John Calvin Commentary 1 John 1

He shows, first, that life has been exhibited to us in Christ. As this is an incomparable good, it ought to rouse and inflame all our powers with a marvelous desire for it, and with the love of it. It is said, indeed, in a few and plain words, that life is manifested; but if we consider how miserable and horrible a condition death is, and also what the kingdom and the glory of immortality are, we will perceive that there is something here more magnificent than can be expressed in any words.

Then the Apostle’s object, in setting before us the vast good—indeed, the chief and only true happiness which God has conferred on us in His own Son—is to raise our thoughts above. But as the greatness of the subject requires that the truth should be certain and fully proved, this is what is extensively dwelt upon here.

For these words, What we have seen, what we have heard, what we have looked on, serve to strengthen our faith in the gospel. Nor does he, indeed, without reason, make so many assertions; for since our salvation depends on the gospel, its certainty is in the highest degree necessary. And how difficult it is for us to believe, each of us knows too well by our own experience.

To believe is not lightly to form an opinion, or to assent only to what is said, but to have a firm, undoubting conviction, so that we may dare to subscribe to the truth as fully proved. It is for this reason that the Apostle heaps together so many things in confirmation of the gospel.

Regarding the phrase That which was from the beginning: since the passage is abrupt and involved, the words may be arranged this way to make the sense clearer: “We announce to you the word of life, which was from the beginning and truly testified to us in all manner of ways, that life has been manifested in Him.”

Or, if you prefer, the meaning may be given as follows: “What we announce to you respecting the word of life, has been from the beginning, and has been openly shown to us, that life was manifested in Him.”

But the words, That which was from the beginning, undoubtedly refer to the divinity of Christ, for God manifested in the flesh was not from the beginning in that manifested state. Instead, He who always was life and the eternal Word of God appeared in the fullness of time as man.

Again, what follows concerning the looking on and the handling with hands refers to His human nature. But as the two natures constitute only one person, and Christ is one—because He came forth from the Father that He might put on our flesh—the Apostle rightly declares that He is the same, who had been invisible and afterward became visible.

By this, the senseless objection of Servetus is disproved—namely, that the nature and essence of Deity became one with the flesh, and that thus the Word was transformed into flesh, because the life-giving Word was seen in the flesh.

Let us then bear in mind that this doctrine of the Gospel is declared here: that He who in the flesh truly proved Himself to be the Son of God, and was acknowledged to be the Son of God, was always God’s invisible Word. For the Apostle does not refer here to the beginning of the world but ascends much higher.

Which we have heard, which we have seen. This was not the hearing of a mere report, to which little credit is usually given. Instead, John means that he had faithfully learned from his Master those things which he taught, so that he alleged nothing thoughtlessly or rashly. And, undoubtedly, no one is a fit teacher in the Church who has not been a disciple of the Son of God and rightly instructed in His school, since His authority alone ought to prevail.

When he says, we have seen with our eyes, this is no redundancy but a fuller expression for the sake of amplification. In fact, he was not satisfied with seeing only, but added, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled. By these words he shows that he taught nothing but what had been truly made known to him.

It may seem, however, that the evidence of the senses was of little avail on the present subject, for the power of Christ could not be perceived by the eyes nor felt by the hands. To this I answer that the same thing is said here as in the first chapter of the Gospel of John: We have seen His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father.

For He was not known as the Son of God by the external form of His body, but because He gave illustrious proofs of His divine power, so that in Him shone forth the majesty of the Father, as in a living and distinct image. Since the words are in the plural number, and the subject equally applies to all the apostles, I am disposed to include them, especially as the authority of testimony is what is being discussed.

But the wickedness of Servetus is no less frivolous (as I have said before) than impudent, when he urges these words to prove that the Word of God became visible and capable of being handled. He either impiously destroys or confuses the twofold nature of Christ.

It is, therefore, a pure figment. Thus, by deifying the humanity of Christ, Servetus completely takes away the reality of His human nature. At the same time, he denies that Christ is called the Son of God for any reason other than that He was conceived of His mother by the power of the Holy Spirit, thereby also taking away His own subsistence in God.

It therefore follows that, in his view, Christ was neither God nor man, though Servetus seems to form a confused mixture from both. But as the meaning of the Apostle is evident to us, let us move past that unprincipled man.

Of the Word of life. The genitive here is used for an adjective—vivifying or life-giving—for in Him, as it is said in the first chapter of John’s Gospel, was life.

At the same time, this distinction belongs to the Son of God for two reasons: first, because He has infused life into all creatures, and second, because He now restores to us the life that had perished, having been extinguished by the sin of Adam.

Moreover, the term Word may be explained in two ways: either as referring to Christ or as referring to the doctrine of the Gospel, for salvation is brought to us even by the latter.

But as its substance is Christ, and as it contains nothing other than that He, who had always been with the Father, was finally manifested to men, the first view appears to me the more simple and genuine. Furthermore, it appears more fully from the Gospel that the wisdom which dwells in God is called the Word.

For (or, and) the life was manifested. The conjunction is explanatory, as though he had said, “We testify of the life-giving Word, as life has been manifested.” The sense can at the same time be twofold: that Christ, who is life and the fountain of life, has been manifested, or that life has been openly offered to us in Christ. The latter, indeed, necessarily follows from the former. Yet regarding the meaning, the two things differ, as cause and effect. When he repeats, We show, or announce eternal life, he speaks, I have no doubt, of the effect: namely, that he announces that life is obtained for us in Christ.

