in their day, can still perceive Him today, with our spiritual perception.
Now, "this Life" does not only apply to Jesus. The called-out folks have been termed Christ's Body (cf 1 Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:12-16; Col. 1:18; 4:14-16). Therefore, being His Body, "the Life" should also be manifested in us. The last expanded phrase of this verse makes this clear, in the inclusive functions of the dative case of the plural, personal pronoun, "us." It was manifested to us, but also in us and by us.
In the last clause we again have the same verb of "being," in the imperfect tense. But here it is followed by the preposition "pros,' which can be translated as "face to face with," or "toward." I inserted "[oriented and proceeding]" because these two concepts are inherent in the meaning of the preposition. John 1:2 reads "'pros' God," while here it is "'pros' the Father." Bultmann notes, "'Pater' [Father] is a familiar designation for God in 1 Jn (1:2f; 2:1, 13, 15f, 22-24; 3:1; 4:14) and is used continually in John" (ibid. p 9). As we further unpack this verse, we can observe that since the Life is also the message, it follows that the message directs us "toward the Father."
As to the phrase 'ten zoen ten aionion,' I give the following expansion: "the Life which has the character and qualities of the Age (or: the life of, for, and pertaining to, the Age [of the Messiah]; eonian life; or: life-long Life)." The first rendering expresses the Jewish conception of the Age of Messiah, the age that they were expecting to come when the Messiah came, and the new quality and character of the life of that age. In the parenthetical alternatives, the first three give conflated literal translations of the phrase, offering three functions of the genitive case, and the next (eonian life) gives a close equivalent in English, based upon the word eon (similar to age: an indefinite period of time). The Greek 'aion' (age) originally referred to the lifetime of a human. Thus, it came to mean an indefinite period of time - and one which could not be foreseen, as to its duration. Jesus Christ came in the conjunction of two ages (cf Heb. 9:26 and Mt. 28:20, my translation), ending the age of the Law, and beginning the age of the new creation.
3. The One whom we have seen, and still now see, and we have heard, and now to Whom we continue listening, and we are presently hearing, we are also constantly reporting to and for you folks, to the end that you people, too (as well, also) could, and would, be continuously having common being and existence (or: would be progressively holding partnership and participation) with us. Now also, our COMMON BEING and EXISTENCE (or: this participation and partnership belonging to us; the fellowship and sharing, which is ours) [is; exists] with the Father, even with His Son (or: as well as with the Son from Him; or, in apposition: and with the Son which is Him), Jesus Christ. [cf Jn. 15:4; 17:21; Heb. 2:11; 1 Cor. 1:9]
Here we should first consider the tense of the first two verbs. They are in the perfect tense. They had seen Him in the past, and yet they still see Him. How? Perhaps in the same way that Jesus did what He SAW the Father doing (John 5:19-20). Perhaps the experiences were so vivid that in their mind's eyes they could still see Him. Perhaps they could see Him now in members of His body. Paul uses the perfect infinitive of this same verb "horao' in 1 Cor. 2:2,
"for I decided not to see or know anything among you folks, except Jesus Christ - and this One being one having been crucified (executed on a stake)!"
Another meaning of this verb is "to know" - from having seen! Paul wanted to see Christ within and among the covenant community in Corinth - see Him in their lives; see their lives in union and identity with Him - who laid down His life and was crucified for all (as we see in 1 Jn. 3:16) - as they laid down their lives for their friends (John 15:13), i.e., a cruciform life.
The second verb means to listen and to hear, and it is also in the perfect tense. They had heard Him in the past, and they were still listening to Him speak within their spirits, and through members of the communities. They still listened to the teaching and message which He had spoken, as well. They were hearing Him now through the voice of the Spirit, the effect of the Breath of God that hovered over them and moved within them (they being the "new creation" of which Paul spoke in 2 Cor. 5:17) just as it had in Gen. 1:2.
It was this constant seeing and continued hearing that created a common participation with one another, and with God: the Father and the Son. The word koinonia has the root meaning of common being and existence (which the work of Christ founded in making the "new creation" - Eph. 2:10; Gal. 6:15; 2 Cor. 5:17) which becomes the basis of active fellowship, participation and partnership among the members of the community and with God. This is what Paul referred to in 1 Cor. 3:9,
"For we are God's fellow-workers (or: we are co-workers of and from God; we exist being co-workers who belong to God). You folks are God's farm (or: field under cultivation), God's building (or: construction project; structure, or act of building)."
