First Proclamation Section: God is Light
1:5 It is this message that we have heard from ˹Jesus Christ˺ and make known to you: God is light. There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!
1:6 If we say, “We have fellowship with ˹God˺,” and yet are walking in the darkness, then we are lying and not living by the truth. 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as ˹God˺ Himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.
1:8 If we say, “We have no sin,” then we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, because ˹God˺ is faithful and righteous, He forgives us of our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make ˹God˺ the liar and His word is not in us.
2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you do not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate in the presence of the Father – the righteous Jesus Christ. 2:2 And He is the placater of God’s wrath for our sins, and not only for our sins, but also for the whole world.
2:3 Now the way we know that we know ˹God˺ is if we keep His commandments. 2:4 The one who says, “I know Him,” while not keeping His commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in this person. 2:5 But whoever keeps ˹Christ’s˺ word, truly in this person their love of God has reached a state of maturity. This is how we know that we are in ˹God˺. 2:6 The one who says, “I abide in ˹God˺,” should himself walk in the same way as ˹Jesus˺ walked.
2:7 Beloved, what I am writing to you is not a new commandment, but an old commandment which you have possessed from the beginning. This old commandment is the message which you have heard all along. 2:8 And yet, what I am writing to you is a new commandment. It is truly expressed in ˹Jesus Christ˺ and in you, because the darkness is fading away and the light, the Real Light, is already shining.
2:9 The one who says, “I am in the light,” and yet hates his fellow believer, is still in the darkness. 2:10 The one who loves his fellow believer abides in the light and there is nothing in him to cause others to stumble. 2:11 But the one who hates his fellow believer is in the darkness and is walking in the darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
2:12 I am writing to you, little children, to affirm that your sins are forgiven you on account of ˹Jesus’˺ name.
2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, to affirm that you know the One who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men, to affirm that you have overcome the Evil One.
Indeed, I wrote to you, children, to affirm that you know the Father.
2:14 Indeed, I wrote to you, fathers, to affirm that you know the One who is from the beginning.
Indeed, I wrote to you, young men, to affirm that you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.
2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is worldly –
The craving for what the flesh desires,
The craving for what the eyes see,
The arrogant pride over material possessions,
– is not from the Father but is from the world. 2:17 What’s more, the world is passing away, along with its cravings. But the one who does the will of God abides forever.
2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, even now many have become antichrists. From this we know that it is the last hour. 2:19 They separated from us, but they were not part of us. For if they had really been part of us, they would have remained among us. But they separated, in order that they might be revealed for what they are – that none of them are part of us. 2:20 You have an anointing from the Holy One and you all understand this.
2:21 I did not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and you know that absolutely no lie comes from the truth. 2:22 Who is the liar? Unquestionably the one who denies, saying, “Jesus is not the Christ.” This one is the antichrist – the one who denies the Father and the Son. 2:23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The one who acknowledges the Son, also has the Father.
2:24 As for you, see to it that what you heard from the beginning abides in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will also abide in the Son and in the Father. 2:25 And this is the promise that He Himself promised us – eternal life.
2:26 I wrote these things to you about those who are trying to mislead you. 2:27 Now as for you – the anointing you received from ˹Jesus Christ˺ abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you about these things. But as His anointing teaches you about all these things (and it is true and is not a lie), indeed, just as it taught you – abide in Him.
2:28 And so, little children, abide in Him so that when He is revealed we may have confidence, and not turn away from Him in shame when He returns.
Translation by the author from the SBL Greek New Testament.
Overview of the First Proclamation Section
Review
In the Prologue of his letter (verses 1:1 to 1:4), the Apostle John established that he was a eyewitness to the revelation of the Eternal Life that was incarnated in the historical person of Jesus Christ. God’s message was revealed to mankind in such a way that it could be audibly heard, visually seen, and even physically touched. It took on a personal form in Jesus Christ. This Eternal Life is now available to those who believe in Jesus Christ.
John continues his letter by proclaiming what he has seen, heard and touched so that the readers can experience fellowship, and to counter the teachings of disruptors who threaten fellowship. His presentation is organized around three “proclamation” sections that focus on the nature of God and the implications for fellowship with God and fellowship with fellow believers. The three proclamation sections are:
– God is Light: Fellowship Depends on Walking in the Light
– God is Righteous: Fellowship Depends on Practicing Righteousness
– God is Love: Fellowship Depends on Expressing Mature Love
First Proclamation Section: God is Light
The First Proclamation section runs from verse 1:5 to verse 2:28. The major units of content in this section are as follows:
A. Theme Statement for God is Light (1:5)
The section begins with the theme statement in verse 1:5 that “God is light“. This is a statement about the nature of God (His holiness) and implies a basis for ethical living. God’s character defines the moral standards for human conduct.
B. Walking in the Darkness vs. Walking in the Light (1:6-2:11)
In Unit B, John explains that those who follow God’s standards have fellowship with God and are described as “walking in the light”. Those who do not follow those standards do not have fellowship with God and are described as “walking in the darkness”. Walking in the light requires a person to deal realistically with sin. Following God’s commandments is evidence that a person is walking in the light, demonstrated by obeying the commandment to love fellow believers.
John introduces the topics of love and hate that demonstrate whether a person is walking in the light or in the darkness. These topics will run as a thread throughout the rest of the letter.
C. Assurance to the Readers that they are Walking in the Light (2:12-14)
In Unit C, John assures his readers that they are walking in the light, based on his personal knowledge of them.
