The Eternal Life with the Father (1 John 1:2)

From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

2and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us—

– 1 John 1:2
(NASB® © 2020)
Mark as Favorite and save for later! (0)
Please login to bookmark Close

This verse is a parenthetical statement that explains in more detail what John has already written. He is still speaking about Christ, here described as “the life” and “the eternal life.”

Three facts are presented concerning the person of Christ

  1. The “eternal life”: Christ is the eternal life. This life is eternal—not created—and therefore it is God Himself. “He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20).
  1. The life “with the Father”: This expression describes the relationship of the life to God the Father. Christ is true God and true man in one person. Before His incarnation, He was the eternal life with the Father. Both the Father and the Son are equally God, yet they are distinct from one another. The expression that the life was “with the Father” does not merely indicate that they existed alongside each other; it expresses an intimate relationship—one of fellowship and communion.
  1. The life was “revealed to us”: The eternal life was with the Father in heaven. Heaven is the home of eternal life. Yet through the incarnation of Jesus Christ it has been manifested to us here on earth. Undoubtedly, it existed beforehand, but now it has been made known to us. This could happen only through the Son of God allowing “a body” to be prepared for Him and coming into our sinful world. As we have already seen, this life is the life of God Himself. Only God has life in Himself. God Himself has revealed Himself to us in the person of Christ. We may have grown accustomed to this thought, yet may the Spirit of God work in us so that we gain a renewed awareness of the unfathomable grace contained in the fact that God has revealed Himself to us in such a way.

What is God’s purpose in the manifestation of the eternal life?

  1. That people may share in this life. John writes that “God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9). Everyone who believes in the name of the Son of God may know that he has eternal life (cf. First Epistle of John 5:13).
  1. That we may recognize what kind of life this divine life is. Although we, as children of God, possess divine life (and the source of this life is Christ), it becomes visible in us only weakly and fragmentarily. But when the Son of God was here on earth, this life could be seen perfectly, no matter the stage of life or situation He was in.

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

Share this article:

You want to contact us? Ask a question or let us know what you think! 

Write a message here!

Leave a Comment

From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

Christian Fellowship (1 John 1:3)

John stresses that the apostles proclaim what they truly saw and heard about Jesus. This testimony invites believers into genuine “fellowship”—sharing God’s interests and thoughts—made possible through eternal life in Christ. True fellowship with God can’t reject apostolic teaching and includes fellowship with the Father about the Son and with the Son about the Father.
1 John 1:3
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

That which was from the Beginning (1 John 1:1)

John’s letter opens urgently with Christ, “the Word of life,” as false teachings threaten believers in the “last hour.” He points back to what was true “from the beginning”: God’s Son became flesh, revealing God and eternal life. Truth doesn’t evolve—new “revelations” must be tested by Scripture and rejected if they depart from it.
1 John 1:1
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

The First Letter of John – Introduction

A brief introduction to 1 John: Early church testimony and its style link the letter to John the Apostle, written late in the first century (c. 96 A.D.). Facing rising false teachers and Gnostic errors about Jesus and eternal life, John warns believers, assures them they truly have eternal life, and describes its marks in practice.
1 John 1