All this comes from "seeing Him" and seeing what He is doing; from "hearing Him" and doing what He tells us to do. The term "Christ" means "anointed," and it is a picture of God's Spirit coming into union with a human. The new common existence, fellowship and participation with God are expressions of being in union with Him (cf John chapters 14-17).
Barclay says of this verse that it gives one of the objects of writing this letter, which is, "to produce fellowship with men and fellowship with God" (ibid., p 21). The following verses bear this out. Bultmann comments that the motif of koinonia is characteristic of the letter, signifying a way of living. (ibid. p 13) This mode of life is a common existence in a covenant community. It is a common being in the Spirit into Whom, and into Which, we have been immersed to the point of saturation,
"For we, ourselves - within the midst of one Spirit (or: in union with one Breath-effect and Attitude) - are all submerged into one body (or: were all immersed into, so as to be enveloped by, one body) - whether Jews or Greeks (or: Hellenists), whether slaves or free folks - and we all are (or: were) made (or: caused) to drink one Spirit (or: spirit; Breath-effect; Attitude)" - 1 Cor. 12:13.
Think about this: common being and existence with the Father. That means common being with God. This is nothing less that union with God, or, being "joined to the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:17).
4. And so we ourselves are proceeding in writing these things, to the end that your joy [other MSS: our joy] would continually exist having been filled up and then continue full.
Yes, union and common existence with God should certainly fill up our joy! Other manuscripts read "our joy," and there are good witnesses for both readings. The differences are in one letter of the word. It is the echoes of John, cited above, that lead me to the reading "your," and Griesbach's text has this reading. William Barclay's NT translation also reads "your" here. However, the more recent texts read "our." Whichever was original, the joy of the Lord is for all! In either case, it is one of the purposes for writing the letter.
5. And this is the message (or: And so, it is, or there is, this message) which we have heard - and still hear - from Him, and we are continually bringing back tidings (or: announcing again), to, for, and among you people, that God continuously exists being (or: is) Light, and within Him darkness and obscurity do not exist - not even one (or: and so, there is absolutely no dimness or shadiness in Him). [cf Gen. 1:3-4; Jn. 1:4-5, 9; 8:12; 12:35; Rev. 1:5]
Note that John points to a single topic (stated in the last half of the verse) as he says "this is the message," or, "it is this message." And here the reader is drawn back to the opening of the gospel of John, once again, 1:4-9,
4. Within It (or: Him), life was continuing and progressively existing (or: In It was life [as a source]; [Aleph, D and other witnesses read the present tense: In union with it there continues being life; Life progressively exists within the midst of It]) And the life was continuing being, and began progressively existing as, the Light of mankind (or: Furthermore, the Light progressively came to be the life known as "humanity," and was for human beings; or: Then the life was existing being the light from the humans).
5. And the Light is constantly shining in the dim and shadowed places, and keeps on progressively giving light within the gloomy darkness where there is no light (or: within the midst the obscurity of The Darkness where there is no light of The Day; or: = in the ignorant condition or system). And yet the darkness does not grasp or receive it on the same level (or: Furthermore, the Darkness did not take it down, so as to overcome it or put it out; or: =the ignorant condition or system would have none of it, nor receive it down into itself [in order to perceive it]; But that darkness does not correspondingly accept It nor commensurately take It in hand so as to follow the pattern or be in line with Its bidding).
6. A man came to be (was birthed), being one having been sent forth with a mission, as a representative, from God's side (or: having been commissioned as an emissary and sent forth from beside God; having been sent forth to the side, as an envoy, whose source was God); a name for him: John.
7. This one came into a testimony (or: went to witness; came for evidence), to the end that he may give testimony (be a witness; show evidence) about The Light, so that all humanity (or: everyone) would at some point come to believe and trust through him (or: by means of it).
8. That person (= He) was not The Light, but rather [he came] so that he could give testimony (would be a witness; should present evidence) about The Light.
