1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—
2 the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
3 that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
4 And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.
We must take verses 1-4 as one long, involved, elliptical sentence, and look for the key main verb, which seems to be “and show unto you (v.2). The word means “declare,” “announce,” or “make known.” What is being “made known” in this letter is the object of the verb here and is multifaceted; it is something which existed from eternity, it is something with which the writer has the most detailed personal acquaintance. It could be called the “Word of Life”; it has made a real appearance in the world of men. Others besides the author have seen it and can prove it. Finally, it existed earlier in close association with the Father and then made its appearance into the world. That object which is now being “made known” more fully in this letter is, of course, Jesus Christ. More succinctly, the author is saying that in this letter, “We are declaring Jesus Christ.”
The purpose for this declaration is also given in duplicate form: “that ye also may have fellowship with us” (v.3) and “that your joy may be full” (v.4) — KJV Commentary, page 1754.
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He whom they heard, with whom they were in touch, whom they knew and gazed upon is the eternal Life which was with the Father. It is more than that He spoke of eternal Life and promised eternal Life; He Himself is eternal Life. He was with the Father and came into the world, to manifest what that life is. … And this eternal life is communicated to all who believe on the Son of God. This life which was with the Father, manifested in the Lord Jesus on earth, is the life which is in us. … We have no longer to seek for it, to grope after it in the darkness, to explore at random the indefinite, or the obscurity of our own hearts, , in order to find it, to labor fruitlessly under the law, in order to obtain it. We behold it: it is revealed, it is here, in Jesus Christ. He who possesses Christ possesses that life. To know then what life we possess as believers, we must not look in ourselves, or to other believers, but to Christ and the life He manifested on earth. … When I turn my eyes to Jesus, when I contemplate all His obedience, His purity, His grace, His tenderness, His patience, His devotedness, His holiness, His love, His entire freedom from all self-seeking, I can say, that is my life. It may be that it is obscured in me; but it is none the less true, that it is my life. — Gaebelein, page 1174.
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That which was from the beginning (v.1) — This phrase is to be compared and contrasted with the opening words of the Gospel of John. In the Gospel he says “In the beginning was the Word.” This does not imply that Christ was originated. What the Apostle is there setting forth is His eternal pre-existence, as possessed of Deity. Wherever a beginning is in view there Christ was, having been pre-existent to it. Before creation, for instance, He was with God, and was Himself God. Here in the Epistle the same thought attaches to the phrase “the beginning” but the Apostle sets forth Christ as having come into human experience from the eternity of the past. Having been pre-existent he became manifested. — Vine, page 10.
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which we have heard … seen … looked upon … handled (v.1) — This expresses a progress of experience in relation to Christ. It suggests a deepening degree of intimacy. One may hear a person without seeing hi, may see him without close contemplation of his person, may behold him without handling him. The perfect tenses “have seen,” “have heard,” signify the abiding effect of the experiences. The aorist, or point, tenses, “beheld,” “handled,” mark the definiteness of the events. — Vine, page 11.
looked upon (v.1) = beheld intently, studied.
Word (v.1) = Greek, logos — a title of the Son of God.
The Word of life (v.1) — combines the two truths that He is Himself life and that He imparts it, as the life (John 14:6), He is the personal expression of what God is, the interpreter of His nature (cp. John 1:18), but, as He also Himself said, He came that they might have life (John 10:10) — Vine, page 11.
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manifested (v.2) — Since only first-generation believers experienced Christ in the flesh, we rely on Spirit-filled men who [gave] eyewitness accounts of what He said, did, and just as importantly, Who He is. — Grace, page 2217.
fellowship (v.3) — “a having in common,” “a sharing with.”
our fellowship (v.3) — Thee is very strong emphasis on the word “our.” This might be brought out in the following way: “The fellowship which is ours (that which distinguishes what believers have in common, in contrast to any other form of fellowship), is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. — Vine, page 12.
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