By Pastor Dave Farmer

Exegesis in support of translation

Numbers in brackets [ ] refer to Strong's numbering system whereby Greek words are assigned a number for easy lookup. Those who study the Scripture from the original languages are familiar with this type of lexicon.

The Revelation Of The Logos Of Eternal Life I John 1:2

1 John 1:2

Furthermore, this life was revealed and we have seen and presently have a vivid mental picture of Him, and we are testifying and we are proclaiming to you [to your advantage] this life, the uniquely eternal One, that very one who keeps on being face to face with the Father and was revealed to us. Expanded Translation

The first thing to notice is that this verse is parenthetical. It provides additional detail about "the Logos of Eternal Life." The parenthesis begins with "This life was revealed" and concludes with the repetition of the verb at the end of the verse "was revealed to us." ¹

The Revelation Of The Logos Of Eternal Life 1:2

2a] καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη "Furthermore, this life was revealed."

We begin with the emphatic use of the conjunction KAI [καὶ- 2532] meaning FURTHERMORE OR IN ADDITION. Next is the nominative singular article which is acting as a demonstrative pronoun highlighting the subject of the sentence ZOE [ἡ ζωὴ - 2222] meaning LIFE OR HUMAN LIFE, the principle that animates living beings. We are not talking about phantoms or ghosts as were the false teachers. Jesus Christ at the Virgin Birth received the imputation of human life with a body, soul, and spirit so that this life was real as well as unique. It was imputed without a sinful nature. Deity joined with humanity forming a perfect union.

Following this is the verb, the aorist passive indicative of PHANEROO [ἐφανερώθη - 5313] which means TO REVEAL, TO BECOME VISIBLE, TO BE MANIFEST. “In Paul, it is synonymous with APOKALUPTO [601] connoting TO REVEAL, TO DISCLOSE.” ²

The aorist tense is a constative aorist gathering up the numerous times and ways His Unique Life was revealed in His 33 years. In the passive voice, Jesus receives the action of the verb. He was revealed through His message, His miracles, etc. The indicative mood is declarative for the historical fact of the First Advent of Christ as the "Revelation of God" --the reality of a sufficient revelation of Him.

Next, we have three appositional clauses that add supplementary clarifications to the revelation given to the Apostles-- the apostle's experience, testimony, and message.

THE APOSTOLIC EXPERIENCE

2b] καὶ ἑωράκαμεν "and we have seen and presently have a lasting mental picture of Him."

The first appositional phrase begins with the connective use of KAI [καὶ- 2532] meaning AND. Then the verb, the same form as in verse 1. Quoting from verse 1:

"The verb HORAO [3708] means TO SEE. HORAO goes beyond the mere act of seeing and includes the concepts of understanding and comprehending what is seen. In using this word, John implies that what he saw was no hallucination, no dream, no vision. It was real! The dramatic perfect expresses the action as a completed process with present results. It emphasizes the existing result in a very vivid and realistic way. Great stress is placed on their eyewitness testimony. It wasn't an unconfirmed report, hearsay, or a second-hand report, we saw Him!"

THE APOSTOLIC TESTIMONY

2c] καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν “And we are testifying [about this life].”

We start the second appositional phrase with the connective use of KAI [καὶ- 2532] meaning AND. Then the verb MARTUREO [μαρτυροῦμεν - 3140] meaning TO WITNESS, TO TESTIFY, TO PROVIDE EVIDENCE AT A TRIAL. This is where we derive our English word "martyr." The present active indicative first person plural is translated WE ARE TESTIFYING [ABOUT THIS LIFE]. John switches tense from the perfect tense to the perfective present. Let’s take the time to explain this aspect of the present tense.

The Perfective Present

The Context

The perfective present is used in the next two verbs, "we are testifying and we are proclaiming." One of the helpful keys for determining this aspect of the present occurs when the verb is in association with a perfect tense verb, which is here. John says, "We have seen the revealed One (perfect tense)" and the present tense verbs, testifying and proclaiming are linked through the conjunction KAI.

The Concept

The perfective present is used to emphasize the results of a past action or event (the force of the perfect tense) and is continuing (the force of the present tense). So the perfective present indicates the results of a past action existing in a continuing state.

The Clarification

A Past Action

What is being communicated by John through the perfective use of the present tense? The past action which was so dramatic, "we have seen Him" and the sight of Him in the Ascension rising from the earth was so extraordinary that at the present moment as he is writing this narrative, he has a clear mental picture of the Lord Jesus saying "you will be my witnesses." Jesus used the noun MURTUS in Act 1:8; John uses the verb MARTUREO.