9. It was (or: He was, and continued being) the True and Genuine Light which (or: Who) is continuously (repeatedly; progressively) enlightening (giving light to) every person (or: human) continuously (repeatedly; progressively; constantly; one after another) coming into the world (or: the ordered system of culture, religion, economics and government; or: the universe) (or: It was the real Light, progressively coming into the world {organized system}, which is progressively enlightening {or: shedding light on} every human).
With this passage of the Gospel of John to instruct us as to his use of the word "light," let us now open the aperture to receive more light into our camera as we consider what John means by, "God continuously exists being (or: is) Light." I have rendered the verb both as an ontological statement (exists being) in expressing John's metaphor, and also as a simple copulative (is).
As we consider the above passage in John 1, it seems that John's use of this language about Light - in referring to the Christ, the incarnate expression of the Logos - is metaphorical. He is obviously not speaking of sunlight or the light given off by energy, although we can draw analogies from both. I suggest that the light spoken of both in John's gospel and in this letter is the light of Truth (which can also be translated "Reality") and Knowledge (gnosis). And since many scholars have suggested that this letter was written to counter the influence of Gnosticism within the Christian communities, I think that we can conclude that this is how John is using the word "light." It is in this same sense that Jesus said,
"I Myself am (or: continuously exist being) the Light of the world (or: of the cosmos; of the ordered system; of the dominant cultural, political, economic and religious arrangements; of the universe; of "the theater of history' - Walter Wink). The one habitually and progressively following Me can by no means walk around (= under no circumstances live their life) within the darkness (or: the dim and shaded areas; the gloom and obscurity due to the lack of the Light of the Day; the [realm] of the shadows; [note: = ignorance; = that situation which existed before the Light came; or, could also refer to the dim condition within the holy place of the Temple, or to the darkness of death, blindness or the womb]), but, to the contrary, He will possess (have; hold) the Light of 'the Life!' (or: the light which is life.)" - John 8:12
C. Baxter Kruger adds insight to the meaning of this statement by Jesus, "'I am the light of the cosmos,' both the source and the "meaning', the "rhyme' and the "reason' of the existence of all things. It is in Jesus - and in what became of humanity and creation in him - that we see the gracious and joyful purpose of the triune God in calling forth the universe and human existence" (The Shack Revisited, Faith Words, 2012, p 159, emphasis original). Bultmann points us to 1 Jn. 4:8 and 16, where we have the expression, "because God continuously exists being Love (or: for God is Love and Acceptance)." And then he reminds us of John 4:24, "God [is] spirit (or: Breath; Wind; a Breath-effect and Attitude)," and comments that these expressions "rather express what God means for man.... the real meaning of light is the luminosity man needs in order to find his way in his daily, as well as his spiritual, life" (ibid. p 16).
We must recall that "light" is a part of the creation (Gen. 1:3-5), in its literal use. Likewise is "spirit," which can also be rendered "wind; breath-effect." Each of these words is a human word used to help us to understand the nature, essence and sphere of the divine. I will admit to a strong penchant for seeing 1 Jn. 4:8 and 16 as being ontological. Still, "love ("agape')," too, is a human word used to describe what most consider the highest quality of being of which we can conceive, and 1 Cor. 13:4-8a gives us a good picture of the nature of God. Yet with all the above considered, it is with these words of Paul to Corinth that we should think about the qualities and essences of God, or as Paul Tillich terms Him, the Ground of Being - for "being," too, is a part of creation.
But now to the last phrase of our verse, "and within Him darkness and obscurity do not exist - not even one (or: and so, there is absolutely no dimness or shadiness in Him)." In Gen. 1:2 we see that darkness is mentioned before light, and in vs. 4, there, after light was created in vs. 3, we find that Yahweh had to separate between the light and the darkness. Paul references this in 2 Cor. 4:6,
"because the God suddenly saying (or: the God Who once was saying), "Light will shine forth (give light as from a torch; gleam) from out of the midst of darkness (dimness and shadiness; gloom and the absence of daylight)!" [is] the One who shines forth within the midst of our hearts, with a view to illumination of the intimate and experiential knowledge of God's glory - in a face of Christ (or: [is] He Who gives light in union with our hearts, [while] facing toward an effulgence and a shining forth which is an intimate knowing of the praise-inducing manifestation whose source and origin is God, and which is God, [while] in union with face-to-face presence of Christ [other MSS: Jesus Christ])."
