1. Context
v.1-4
Jesus Christ=the life,
the eternal life, was with the Father and was from the beginning,
was revealed to us, what we have heardx2/seenx3/looked at/our hands have touched and
we testify and announcex2 to you so that you may have fellowship with us so that our joy may be complete
(BKC) The apostles so shared the heart of Christ for His people that their own joy was bound up in the spiritual well-being of those to whom they ministered. If the readers retained their true fellowship with God and with His apostles, no one would be any happier than John himself.
(NET) or a health wish or expression of remembrance. The author of 1 John begins the prologue with an emphasis on the eyewitness nature of his testimony. He then transitions to a focus on the readers of the letter by emphasizing the proclamation of this eyewitness (apostolic) testimony to them. The purpose of this proclamation is so that the readers might share in fellowship with the author, a true fellowship which is with the Father and the Son as well. To guarantee this maintenance of fellowship the author is writing the letter itself (line 4a)
2. Context
A. Main them v.5
The word of life, the message that we announce: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all
While Jesus is God in flesh John 1:18, the message about him is to tell us Who God is, that is, God is light. The rest of the passage 1:6-2:2 is our response to this message, how we walk if we say we have fellowship with him.
B. The 3 "if...but if"
i. If we walk in the darkness...but if we walk in the light v.6-7
(NET) The context of this statement in 1:6 indicates clearly that the progressive (continuative or durative) aspect of the present tense must be in view here.
(BKC) It is significant that John talked of walking in the light, rather than according to the light. To walk according to the light would require sinless perfection and would make fellowship with God impossible for sinful humans. To walk in it, however, suggests instead openness and responsiveness to the light. John did not think of Christians as sinless, even though they are walking in the light, as is made clear in the last part of this verse. For John added that the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from every sin...So long as there is true openness to the light of divine truth, Christians’ failures are under the cleansing power of the shed blood of Christ
ii. If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin...but if we confess our sins v.8-9
(NET) On the analogy with other constructions where ἔχω governs an abstract noun (e.g., 1 John 1:3, 6, 7; 2:28; 3:3, 15, 21; 4:16, 17; 5:12–13), it indicates that a state is involved, which in the case of ἁμαρτία would refer to a state of sin. The four times the expression ἔχω + ἁμαρτία occurs in the Gospel of John (9:41; 15:22, 24; 19:11) all refer to situations where a wrong action has been committed or a wrong attitude has already existed, resulting in a state of sin, and then something else happens which further emphasizes the evil of that action or attitude
(NET) Here in 1 John 1:8 the sense is the same. The author is addressing people who have sinned (resulting in a state of sin), warning them that they cannot claim to be free from the guilt of that sin...the opponents were saying that things a believer did after conversion were not significant enough to be “sins” that could challenge one’s intimate relationship with God (a relationship the author denies that the opponents have to begin with).
6 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.
v.8 is the denial of the state of v.6 but basically doing the same thing, and therefore the result is the same.
On the other hands, v.9 gave us the details of v.7 when a person walk in the light and the blood of Jesus His Son Cleanses us from all sin, i.e. by confessing our sins. Therefore, the results are the same: cleaning from all sin/unrighteousness.
3. Conclusion and reflection
Facing the apostasy in the church, Apostle John pointed out the truth with the expectation of fellowship with them. Truth is important to John and cannot be compromised, but letting the apostasy knew the motivation of love is also important. Do I have the heart of restoring fellowship when I point out the sins of others? Do I convey that clearly when I pointing out someone's sin?
Who God is affect the way we live. On one hand, we cannot live our lives contrary to His nature. On the other hand, we cannot deny our status so that we think we lives according to His nature. The only way we can live according to His nature is by the blood of Jesus Christ/confession of our sins. Am I wishy washy in my process of transformation in His image? Either I lower the standard and think I am ok? Or I deny my problem and think I am ok?
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