D. Warning: Walking in the Light is Not Compatible with Love for the World (2:15-17)
In Unit D, John ends the First Proclamation section with the first of two warnings. The first is a warning about loving worldly things. The one who loves worldly things cannot love God or love others.
E. Warning: Walking in the Light in Not Compatible with Denying the Son (2:18-28)
In Unit E, the second warning is directed against the disruptors who appear to claim that Christ is not central for having fellowship with God.
Contrasts
Note that John likes to use contrasting words and ideas. Sometimes the contrasts are stark, allowing no middle ground in what he is teaching. Here are a few of the contrasts in this section: light/dark, lie/truth, new/old, love/hate, passing away/forever, remain/separate, Christ/antichrist, deny/acknowledge, confidence/shame.
Verse 1:5
It is this message that we have heard from ˹Jesus Christ˺ and make known to you:
Having completed the Prologue in verses 1:1 to 1:4 and established his authority as an eye-witness, John now presents the theme statement for the First Proclamation section. The theme is a message that he is making known to the readers.
“we” refers to John and other eyewitness to what Jesus said and did. The message is based on what John and others personally heard from the historical person of Jesus Christ, as opposed to the made up theology of the disruptors.
However, John is not stating that this is an actual quote that Jesus made that he is passing along. Rather, this message is the essence of what Jesus was teaching. It is the distillation of all that Jesus spoke and did. It will provide the basis for his explanation that fellowship with God depends on walking in the light, and to counter the teachings of the disruptors.
The verb “make known” (ἀναγγέλλομεν / anangellomen G312) links this verse to the main verb “proclaim” (ἀπαγγέλλομεν / apangellomen G518) in verse 1:3 of the Prologue. The verbs are slightly different (ἀνα- / ana– vs. ἀπα- / apa– prefix) but mean essentially the same thing.
Greek Note: from ˹Jesus Christ˺
Where my translation reads “from ˹Jesus Christ˺“, the Greek is literally “from him” (ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ / ap’ autou). The name “Jesus Christ” has been substituted for “him” in my translation to clarify who is being referred to by “him”. Note that the referent could instead be “the Father” who is mentioned near the end of verse 1:3. However, Jesus Christ is the more likely referent because it is the nearest possible antecedent, and “God” (i.e., the Father) is specifically mentioned later in verse 1:5. (See Note 15 in the NET Bible.) Throughout my translation, substitution for pronouns is indicated by brackets (˹˺). See the prior post where I explain John’s vague use of pronouns.
God is light.
The message John makes known is that “God is light“. John does not explain what this means, but assumes that the readers will understand. This is a statement about the nature of God (God is holy) and a basis for ethical living. If God is light, then those who believe in Him will live their lives in a way that reflects His character – light, i.e., holiness. This is a proper response to who God is. John will go on to argue that living in darkness, the opposite of living in the light, is incompatible with fellowship with God – just like darkness cannot coexist with light in the physical world.
Note several things about the phrase “God is light“:
- Light is a qualitative description of God – Light is God’s essence or nature, not an identification of God. The focus is on the quality of God: “God is light” not “God is the light”. Light symbolizes God’s flawless perfection.
- This is not a convertible phrase – “God is light” but not “Light is God”. It is not making some kind of pantheistic statement.
That God is light has moral implications for us:
- Because God is light, His character provides the basis for ethical living and defines the moral standards for human conduct.
- Because God is light, those who believe in Him will reflect His character of holiness in their lives, or as John says later in his letter, they will “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).
Greek Note: God is light
In the phrase, “God is light” (ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν / ho theos phōs estin), “light” (φῶς / phōs) is a qualitative predicative nominative. [See WALLACE p. 264.] The focus is on the quality of the noun: “God is light”, not “God is the light”.
There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!
To emphasize his point that “God is light“, John restates the phrase negatively: There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!
John uses a strong double negative in Greek (“no“…”none” / οὐκ…οὐδεμία / ouk…oudemia) to strengthen the force of the negative and emphasize the complete absence of darkness in God. There is absolutely nothing unholy in God’s character. [See YOUNG p. 203 regarding double and triple negatives in Greek.]
Most English translations miss the dramatic nuance at the end of verse 1:5 by saying something similar to, “in him there is no darkness at all”. However, the word order of the clause in the original Greek seems to add a little emphasis or “kick” to the last word which means “none” (οὐδεμία / oudemia). Thus my translation to bring out this emphasis is: There is no darkness in Him – none whatsoever!
Go back to Verses 1:3-4
Go forward to Verses 1:6-7
Your Personal Study
Read First John 1:5 to 2:11 above.
1. How is this material organized? Can you find a structure?
The rest of the questions focus primarily on verses 1:6 and 1:7 shown below:
2:6 If we say, “We have fellowship with ˹God˺,” and yet are walking in the darkness, then we are lying and not living by the truth. 2:7 But if we walk in the light, as ˹God˺ Himself is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.
2. What do you think it means to walk in the darkness? What do you think it means to walk in the light?
3. Who defines what is darkness and what is light?
4. What are two results from walking in the light?
5. In the phrase, “we have fellowship with one another,” who does “one another” refer to?
6. Are you walking in the darkness or in the light?
First John Translation.
First John Translation with Outline and Notes.
Bibliography of source information used for this series of posts.
Title Slide Image Credit: First John in Codex Alexandrinus, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Unless otherwise noted, English translations of Bible verses are by the author from the Greek text and are not quotations from any copyrighted Bible version or translation.
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