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1Jn_1:2. Without bringing to an end the thought begun in 1Jn_1:1, from the exact continuation of which he has already digressed in περὶ τοῦ λόγου τ . ζ ., the apostle in this verse expresses the double thought, that the life was manifested, and that this eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested, has been seen and is declared by him; so that in this both ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς and ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν , how the former, namely, could have been the subject of sensuous perception, find their more particular determination. This whole verse is of course parenthetical; but that it is not regarded by John as mere parenthesis (contrary to Düsterdieck) is clear, partly from the connecting καὶ , and partly from this, that in 1Jn_1:3 it is not ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς , but only ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν κ . τ . λ ., that is resumed, while the former is fully dealt with in this verse.
καί ] is not put for γάρ , but is copulative, “not disjunctive, but conjunctive” (Lücke); the thought with which it is connected is that which lies in ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς , that the life, before it became subject of perception, was, as it is afterwards put, πρὸς τὸν πατέρα .[36]
ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη ] Instead of a relative, the noun is repeated, as is peculiar to the diction of John; ἡ ζωή instead of ὁ λόγος τῆς ζωῆς , because the emphasis, as has been already remarked, is on ζωή , is analogous to Gospel of Joh_1:4, where also, after it is said of the λόγος : ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν , it is not ὁ λόγος , but ἡ ζωή , that is the subject of the following sentence.[37] It is plainly incorrect to understand by ΖΩΉ the doctrina de felicitate nova = evangelium (Semler), or, with others: the felicitas of believers; but neither is S. G. Lange’s explanation, according to which ΖΩΉ = “auctor vitae, the Life-giver,” sufficient, for Christ is so designated not merely according to the operation that proceeds from Him, but at the same time according to the peculiarity of His nature.[38]
ἘΦΑΝΕΡΏΘΗ ] In what way the ΦΑΝΈΡΩΣΙς took place is taught in chap. 1Jn_4:2 and Joh_1:14. In this way, that the life which was in itself hidden appeared in the flesh or became flesh, did it become perceptible by sense, subject of the ἈΚΟΎΕΙΝ , ὉΡᾶΝ Κ . Τ . Λ . Ebrard rightly remarks: “the ΣᾺΡΞ ΓΊΓΝΕΣΘΑΙ indicates the objective event of the incarnation as such; the ΦΑΝΕΡΩΘῆΝΑΙ , the result of it for our faculty of perception.”
ΚΑῚ ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ ΚΑῚ Κ . Τ . Λ .] The object that belongs to the verbs is ΤῊΝ ΖΩῊΝ ΤῊΝ ΑἸΏΝΙΟΝ ; according to de Wette, Brückner, and Düsterdieck, this object is only attracted to ἈΠΑΓΓΈΛΛΟΜΕΝ , and the object is to be supplied to both of the first verbs from what precedes ( ΖΩΉ ); but the two ideas ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟῦΜΕΝ and ἈΠΑΓΓ . are thereby unduly separated from each other; there is more in favour of supplying only an ΑὐΤΉΝ with ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ (1st ed. of this comm., Myrberg), by which the idea of this verb is significantly brought out: “the life was manifested, and we have seen it;” but as in the context even this construction is not indicated, it is better, with most commentators, to connect ΤῊΝ ΖΩῊΝ Τ . ΑἸΏΝ . also with ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ .
By ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ the apostle brings out that the eternal Life which was made manifest and perceptible was seen by himself; the verb ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟῦΜΕΝ , which signifies the utterance of that which one has personally seen or experienced (comp. Gospel of Joh_19:35; also 1Jn_1:3-4; 1Jn_3:23),[39] is directly connected with this, and thereupon first follows the more general idea ἀπαγγέλλομεν ; Baumgarten-Crusius incorrecty refers ΜΑΡΤΥΡΟῦΜΕΝ specially to ἘΦΑΝΕΡΏΘΗ and ἈΠΑΓΓΈΛΛΟΜΕΝ to ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ , with the assertion that “the former two have more objective, the latter more subjective meaning.” Myrberg’s explanation also: ΜΑΡΤΥΡΊΑ est expertae veritatis simplex confessio, qua homo sibi ipsi potius, quam aliis consulat: ἈΠΑΓΓΕΛΊΑ annuntiatio veritatis cognitae, qua aliis potius, quam sibi ipsi providere studeat, is without grammatical justification.