Darkness is a part of the creation, which came out of God (e.g., Rom. 11:36), but it does not exist in Him Who is Light. But we see in Gen. 1 and in Paul, above, that He initially put light within the midst of darkness. It is from this that Paul draws his analogy, using it as a metaphor - as does John in this letter. But what is John saying here? We can get a hint from 1 Jn. 2:8 where we find the expression,
"the Darkness (the obscure dimness of the realm of the shadows and of lack of the light of the Day; [note: a figure of the ignorance of the prior system and realm]) is progressively being caused to pass by, and the True Light (or: = real knowledge and understanding; = Light of the new Day) is already (before now) progressively shining and appearing."
As you see, in my translation I gave a note and two paraphrases to help the reader, and I think that these "shed light" upon the last phrase of this verse. In John 1:5, above, the Light that shined in the Darkness was Jesus speaking Truth and Reality into the shadows, dimness and gloom of the old covenant (Heb. 8:5; 10:1) and the ultra-religious Pharisaism of Galilee and Judea. We can observe another witness in John 3:
20. "for everyone [who is] habitually practicing (or: performing) worthless things (base, mean, common, careless, cheap, slight, paltry, sorry, vile things or refuse) is continuously hating (regarding with ill-will) the Light, and is not coming (or: going) to the Light so that his works (deeds; actions) may not be tested and put to the proof (and thus, exposed and perhaps reproved).
21. "Yet the one habitually doing the truth (constantly constructing the real; repeatedly making the genuine) is constantly coming (or: going; moving) toward the Light so that his works (deeds; actions) may be set in clear light and manifested, because they exist being ones having been worked and accomplished (or: performed as deeds) within God (or: that it is within God [that they are] ones having been acted out)."
Darkness is a metaphor for a negative and ignorant way of living, just as "walking about... within the midst of, and in union with, the Light" (1 Jn. 1:7) is a positive and enlightened way of life. Paul contrasts these two metaphors in Eph. 5: 8, speaking ontologically,
"for you folks were once existing BEING darkness (dimness; obscurity; gloom; shadiness), yet (or: but) now [you are] light, within and in union with [the] Lord [= Christ or Yahweh],"
and then he continues in vs. 11,
"do not continually participate together (involve yourselves in joint communion or community; or: Stop having fellowship together) in unfruitful acts (works; deeds; performances) of the Darkness (dimness in the shadows; gloom and obscurity)," connecting the metaphor with conduct. In Col. 1:13, Paul again uses the figure of darkness, this time contrasting their past existence with that of Christ's reign (the eschatological presence of the Messiah's kingdom),
"He who drags us out of danger (or: rescued us) forth from out of the midst of the authority of the Darkness (from Darkness's jurisdiction and right; from existing out of gloomy shadows and obscure dimness; = the privilege of ignorance), and changes [our] position (or: transported [us], thus, giving [us] a change of standing, and transferred [us]) into the midst of the Kingdom and Reign of the Son of His love."
It was the previous arrangements of our lives - those which had authority over us - which he here has termed "the Darkness." (see my comments on this verse in Peter, Paul and Jacob, Harper Brown Publishing, 2012). In 1 Thes. 5:5 Paul again uses an ontological contrast, but there expands the contrast to darkness, in the compound phrase: "... sons of (= associated with and having the qualities of) Light and sons of (= associated with and having qualities of) Day!"
Jesus, the Christ who brought the new creation into existence, proclaimed in John 12:
46. "I Myself, (a) Light, have come into, and am now within, the world (or: am within the aggregate of humanity, and am in the sphere of the organized domination System of religion, culture and government; am in the midst of the ordered arrangement of society; or: am in union with the cosmos and the universe),to the end that everyone, who in (or: that all humanity, which, upon) habitually trusting and progressively believing into Me, cannot (should not; may not; would not) remain (abide; dwell; reside; stay) within the midst of the Darkness, or in union with the dim shadiness, or centered in the obscurity." [cf 1:4-5, 9, above]
And now, in concert with John's first letter, let us remember Jesus' words, in Mat. 5:14a,
"You folks, yourselves, exist being (are) the Light of the ordered domination System (the world of culture, religion, politics, government, and secular society; = the human sociological realm; or: the aggregate of humanity) ..."
Jonathan
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