Limitless Word
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—
1 John 1:2 · New King James Version
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);
  • KJV (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;)
  • 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.
  • 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 5:20We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, 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 3:16Without controversy, the mystery of godliness is great: God was revealed in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, and received up in glory.
  • John 17:3This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.
  • Titus 1:2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
  • John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
  • 1 Jn 3:8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.
  • 1 Jn 3:5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
  • 1 Jn 5:11The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • Gal 4:4But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law,
  • 2 Tim 1:10but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.
  • John 15:27You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.
  • John 11:25–26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
  • Acts 3:15and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.
  • John 1:1–2In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
  • John 3:13No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
  • John 1:18No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.
  • Acts 2:32This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.
  • John 17:5Now, Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with you before the world existed.
  • Rom 16:25–26
  • Acts 10:41not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen before by God, to us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
  • John 8:38I say the things which I have seen with my Father; and you also do the things which you have seen with your father.”
  • John 7:29I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
  • Rom 8:3For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;
  • John 21:14This is now the third time that Jesus was revealed to his disciples, after he had risen from the dead.
  • John 16:28I came from the Father, and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.”
  • 1 Pet 5:1Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed.
  • Acts 1:22beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”
  • Acts 5:32We are His witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
  • 1 Jn 1:1That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
  • Prov 8:22–30“Yahweh possessed me in the beginning of his work, before his deeds of old.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 John 1:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.