I JOHN 1:2

 

(For the life

                   was manifested,

and we

                   have seen it,

                   and

                   bear witness,

                   and

                   shew unto you

that eternal life

                             which was with the Father,

                             and

                             was manifested unto us;)

 

 

 

(For the life was manifested,                                    Actualized

 

and we have seen it,                                                Affirmed

                                               

and bear witness,                                                   Attested

and shew unto you that eternal life,

 

which was with the Father,                                     Association

 

and was manifested unto us;)                                  Appearance

 

 

Other versions:

 

NKJV:  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 –     

 

ESV:  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us –

 

 

Definitions:

 

A.   Life

1.    Strong (2222):  life

2.    Thayer:  of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God

3.    Vine:  of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself

 

B.   Manifested

1.    Strong (5319):  to render apparent

2.    Thayer:  to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown

3.    Vine:  to make visible, clear, manifest, known

 

C.   Seen

1.    Strong (3708):  to stare at, to discern clearly

2.    Thayer:  to see with the eyes

3.    Vine:  to see of bodily vision

 

D.   Bear witness

1.    Strong (3140):  to be a witness, to testify

2.    Thayer:  o be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something…to give (not to keep back) testimony

3.    Vine:  to bear witness, testify

 

E.   Shew

1.    Strong (518):  to announce

2.    Thayer:  to bring tidings (from a person or a thing), bring word, report, to proclaim, to make known openly, declare

3.    Vine (declare):  to announce, report, publish

 

F.    Eternal

1.    Strong (166):  perpetual (also used of past time, or past and future as well)

2.    Thayer:  without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be, without end, never to cease, everlasting

3.    Vine:  describes duration…undefined because endless

 

G.   Life

1.    Strong (2222):  life

2.    Thayer:  of the absolute fulness of life, both essential and ethical, which belongs to God

3.    Vine:  of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself

 

H.   Father

1.    Strong (3962):  a father

2.    Thayer:  generator or male ancestor…God is called the Father of Christians, as those who through Christ have been exalted to a specially close and intimate relationship with God, and who no longer dread him as a stern judge of sinners, but revere him as their reconciled and loving Father

 

I.     Manifested

1.    Strong (5319):  to render apparent

2.    Thayer:  to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown

3.    Vine:  to make visible, clear, manifest, known

 

Personal thoughts:

 

1.    Jesus was manifested to the world:  conception, birth, at the temple at the age of twelve, at His baptism, during His earthly ministry, at the crucifixion, and when He rose from the dead the third day.

2.    There is nothing wrong in repetition.  This is the second time John says they saw the Christ.

3.    The message about Jesus does not come from hearsay evidence.  It involves eyewitness testimony.

4.    The world needs to be shown “that eternal life,” both the Christ and the life He came to give.

5.    Jesus was with the Father before He came to earth.  Some refer to this as His preexistence.

 

 

 

Barnes

 

Introduction

 

This second verse should be regarded as a parenthesis.  It adds something extra to the first verse, but does not interrupt the main flow of John’s thought.

 

1.   Was Manifested

 

He who was the life was made known to people by the incarnation.

 

Romans 1:3; 1 Tim. 3:16; John 1:14

 

2.   And we have seen

 

This is a repetition of what is found in verse 1

 

He is particularly desirous of impressing on them the thought that he had been a personal witness of what the Saviour was, having had every opportunity of knowing it from long and familiar contact with him (e-sword).

 

3.   And bear witness

 

If a person was not present to actually see the Christ, he would have to rely on eyewitness testimony.  These witnesses needed to be credible.

 

John assured others that his witness was true in many of his writings (John 19:35; 21:24; Rev. 1:2; 3 John 12).

 

Elements of a credible eyewitness (chatgpt)

 

A.   Opportunity to observe

B.   Attention and focus

C.   Consistency over time

D.   Lack of bias or motive

E.   Confidence

F.    Mental and physical condition

G.   Freedom from suggestion

H.   Ability to articulate clearly

 

4.   And shew unto you that eternal life

 

This was the mission of the apostle, to show all the world “the life.”

It was a message of hope since all the world is dead in sin.

 

He is described as “eternal life.”

  His life is eternal.

  He came to give eternal life.

 

5.   Which was with the Father

 

This passage demonstrates the pre-existence of the Son of God… (e-sword).

 

 

 

Guy N. Woods

 

Introduction

 

A progression of ideas is to be noted here, each of which, in ascending order, indicates the care which John exercised in leading his readers to the conclusion he desired…” (212).

 

Manifested…seen…bear witness…show unto you

 

1.   as Manifested

 

 

2.   And we have seen

 

 

3.   And bear witness

 

 

4.   And shew unto you that eternal life

 

 

5.   Which was with the Father

 

This life had been with the Father prior to the incarnation and is thus eternal (212).

 

Here is the first of our stages indicated in the sacred writings regarding the second person of the Godhead and points irresistibly to his deity:

(1)  His pre-existence in eternity as the Word prior to creation;

(2)  His foreshadowing in the Old Testament period as the angel of Jehovah, the anticipated Messiah, etc.;

(3)  His incarnate life on earth;

(4)  His present glorified state in heaven at the right hand of God, the Father, on the throne of David (Acts 2:25-36) (212-213).

 

 

 

R.C.H. Lenski

 

Introduction

 

 

1.   Was Manifested

 

The verb includes the whole manifestation from the incarnation to the ascension but especially from the baptism until the ascension, the time when the apostles beheld his glory” (375).

 

2.   And we have seen

 

 

3.   And bear witness

 

Acts 1:8

 

Even though the apostles are dead, they continue to bear witness through the inspired words they have left us in the New Testament.

 

 

4.   And shew unto you that eternal life

 

 

5.   Which was with the Father

 

… ‘face-to-face’ preposition

 

…it is employed for living relationship, intimate converse.” (377).

 

 

 

F.F. Bruce

 

 

Introduction

 

 

1.   Was manifested

 

“If the Gospel speaks of the incarnation of the Eternal Word, the Epistle speaks of the manifestation of Eternal Life” (37).

 

This epistle, then, is justly called ‘the epistle of eternal life’.  It shows how and in whom that life was uniquely and perfectly manifested; it shows how the presence of that life in men and women may be recognized” (37).

 

2.   And we have seen

 

 

3.   And bear witness

 

 

4.   And shew unto you that eternal life

 

 

5.   Which was with the Father

 

 

 

 

 

NOTE:

The next step in Bible study is to take all of these notes and arrange them in such a way that the student understands them and can present them well to others.