“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us[.]” (1 John 1:1-2 ESV)
The authority of sources is paramount when it comes to our doctrine of Christ. What we believe about the Son of God, and subsequently what we believe about the gospel, is only as accurate as the origins of those beliefs. If we are to hold to and defend orthodox Christology, we must take great care in drawing fully and exclusively from fountains which flow with the purity of true doctrine.
This authority is what John endeavors to establish in the opening words of his epistle. He starts by saying, “That which was from the beginning,” referring his readers to the timeless nature of his teaching, as he does in his gospel (John 1:1). He is not creating a novel theology to tickle the fancy of his hearers but reiterating truths that have been true from of old. While age itself does not verify a message, it does undergird the message as one which has stood the test of time.
John continues by mentioning that they had heard, seen, looked upon, and touched the things “concerning the word of life.” He and his fellow believers are eyewitnesses of the truths and events they proclaim. As will become clear later in the letter, John is specifically combatting a false teaching known as Docetism, which denied the true, human nature of Christ and claimed that Christ merely appeared human. Thus, these affirmations are a powerful refutation of such heresies. John is assuring his readers that they need not doubt the veracity of the gospel, or the Messiah to whom it points, because he himself has seen and touched Jesus. He is a real human being who truly died and rose again. The person and work of Jesus were not mere appearances but the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh in order to redeem God’s elect from every nation to himself.
John is also modeling for us the proper pattern of gospel growth. He begins by recounting what they had received through eyewitness testimony and goes on to say that they “testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life[.]” They are not reservoirs of the truth but conduits of it. The end goal is for the gospel to reach every corner of the world, which is accomplished as the Spirit enables his people to go and share with others the glorious good news they themselves have received. One must receive before he proclaims, and if he has truly received, he will necessarily proclaim. The one who claims to have received yet has no desire to proclaim must seriously examine himself or herself as to whether he or she has indeed truly received.
This does not mean that every believer is called to be a vocational missionary. Nor does it mean that every believer has the natural disposition of an evangelist. What it does mean is that the one who has been transformed by the regenerative power of the Spirit which attends the preached gospel will become an active member in the global work of church building (Matthew 16:18). There are no fruitless members in the kingdom of God. While there are those whose fledgling faith has a long way to grow, all of those in whom the Spirit dwells will, without exception, follow God’s command to testify to and proclaim the truth. As Jesus said, “every healthy tree bears good fruit” (Matthew 7:17).
All of this is of first importance because eternal life is at stake. John is not concerning himself with small and passing issues but with the destiny of souls. As Paul says,
For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? (Romans 3:14-15)
This is why Christ gave the Great Commission to his disciples, so that people from every nation, tribe, and language may call on the name of the Lord. John is proclaiming the gospel so that lives may be transformed and so that those transformed lives may also proclaim the gospel to others. So may it be of us.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
You have given us the true and abiding message of hope which we have received from the beginning from eyewitness testimonies. May we receive it, protect it, and proclaim it with all joy as your Spirit works fruit in and through us.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for the ministry and critical staffing needs of Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.
- Wednesday: Praise the Lord for the new missionaries who were appointed last week and pray for more laborers to enter the harvest field.
- Thursday: Pray for the full funding of the South Asia Ministry Center.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries and national partners engaged in church-planting work in Benin.
- Saturday: Pray for missionaries serving with EveryEthne to reach every people group in North America.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in Uganda.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries serving in aviation ministry.
Featured Serving Opportunity:
Nursing Clinical Faculty
Location: Togo
Nursing clinical faculty are needed to teach and mentor nursing students during their clinical rotations at ABWE’s two hospitals in Togo, Africa.
