I John 1, God is Light

The author of the fourth gospel also wrote several letters to churches. Here is the beginning of his longer letter, I John. This first chapter is quite short but packed....

1 John 1:1-4, The Word of Life
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete.

NIV footnotes: Some manuscripts say "make your joy complete" instead of "make our joy complete".

This letter, written as a general pastoral letter, might be a follow-up to the gospel of John. The goal is to reinforce belief by emphasizing the eternal fellowship that should flow out of belief.

There is a progression from "seen with our eyes" to "we looked at".  The latter phrase implies an investigation.

When was "the beginning"? At Creation? Or the Incarnation?  Contrast/compare this passage with the first four verses of the gospel of John.

The Father and Son are mentioned but not (yet) the Holy Spirit. Why?

The words "testify" and "appeared" emphasize a clear historical event; Jesus appeared at one moment in history; John was fortunate enough to be able to "testify" to that occurrence. Christianity is foremost a response to a historical event.

Comments (A little Greek): There is a process described here in the Greek words angelia (1:5, message), koinoinia (1:3, twice, fellowship) and chara (1:4, joy). The message leads to fellowship and then joy.

1 John 1:5-7, God is light, not dark -- we must live this way
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

What are qualities of light?
What does it mean, "God is light"?
What are the results of "walking in the light"?
Are you purified from all sin? What does this mean?

I once met one who claimed that as a Christian he was completely sinless.  He cited some Bible verses and I countered with others and then he lost his temper and slammed his door in my face.

There are only two options portrayed here: light, purity, fellowship, truth vs. darkness, sin, separation, lies.  This stark contrast is characteristic of John.

1 John 1:8-10, Recognition of sin
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Some questions: So -- wait a minute -- which are we? Are we light? Or are we in sin?

Why this digression in verses 8-10? Is this a statement about salvation? Or a statement after salvation (about sanctification)?

What two attributes of God are mentioned in verse 9? Why is God just to forgive sin?

According to verse 9, what are the two results of confessing sin? What is the meaning of "word" in verse 10. Compare with verse 1.

Comments: John Stott (in The Letters of John) puts verse 10 with the first two verses of chapter 2.

For further contemplation: What exactly is "sin"?  Although the word and related concepts appear throughout the Bible, common attempts to explain "sin" degenerate into a legalistic list of things one should do or not do. Such superficial approaches to the concept of sin are convenient, but detrimental.
So ... what is "sin" -- and how does it pervade the human race?