From this we learn that when Christ is preached to us, the kingdom of heaven is opened to us, so that, being raised from death, we may live the life of God.

Which was with the Father. This is true not only from the time when the world was formed but also from eternity, for he was always God, the fountain of life. His eternal wisdom possessed the power and ability to give life.

However, he did not actually exercise this before the creation of the world. From the time when God began to reveal the Word, that power, which was previously hidden, spread over all created things.

Some manifestation had already been made; the Apostle had something else in view: namely, that life was finally manifested in Christ when he, in our flesh, completed the work of redemption. For though the fathers, even under the law, were associates and partakers of the same life, yet we know that they were kept in expectation of the hope that was to be revealed.

It was necessary for them to seek life from the death and resurrection of Christ. However, the event was not only far distant from their sight but also hidden from their minds. They depended, then, on the hope of revelation, which finally came in due time. Indeed, they could not have obtained life unless it was manifested to them in some way. But the difference between us and them is that we hold him already revealed, as it were, in our hands, while they sought him who was obscurely promised to them in types.

But the Apostle's aim is to remove the idea of novelty, which might have lessened the dignity of the Gospel. He therefore says that life had not just then begun to exist, though it had only recently appeared, because it was always with the Father.

That which we have seen. He now repeats for the third time the words seen and heard, so that nothing might be lacking regarding the real certainty of his doctrine. And it should be carefully noted that the heralds of the Gospel chosen by Christ were those who were suitable and faithful witnesses of all those things they were to declare. He also testifies to their heartfelt motivation, for he says that he was moved to write by no other reason than to invite those to whom he was writing to share in an inestimable good. From this it appears how much care he had for their salvation, which significantly helped to induce them to believe; for we would be extremely ungrateful if we refuse to listen to him who wishes to share with us a part of that happiness which he has obtained.

He also presents the fruit received from the Gospel: namely, that through it we are united to God, and to His Son Christ, in whom the chief good is found. It was necessary for him to add this second point, not only to represent the doctrine of the Gospel as precious and lovely, but also to show that he wished them to be his associates for no other purpose than to lead them to God, so that they might all be one in Him. For the ungodly also have a mutual union among themselves, but it is without God; in fact, it leads them to alienate themselves more and more from God, which is the worst of all evils. Indeed, as has been stated, our only true happiness is to be received into God’s favor, so that we may be really united to Him in Christ, of which John speaks in his Gospel (John 17).

In short, John declares that just as the apostles were adopted by Christ as brothers, so that, being gathered into one body, they might together be united to God, so He does the same with other colleagues; though many, they are nevertheless made partakers of this holy and blessed union.

That your joy may be full. By "full joy," he expresses more clearly the complete and perfect happiness that we obtain through the Gospel; at the same time, he reminds the faithful where they ought to fix all their affections. True is that saying:

Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also (Matthew 6:21).

Whosoever, then, really perceives what fellowship with God is, will be satisfied with it alone, and will no more burn with desires for other things.

The Lord is my cup, says David, and my heritage; the lines have fallen for me on an excellent lot (Psalms 16:5–6).

In the same manner does Paul declare that all things were deemed by him as dung in comparison with Christ alone (Philippians 3:8). He, therefore, who considers himself happy in having communion with God and acquiesces in that alone, has finally gained proficiency in the Gospel; and thus he prefers it to the whole world, so that he is ready for its sake to relinquish all other things.

This then is the message, or promise. I do not disapprove of the rendering of the old interpreter, “This is the annunciation,” or message; for though ἐπαγγελία means for the most part a promise, yet, as John speaks here generally of the testimony previously mentioned, the context seems to require the other meaning, unless you were to give this explanation, “The promise which we bring to you includes this, or has this condition attached to it.” Thus, the meaning of the Apostle would become evident to us.

For his purpose here was not to include the whole doctrine of the Gospel, but to show that if we desire to enjoy Christ and his blessings, we are required to be conformed to God in righteousness and holiness. Paul says the same thing in the Epistle to Titus, chapter 2, Appeared has the saving grace of God to all, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live soberly and righteously and holily in this world (Titus 2:11–12); except that here he says metaphorically, that we are to walk in the light, because God is light.

But he calls God light, and says that he is in the light; such expressions are not to be taken too strictly. Why Satan is called the prince of darkness is sufficiently evident. When, therefore, God on the other hand is called the Father of light, and also light, we first understand that there is nothing in him but what is bright, pure, and unalloyed; and, secondly, that he makes all things so manifest by his brightness, that he allows nothing vicious or perverted, no spots or filth, no hypocrisy or fraud, to lie hidden. Then the sum of what is said is that since there is no union between light and darkness, there is a separation between us and God as long as we walk in darkness; and that the fellowship which he mentions cannot exist unless we also become pure and holy.

In him is no darkness at all. This mode of speaking is commonly used by John to amplify what he has affirmed by a contrary negation. Then, the meaning is that God is such a light that no darkness belongs to him. It therefore follows that he hates an evil conscience, pollution, and wickedness, and everything that pertains to darkness.