1 John 1

The Word of Life

1-2 What this letter declares:

1. What we have heard;
2. What we have seen, looked at and touched concerning the word of life;
3. Eternal life.

Why does John use the plural “we” here? He must be talking on behalf of all the apostles. Who else had all those experiences? According to Acts 1:21-22, when the apostles needed to replace Judas, a candidate had to have been an eyewitness of Jesus “from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us.”
3-4 Why we are writing this:

1. So you may have fellowship with us;
2. So that our joy may be complete.

What made the apostles happy was bringing others into fellowship with God and therefore fellowship with them.

God is Light

5-7 Because God is light (and the source of light), darkness cannot be a part of Him. Therefore, He can recognize us only if we walk by His light, where Jesus’ blood constantly cleanses us from all sin.
8-10 We will be free from sin only if we recognize and confess our sins. How can he wash our dirt away if we deny being dirty? Denying our sinfulness also makes him a liar. Just as light exposes our physical frailties (wrinkles, blemishes, anomalies), God’s light (which would include His Word but also might include association with His children) will expose our spiritual foibles, weaknesses, or our sinful actions. The only way to hide them is to step into the shadows – away from God.