Daily Bible Study—1 John 1:1

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have gazed upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— " (1 John 1:1, EMTV)


A1 Outline

B1 Main sentence "who was"

B2 Who

C1 From the beginning

C2 Which we have heard

C3 Which we have seen with our eyes

C4 Which we have gazed upon

C5 Our hands handled

B3 The "who" identified as the Word of Life

A2 Notes

B1 Beginning

C1 From eternity past. Before the creation of anything. It would the beginning in the sense of the whole era before creation. John 1:1, Acts 15:18, and Revelation 21:6

C2 Creation Isaiah 64:4 and Hebrews 1:10

C3 Start of Jesus's ministry John 15:27

C4 Start in the walk/life of wisdom Proverbs 1:7

C5 The greatest person Colossians 1:18

C6 Most likely it is referring to the creation. At the point when creation started, Jesus, the Word of Life, was already there. He is the creator, not created. Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3, Hebrews 3:9, Hebrews 1:2

B2 Word of Life

C1 Jesus

D1 Because He is the source of life. He has life in Himself. We need to have life given to us, but Jesus does not; He is life. John 1:1, John 1:14, John 6:63

D2 As the Word He is

E1 Eternal John 1:1

E2 God John 1:1

E3 Part of the Trinity. He is God but is a distinct person. John 1:1

C2 Gospel

D1 It is called this because believing and obeying the Gospel brings life. Acts 5:20, Philippians 2:16, James 1:18

D2 The Gospel is the message that reveals to us our condition (we are sinners and not good), our punishment (hell), our savior (Jesus), and how to have forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God. Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

C3 Word is defined as something said or thought that has meaning. If I say apple, you know what that means. I have conveyed a sound that has meaning. If I said hot, you know what that means. The context is important to know the shade of meaning, but it is a thought, a message. Jesus as the word means that He is the expression of God, since He is God. Whatever He does shows us what God is like. Whatever He says shows us what God thinks.

A3 Questions

B1 Is John the Apostle a reliable witness? Why?

B2 Is John's witness more reliable than today's scholar's witness about Jesus?

B3 Why does John use the words "from the beginning?"

B4 Why does John go into detail about hearing, seeing, gazing, and handling Jesus? (Docetism. See here, here, and here