Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadMatthew Poole Commentary - 1 John 1:1 - 1:1
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
1 JOHN CHAPTER 1
1Jo_1:1-4 The apostle professeth to declare what he had formerly
seen and known of the Word of life, to the end that
others might have fellowship with him.
1Jo_1:5-10 The substance of his doctrine is: That to have
fellowship with God, we must be holy as he is holy;
and that if we confess our sins, we shall be forgiven
through the blood of Christ.
The order of discourse requires we begin with the last
thing in this verse,
the Word of life. This phrase, the Word,
is by this apostle (not here to inquire in what notion some,
both Jews and pagans, before took it) familiarly used, to signify the
eternal Son of God: and whereas this is his usual style in speaking of
this sacred Person, as in the entrance of his Gospel, (so very like
that of this Epistle), so often over in his Revelation, Rev_19:13,
and that afterwards in this Epistle itself, 1Jo_5:7, he so
readily falls into the mention of him by this name, (as not doubting
to be understood), it is scarce to be supposed, that being so constant
to himself herein, he should use the same form of speech without any
such intendment in this place, where the circumstances do both allow
and invite us so to understand him. Nor doth the addition to it here,
the Word of life, render it the less fit to be applied to this
purpose, but rather the more; as serving to denote the peculiar
excellency of this Word, that he is the living and vivifying Word;
whereupon he also styles him in the following verse, simply, the
life, and, that eternal life, ( which is fit to be noted here, viz.
that these three expressions, the Word of life, the life, and
that eternal life, do, by the contexture of the discourse, plainly
mean the same thing, and seem in their principal intendment to be set
down as so many titles of the Son of God), designing to represent him
as the original and radical life, the root of the holy, divine life,
to all who partake thereof, agreeably to his own words concerning him
in the Gospel, Joh_1:4, In him (viz. the Word) was life,
and the life was the light of men (i.e. the Word was a vital,
enlivening light); and 1Jo_5:20, He (viz. the Son of God) is
eternal life: and to our Lord's words of himself, I am the life,
Joh_11:25 14:6; and that the Father had given him to
have life in himself, Joh_5:26, and consequently, to be capable
of being to others an original or fountain of life. Yet whereas by
the Word, and the Word of life, is often signified the gospel,
{1Jo_2:5 Phi_2:16; and elsewhere} it seems not incongruous or
disagreeable to this context, to understand the apostle, as designing
to comprehend both the meanings together in one expression, apt enough
to include them both. See Dr. Hammond in loco. Nor are they of so
remote an import, considered in their relation to us, as not fitly to
admit of being both intended at once. The Son of God being his
internal Word, the Word of his mind, his Wisdom, (another appellation
of him, frequent in Scripture, Pro_8:1-36 and elsewhere),
comprehending all ideas of things to be created or done; to us, the
immediate original of light and life, and by whose vivifying beams we
are especially to be transformed into the Divine likeness: the gospel
being his external word, the word of his mouth, the radiation of those
beams themselves. As we do ourselves first conceive, and form in our
minds, what we afterwards utter and express: only whereas our thonght,
or the word of our mind, is fluid, and soon vanishes; God's (in whom
is no change) is permanent, consubstantial and coeternal with himself:
The Word was with God, and the Word was God, Joh_1:1. Neither
are these two senses of the Word of life less fitly (or with more
impropriety) comprehended together under that one expression, than in
common discourse: speaking of the sun in reference to ourselves, we
often comprehend together in our meaning, both the body of the sun
itself and its beams; as when we say it enlightens us, revives us,
shines in at this window, or upon that dial, we do not intend (as
reasonably we cannot) to exclude either, but mean the sun doth it by
its beams. And now the notion being settled of the Word of life,
(which was necessary first to be done, and which required a larger
discourse), we may the more easily perceive, how what is here said of
it may, in the one sense or the other, be applied thereto.
That which was from the beginning; so the living Word, in the
first sense, was, viz. when all things also began; which is not said
itself then to have begun, as Joh_1:1: In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and, at the next step, the Word
was God. And with what is said by this Word himself, (then taking
another, but an equivalent, name, the Wisdom of God), Pro_8:22-30:
The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works
of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever
the earth was. When, & c.-Then I was by him, as one brought up
with him, & c.: where from the beginning, and from everlasting,
we see is all one. See 1Jo_2:13,14.
Which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands
have handled: these are all expressions indifferently applicable both:
1. To the person of the Son of God, primarily meant by the Word of life;
for that same glorious Person who was from the beginning with the
Father, viz. being now incarnate, became the object of these their
very senses, to this and the other apostles, who had so frequent
opportunity to hear, and see, and behold him, and even to handle
him with their hands, Luk_24:39 Joh_20:25. And:
2. To the gospel revelation, a secondary (not unintended) notion of
the Word of life, and whereof these latter expressions seem
more especially meant; they denote the perfect certainty the
apostles had (the rest of whom his manner of speaking seems
purposely to comprehend with himself) of that truth, which, as he
after speaks, they testified; it being their office and business as
apostles so to do; see Joh_15:27 Act_1:21,22 4:20; and it was
necessary they should be able to do it with such assurance as these
expressions import.
Therefore having said,
which we have heard, which imports a more
overly notice, it is added,
which we have seen, a much more
certain way of knowing, as 2Pe_1:16,17; and
with our eyes, a
more lively expression of that certainty, as Job expresses his
expected sight of his Redeemer, Job_19:27: and to signify it was
not a casual, transient glance, it is further said, which we have
looked upon, eyeasameya, i.e. studiously, and of set purpose,
bent ourselves to contemplate. Unto all which it is moreover added,
and our hands have handled, eqhlafhsan, which though literally
not otherwise applicable than to the person of our Lord incarnate, yet
is a most emphatical metaphor, elegantly representing their most
certain knowledge and lively sense of his excellent doctrine; as the
expression is usual of a palpable truth, to signify a most evident
one. So is that implied to be a truth that may be felt, that this
world hath a mighty and bountiful Sustainer and Lord, Act_17:27;
qhlafhseian.