The Word of Life 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we gazed upon and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life —
Caius Presbyter of Rome · AD 200 And hence, although different points are taught us in the several books of the Gospels, there is no difference as regards the faith of believers, inasmuch as in all of them all things are related under one imperial Spirit, which concern the Lord's nativity, His passion, His resurrection, His conversation with His disciples, and His twofold advent,-the first in the humiliation o…
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 Who is he that with hands doth handle the Word, except because "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us"? Now this Word which was made flesh that it might be handled, began to be flesh, of the Virgin Mary: but not then began the Word, for the Apostle saith, "That which was from the beginning." See whether his epistle does not bear witness to his gospel, where ye lately heard,…
Bonaventure · AD 1257 The third certainty derives from an intellectual vision combined with bodily vision. This occurred in the minds of the apostles. What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked upon and our hands have handled, the Word of Life. And we announce to you nothing else than what we have seen.
2 and the life was made manifest, and we have seen and bear witness and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made manifest to us —
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 "The life was manifested." For in the Gospel he thus speaks: "And what was made, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men." "And we show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto you." He signifies by the appellation of Father, that the Son also existed always, without beginning.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "The Life was manifested." Christ therefore is "the word of life." And whereby manifested? For it was "from the beginning," only not manifested to men: but it was manifested to angels, who saw it and fed on it as their bread. But what saith the Scripture?
Bede · AD 735 And we proclaim to you eternal life, etc. It was with the Father in eternal divinity, and appeared in time to the world in humanity.
3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you also may have partnership with us. And indeed our partnership is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Tertullian · AD 220 Wherefore he also exhorts us to believe in the name of His (the Father's, ) Son Jesus Christ, that "our fellowship may be with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Paul, in like manner, everywhere speaks of "God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oecumenius · AD 550 "What we have seen and heard, we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ." And what profit do we bring you from this announcement?
Theophylact of Ohrid · AD 1107 What exactly? That the Life, being eternal, appeared to us, and we were eyewitnesses of it both before the cross and after the resurrection. For one and the same was nailed in the flesh to the cross and rose again in the same flesh. And what benefit is it to you, he says, that we proclaim this to you?
4 And these things we write, so that our joy may be complete.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "That ye also," saith he, "may have fellowship with us." And what great matter is it to have fellowship with men? Do not despise it; see what he adds: "and our fellowship may be with God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son. And these things," saith he, "we write unto you, that your joy may be full." Full joy he means in that fellowship, in that charity, in that unity.
Oecumenius · AD 550 "And we write this to you, so that your joy may be complete." However, having seized this, let us be complete with joy as if united with God. Or because while you are participants with us, we have our joy to the fullest; which the joyful sower will establish for the reapers, rejoicing in what they may enjoy from their labors.
Theophylact of Ohrid · AD 1107 For when we are in communion with you, we experience the greatest pleasure, similar to that which a rejoicing sower provides to the reapers at the distribution of wages, when they too rejoice that others enjoy their labors.
Walking in the Light 5 And this is the message that we have heard from him and proclaim to you: that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 "For God," he says, "is light." He does not express the divine essence, but wishing to declare the majesty of God, he has applied to the Divinity what is best and most excellent in the view of men.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all." Who would dare to say that there is darkness in God? Or what is the light? Or what darkness? Lest haply he speaks of such things as pertain to these eyes of ours.
Theophylact of Ohrid · AD 1107 The Apostle again returns to his former discourse and explains what Gospel he heard, namely the following: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him. From whom did he hear this? From Christ Himself, Who said: "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), and again: "I have come as a light into the world" (John 12:46).
6 If we say that we have partnership with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth;
Irenaeus · AD 202 ...the apostles who did also write the Gospel, in which they recorded the doctrine regarding God, pointing out that our Lord Jesus Christ is the truth, and that no lie is in Him.
Oecumenius · AD 550 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice 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 Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Symeon the New Theologian · AD 1022 See to it, brothers, that while we seem to be in God and think that we have communion with him, we should not be found excluded and separated from him, since we do not now see his light.
7 but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have partnership with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son," he says, "cleanses us." For the doctrine of the Lord, which is very powerful, is called His blood.
Augustine of Hippo · AD 430 "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another." Let us walk in the light, as He is in the light, that we may be able to have fellowship with Him. And what are we to do about our sins? Hear what follows, "And the blood of Jesus Christ His Son shall purge us from all sin." Great assurance hath God given!
Bede · AD 735 But if we walk in the light, etc. The distinction of words is to be noted, because he says that God is in the light, but that we ought to walk in the light. For the righteous walk in the light, as they advance to better things by serving with works of virtue. But divine holiness, to which it is said: "But you are the same" (Ps.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we lead ourselves astray and the truth is not in us.
Tertullian · AD 220 If we confess our sins, faithful and just is He to remit them to us, and utterly purify us from every unrighteousness." Does he say "from impurity? "(No): or else, if that is so, then (He "utterly purifies" us) from "idolatry" too.
Leo the Great · AD 461 It is pride to presume that it is easy not to sin, since the presumption itself is sin.
Bede · AD 735 If we say that we have no sin, etc. This sentence avails against the heresy of Pelagius, which claimed that all infants are born without sin and that the elect in this life can progress to such an extent as to be without sin.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he may forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Tertullian · AD 220 If we confess our sins, faithful and just is He to remit them to us, and utterly purify us from every unrighteousness." Does he say "from impurity? "(No): or else, if that is so, then (He "utterly purifies" us) from "idolatry" too.
Desert Fathers · AD 500 A hermit said that a man once committed a serious sin. Stricken with remorse, he went to confess to another monk. He did not tell him what he had done, but put it in the form of a question, 'If such a thought arose in someone's mind, would he be saved?' The monk, who had no discretion, answered, 'You are completely lost.' When the brother heard this, he said, 'Well, if I'm goin…
Theophylact of Ohrid · AD 1107 The Apostle repeats his speech several times, so that through abundant and frequent reproofs he might present to them the full gravity of the transgression and incline them to confession. How great a good is born from confession can be seen from the following words: "declare thou" thy sins, "that thou mayest be justified" (Isa.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
Clement of Alexandria · AD 215 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." His doctrine, that is, or word is truth.
John Cassian · AD 435 Among holy men it is impossible not to fall into those small lapses which occur because of something said, some thought, some surreptitious act. These sins are quite different from those which are called mortal, but they are not without blame or reproach.
Bede · AD 735 If we say that we have not sinned, etc. For he himself said through a man filled with his Spirit: There is no just man on earth who does good and does not sin (Ecclesiastes 7). But even through himself, he taught us that we cannot be free from sins, as he commanded us to pray thus: Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors (Matthew 6).