By ὙΜῖΝ , ἈΠΑΓΓΈΛΛΟΜΕΝ is put in reference to the readers of the Epistle; hence it does not follow, however, that it is to be understood only of the writing of this Epistle, and is therefore simply resumed by ΤΑῦΤΑ ΓΡΆΦΟΜΕΝ in 1Jn_1:4; but the former is the more general idea, in which the more special one of the writing of the Epistle is embraced; the ΓΡΆΦΕΙΝ is a particular kind of the ἈΠΑΓΓΈΛΛΕΙΝ .[40] Ebrard incorrectly separates the two, by referring ἀπαγγέλλομεν to the written Gospel of John, and ΓΡΆΦΟΜΕΝ to this Epistle.
ΤῊΝ ΖΩῊΝ ΤῊΝ ΑἸΏΝΙΟΝ ] The noun is here put for the pronoun ΑὐΤΉΝ , not only in accordance with John’s usual mode of expression, but because the idea of ΖΩΉ was to be more particularly defined by ΑἸΏΝΙΟς . Baumgarten-Crusius erroneously explains Ἡ ΖΩῊ Ἡ ΑἸΏΝΙΟς by “bestowing higher, unending life;” rather the ΖΩΉ , which Christ is, is marked by ΑἸΏΝΙΟς as such as ἮΝ ἈΠʼ ἈΡΧῆς , or—still more comprehensively—as such as, though by the incarnation it entered into time, is in itself nevertheless without measure of time, eternal (Brückner; similarly Braune). It is true, the idea ΖΩῊ ΑἸΏΝΙΟς has elsewhere in the N. T. admittedly another signification, but this does not justify the explanation of Calvin: ubi secundo repetit: annuntiamus vitam aeternam, non dubito quin de effectu loquatur, nempe quod annuntiet: beneficio Christi partam nobis esse vitam. De Wette’s explanation also, that Ἡ ΖΩῊ Ἡ ΑἸΏΝΙΟς is an idea “which hovers in the middle between the eternal true life which is to be appropriated by believers (Joh_17:3), and life in Christ, so that the first is to be considered in closest connection with ἈΠΑΓΓΈΛΛΟΜΕΝ , but the second in reference to the reflexive ἭΤΙς ἮΝ ,” can so much the less be held correct as the simple and clear thought of the apostle is thereby rendered complicated and obscure. Of that which the believer possesses in Christ there is here no mention at all, but only of Christ Himself; and, besides, that Ἡ ΖΩῊ Ἡ ΑἸΏΝ . is to the Apostle John not merely a subjective, but also an objective conception, is proved by chap. 1Jn_5:11.
ἭΤΙς ἮΝ ] ἭΤΙς is more significant than the simple Ἥ , inasmuch as it makes the twofold relative clause as containing a confirmation of the preceding statement: ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ Κ . Τ . Λ ., ΤῊΝ ΖΩῊΝ ΤῊΝ ΑἸΏΝΙΟΝ .[41]
The imperfect ἦν also does not here indicate the intemporal existence, but is used in reference to ἐφανερώθη : ere the ζωή appeared, it was with the Father.
πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ] comp. Gospel of Joh_1:1 : πρὸς τὸν Θεόν . The preposition πρός is often combined with the accusative in the N. T. in the sense of “with:” comp. Mat_13:56; Mat_26:55; but πρός with the accusative differs from πρός with the dative in this, that it describes being with one another not as a mere being beside one another, but as a living connection, a being in intercourse with one another (so also Braune); but we put too much into it, if we find the relationship of love directly expressed by πρός .[42] John does not mean to bring out that the ΖΩΉ (Christ) was connected with the Father in love, but that Christ already was, before He appeared ( ἐφανερώθη ); before He was ἘΝ Τῷ ΚΌΣΜῼ with men, He was therefore in heaven with God, and indeed in lively union with God as He afterwards entered into a lively communion with men. Quite erroneously, Socin, Grotius, and others understand the expression of the concealment of the ΖΩῊ ΑἸΏΝ . in the decree of God. From the fact that John here calls God in His relation to Christ ΠΑΤΉΡ , it follows that the sonship of Christ to God is to be regarded not as first begun with His incarnation, but as premundane.
ΚΑῚ ἘΦΑΝΕΡΏΘΗ ἩΜῖΝ ] is not a mere repetition of what has been already said, but in ἩΜῖΝ a new element is added, by which ἙΩΡΆΚΑΜΕΝ and Ὃ ἈΚΗΚΌΑΜΕΝ Κ . Τ . Λ ., 1Jn_1:1, find their explanation.
[36] Ebrard wrongly conceives the logical relation thus, that by καί the thought that is latent in the preceding verse: “that Christ was of eternal being, but became incarnate and was manifested,” is confirmed.
[37] Groundlessly Baumgarten-Crusius asserts that ζωή “has here more inner, spiritual meaning than in Gospel Joh_1:14;” this is to mistake the meaning which the word has in that passage.
[38] The chief elements which are contained in the idea ζωή are differently stated by the commentators; Frommann mentions as such: “the truth, perfection, or the living and happy character of being;” Köstlin: “the mightiness, blessedness, and endlessness of being.” If we keep to the scriptural mode of conception, the chief elements appear to be “consciousness, activity, and happiness;” true activity is only where consciousness is, and happiness is activity which is not disturbed or hindered by any opposition.—Weiss wrongly infers from Joh_17:3, that by ζωή is to be understood only the knowledge of God, and it is erroneous for him to maintain that ἡ ζωή does not here signify Christ Himself, but “His peculiar knowledge of God,” which He possessed even before His φανέρωσις . The relative clause ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα , which is connected with τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον , is opposed to this interpretation; inasmuch as it shows that here ἡ ζωὴ ἡ αἰώνιος , and just as much ἡ ζωή , is to be considered as the same subject which John in the prooemium of the Gospel calls ὁ λόγος , and of which he says there that it ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν .
[39] Incorrectly a Lapide: quasi martyres i.e. testes Dei tum voce, tum vita, tum passione, morte et martyrio.
[40] Bengel’s interpretation: “Testimonium, genus; species duae: annuntiatio et Scriptio; annuntiatio ponit fundamentum, scriptio superaedificat,” is inadmissible.
[41] The statement of Ebrard is inapposite, that by ἥτις the subject-matter of the relative clause is stated as an already (from ver. 1) known and at the same time acknowledged element of the substantive idea on which the relative clause depends. The right view seems to lie at the base of the explanation of Sander: “I declare unto you eternal life, even as such as,” etc., at least it is not touched at by the remark of Ebrard in opposition: “The meaning of John is plainly this, that the ζ . αἰών . is really and in itself one which was with the Father and was manifested to us, and is by no means represented as such merely in the proclamation of it.” Düsterdieck rightly says: “By ἥτις the twofold extension of the predicate is connected with the subject ἡ ζ . ἡ αἰών ., not merely in simply relative manner, but in such a way that the extension of the predicate contains at the same time an explanatory and confirmatory reference;” but it is difficult to admit that by virtue of ἥτις the καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν in its close connection with ἦν πρ . τ . πατ . is marked as the connecting link which unites to ὃ ἦν ἀπʼ ἀρχ . the accessory elements ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν κ . τ . λ .
[42] Besser: “The Word was with God, related to the Father in filial love.” Still less justifiable is Ebrard’s explanation: “The ζωή was a life flowing forth indeed from the bosom of the Father, but immediately returning into it, floating in the inner circulation of the life of God.” (!)