(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
Parallel translations
- WEB (and the life was revealed, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was revealed to us);
- BSB And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
- NKJV the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
- NASB and 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—
- NLT This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The eternal life that was with the Father has been made visible in Jesus, and the apostles testify to it. Eternal life is a Person, not merely a possession.
Overview
John clarifies that 'the Word of life' is the eternal life itself, which existed in fellowship with the Father and was revealed in Christ. The apostolic role is to bear witness and proclaim what they saw. This anchors assurance: eternal life is found in the One who was manifested, Jesus Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 31
- 1 Jn 5:20And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- John 1:4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
- 1 Tim 3:16And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
- John 17:3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
- Titus 1:2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
- John 14:6Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
- 1 Jn 3:8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
- 1 Jn 3:5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
- 1 Jn 5:11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
- Gal 4:4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
- 2 Tim 1:10But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
- John 15:27And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
- John 11:25–26Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
- Acts 3:15And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
- John 1:1–2In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 3:13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
- John 1:18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
- Acts 2:32This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
- John 17:5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
- Rom 16:25–26Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
- Acts 10:41Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.
- John 8:38I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.
- John 7:29But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
- Rom 8:3For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
- John 21:14This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.
- John 16:28I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.
- 1 Pet 5:1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
- Acts 1:22Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
- Acts 5:32And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
- 1 Jn 1:1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
- Prov 8:22–30The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 1:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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