1. John - Chapter 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life--

• The apostles were eyewitnesses.
• Christianity is grounded in reality. It is not a set of religious beliefs or moral principles. It is about people's response to specific historical events.
• John does not explain his theological views, but describes what he experienced.
• I am a Christian because I believe it to be true - that things (especially those concerning Jesus, but also the creation of the world and Old Testament events) really happened as they are described.
• Taking Christianity seriously without historical grounding makes no sense. What a mere set of opinions is not only nonsensical, but foolish and pathological.
• That which was from the beginning, Jesus did not appear "out of the blue." He has existed from the beginning of the creation of the world.
• O, concerning the word of life- Jesus is the word of life. But at the same time, he is human.
• John emphasizes the involvement of almost all the senses - which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and and have touched with our hands, Certainly because of the emphasis on Jesus' humanity, John's experience, and their relationship to each other.
• What is the difference between see with own eyes and look upon is not clear, there is only nuance. Maybe something along the lines of: I saw Jesus "at the campfire" with my own eyes. But I have seen his work in its entirety. Or something like that.

2 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--

• Jesus was revealed. He was from the beginning, but in secret - just as God was invisible to our eyes, inaccessible to our senses.
• Then He was incarnated and became a man, that is, manifest to other people - He was uncovered, revealed. And we were the ones who "stumbled upon" this extraordinary event.
• And because we've been there, we're telling you (testifying) in all seriousness, that it really happened this way.
• And the fact that he appeared to people had an important reason - he brought people the opportunity to get eternal life Father wanted to give people back eternal life. And he wants people to know about this possibility.
• So take seriously what I'm telling you as an eyewitness: Jesus was revealed to people so that they could have eternal life.

3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship it is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 

• We (John and the other eyewitnesses) are the first line of eyewitnesses to this work of God. It saved us.
• But it didn't end with us - those who believe our testimony again will come alongside us. They will become disciples just as we are. And so this witness and discipleship spreads to more and more levels. Each believer has believed based on the witness of another witness.
• Together we will form fellowship - the fellowship of the "ring", the fellowship of the Son of God.
• But this fellowship is not just horizontal, so it is not just the disciples among themselves. It is also vertical - the Father and the Son belong to this fellowship of disciples.
• Therefore, this testimony is passed on and on, from mouth to mouth, from witness to witness, across the chasms of time and space. So that more and more people can join this fellowship.
• Christianity is not in any way exclusive, but rather highly inclusive - witnesses of God's action like to talk about their experiences because they want others to experience them.
• This is an interesting feature of Christianity that is imprinted in its very essence - many religions are only for the chosen few, Christianity is open to all. Many are hidden, occult, Christianity is open. Christianity is a missionary religion¹. One of the main tasks of the disciples is to spread it.
• On the almost naive openness of Christianity, see my reflection "Too Cheap to Cure" in the Articles section.
• Let us emphasize again that the Christian, upon believing, becomes a participant in the fellowship of believers and in communion with God. This is the purpose of John's invitation.

4 And we are writing these things ^[so that^] our joy may be complete. 

• var.: your; yours and ours make a lot of sense.
• It gives John real joy to see more and more people joining the community of believers and communion with God.
• Knowing that people find God makes him and us perfectly happy.
• Christianity is an wishing religion - I am happy with my salvation and I want others to experience that happiness.

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 

• I want to highlight for you now some important and interesting things that I have discovered as an eyewitness of God's indwelling beyond the earth.
• Let's not forget that the Lord, the Creator, God, dwelt in the world - so everything He mentioned during His stay is absolutely essential.
• So: we've learned that God is perfect light
• What does it actually mean and what are the implications.
• The relationship between light and dark is well known and interesting. It can be widely developed:
  • The darkness itself does not exist.
  • Darkness is merely a lack of light.
  • Darkness is always defensive - darkness can never "displace" light;
  • In the battle of darkness and light, darkness always loses.
  • The faintest light perfectly defeats the "densest" darkness.
  • If darkness wants to "survive" it must protect itself from light - remove all sources of light and erect barriers to light.
  • Light and darkness are only meaningful in the presence of an observer, i.e. if sensors capable of perceiving light are available. Darkness doesn't need or have any sensors - there is nothing to perceive. The Macarat of the caves is blind.
  • It is interesting that Jesus dealt with light and darkness repeatedly in his parables. He must have pondered them.
  • Darkness hides, light reveals.
  • The light allows orientation. Etc, etc.
• What does it mean in this context that God is a perfect, darkness-free light? Of the many aspects we can infer, John's point seems to be that God is open and hides absolutely nothing.
• All humans are to some extent closed vessels. No man wishes to have his thoughts continuously projected on his forehead. Moreover, our motives are not always straightforward, and our speech direct (what we say is not always quite in disguise with our motives), etc.
• It is different with God - His openness and directness is perfect.

