Scripture: 1 John 1 (especially v. 1-4)
We put a lot of trust in eyewitness testimonies. If someone heard about an incredible sale at the mall, I'm a little skeptical; if they hold up New Era Pittsburgh Pirates baseball cap and say, "I paid $13 for this," I'm making a beeline to my car.
The same even goes for ancient eyewitnesses. Think about in fiction, when a character discovers an ancient document. It could be a long-lost pirate's map to a buried treasure, a journal detailing the horrors of war, or instructions for assembling an ancient-yet-super-advanced technology (I watch some weird sci-fi). The characters may debate how to react to the information, but they almost never doubt its truthfulness. We trust firsthand accounts.
So it's encouraging that John starts off his letter with his credentials as an eyewitness. There will be incredibly abstract, spiritual, lofty, and eternal topics in this writing. But John wants us to know that he's not theorizing or dreaming them up.
Let's break down his credentials and his purposes from verses 1-4:
John has...
- seen and looked at
- heard the words of
- touched with his hands
... (what is it he's seen/heard/touched?)
- the Word of Life
- which has existed always
- which appeared (in human form) to the disciples and others
... so he testifies to people about this Word, both in person and writing, so that...
- his joy may be complete
- his readers may share in his fellowship with the Father and the Son
So if you're open to possibly believing an ancient eyewitness account, and you want to share in joy and knowing God, join me for a few days of studying 1 John!
"If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
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