6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

• So this is what John is talking about - that it is completely unacceptable (perhaps more like impossible or internally contradictory) to say that we have fellowship with God and walk in darkness at the same time.
• This idea needs to be unpacked: what does it mean to have communion with God? To have a relationship with Him.
• What does it mean to walk in darkness? Hiding things, concealing things, covering things up. Preventing their disclosure.
• But such a relationship doesn't make sense, it's not possible. A relationship is meaningful only if it is sincere. Having a relationship with someone who is not open is useless. More than that, it's not really a relationship at all.
• The wives of mafia bosses were completely separated from the "work" of their husbands. They had no idea what their husbands were doing, what problems they were solving. Rudolf Hess, the concentration camp commander, lived a harmonious family life with his family by the concentration camp wall. What is the point of such a marital "community" if one of the partners is living a double life? What is the point of having a harmonious family life if I am also leading an alternative life with my mistress? No.
• John knows this clearly and articulates it clearly: If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
• To say I have a fine marriage when I am leading a double life is a lie and living a lie. To claim to be a Christian when I am leading a double life towards God is useless - I am not really a Christian. Insincere Christianity, an insincere relationship with God, is an oxymoron, a contradiction in terms. A relationship with God cannot be insincere - because in that case there is no relationship with God.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, andthe blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

• [sin is the key word in 1J (27×)];
• But on the contrary openess (because walking in the light means nothing else) opens the door to relationships.
• fellowship means relationships.
• Jesus is like that, He lives permanently in openness - and we imitate Him in that.
• Openness, including the confession of sins, enables one to get rid of sins. If we are open and willing to confess our sins, the sacrifice of Jesus enables us to be cleansed from our sins.
• By being open, Christians can live in relationship and holiness.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

• The opposite of openness is, walking in the dark, denial, denial, or self-righteousness.
• To say that I have no sins is self-deception. It is simply not true. We have sins, that's just the way it is with us humans.
• Sin is a serious problem, but it is not man's biggest problem - God, through the cross of Christ, "knows how to work with sin", He has created a solution for it, He will deal with it.
• But denying one's own sin (or one's own sinfulness) is an intractable and ultimately fatal problem.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• n.: trustworthy; [here referring to reliability in fulfilling a promise of forgiveness]; 
• or.: injustice;
• Confession of sins has an incredible "effect". God really hears them, really responds to them. He has promised it, and it can be relied upon 100%.
• Why is written here just? Forgiveness of sins is not just. It wouldn't be if it weren't for Christ's sacrifice. It makes the forgiveness of sins not only gracious but just - for no one can be punished twice for sin, for that would be against justice. And if Christ has already been punished for our sin, it is just that we shall not be.
• Forgiveness also purifies. When sin is forgiven, it is erased and no longer pollutes me.

10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

• Situace se tedy zásadním způsobem změnila, stala se možná až paradoxní – problémem není hřích, ale jeho popírání.
• Křesťané se „nemusí až tak bát hříchu“ (ve velkých uvozovkách), jako toho, že by jej před Bohem tajili, že by Mu jej nepřinesli k vyřešení.
• Řešením hříchu není dokonalost, ale chození ve světle!
• Usilovat o život bez hříchu je správné, ale není to reálné. Své úsilí musíme napřít obojím směrem – snažit se nehřešit, ale zároveň své hříchy průběžně přinášet Bohu k očištění.

.

1. i když pojem náboženství se pro křesťanství nehodí ↩︎