A Continuing result

The perfective present denotes the continuation of existing results in the witness of the gospel throughout the world. John began to testify after the resurrection of Christ [Acts 4] and continues up to the present moment of writing, to speak the truth about Christ, thus fulfilling the Great Commission.

In addition, we can take this a step further. The oral testimony that was given for sixty years is now being recalled and placed into writing through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The continuing testimony and the proclamation of the Gospel are now encapsulated in the Word of God, which cannot be broken. This means that the continuing result of the testimony and proclamation of the Gospel is in a permanent form. Time is no longer a factor. The Apostles are in Heaven, but their record is eternal. It cannot be forgotten, misremembered, or distorted in any way.

How remarkable is this? John was called to testify as an Apostle in 33 A.D. He shared that Gospel orally for approximately sixty years. The next generation of Christians was called to testify as Ambassadors for Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:20. Through the perfective present, the ministry of reconciliation has been repeated in every generation since, and we can say triumphantly, it continues even in 2019.

THE APOSTOLIC MESSAGE

2d] καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον "and are proclaiming to you all [to your advantage] this life, the uniquely eternal one."

The third appositional phase begins with the connective use of KAI [καὶ- 2532] meaning AND followed by the present active indicative of the verb APANGELLO [ἀπαγγέλλομεν - 518] which means TO PROCLAIM, TO ANNOUNCE, TO REPORT. The present tense is a perfective present [See the above explanation: the context, the content, and the clarification.] We need only to summarize here. What began in 33 A.D. is continuing today in 2019. The active voice indicates that John has been presenting the gospel for over sixty years, even though every Apostle has been martyred. He does not quit. The indicative mood is the reality of the worldwide ministry of evangelism, which is still being carried out today.

Next is the dative plural of the second person plural pronoun HUMIN. It is to be translated "to you all." The dative of the indirect object is also the dative of advantage emphasizing the ones in whose interest this message has been given. It is plural, so the entire Christian family is being benefited.

The direct object is next, and the Greek construction says, THE LIFE THE ETERNAL. The article is before the noun and the adjective, and this kind of construction, the 2nd attributive position ³, the noun and the adjective receive emphasis, and the adjective "eternal" is added as a sort of climax in apposition with a separate article, "the life, the eternal one." Both articles are monadic indicating something is one-of-a-kind. John says we are proclaiming to you, "this life, the uniquely eternal one." This is the explanation of this phrase from the standpoint of semantics or what it means. Now let's look at it this phrase from the perspective of its structure.

We start with the articular accusative singular of the definite article functioning as a demonstrative pronoun to emphasizes the noun it modifies in a special way plus the noun, the accusative singular of the direct object ZOE [τὴν ζωὴν - 2222] meaning THIS LIFE. This noun is modified by the articular adjective AIONIOS [τὴν αἰώνιον - 166] which means THE ETERNAL. The article is monadic, and therefore the phrase comes to be translated, THIS LIFE, THE UNIQUELY ETERNAL ONE.”

He Was with The Father

2e] ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα “that very one who was [always existing] face to face with the Father."

We begin with a relative clause introduced by the nominative singular of the qualitative relative pronoun HOSTIS [ἥτις - 3748] which means THAT VERY ONE WHO. The antecedent of the relative pronoun is the Lord Jesus Christ as the Logos of Eternal Life. The relative clause continues with the imperfect active indicative third-person singular of the verb EIMI [ἦν - 2258] meaning WAS (always existing). The stative imperfect tense indicates this one always existed, and there never was a time He did not exist. He is in a state of existing. He is eternal. John is presenting the Godhood side of our Lord. He is eternal; therefore, He is God.

Next, we have the preposition PROS [πρὸς - 4314] plus the accusative of PATER [τὸν πατέρα -3962]. PROS in the accusative means FACE TO FACE WITH THE FATHER. This is expressing the fact that our Lord Jesus Christ is equal with God the Father, not just in His presence. This is what John declared in John 1:1 “The Logos kept on being face to face with God.” The article is monadic and indicates from John’s perspective the first-person of the Trinity is the unique Father. There is none like Him.

He Came into the World

2f] καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν “and was revealed to us.”

The final verb is repeated as a literary device to show that he is ending the parentheses. We start with the connective use of KAI [ καὶ -2532] meaning AND. Then the verb PHANEROO ἐφανερώθη - 5319] the aorist passive indicative also following the same morphology of as at the beginning of the verse. In addition, we have the dative indirect object from the first- person plural pronoun EGO [ἡμῖν - 2254] which connotes TO US. He means to the Apostles who received this revelation, an exclusive use of the first-person plural.⁴

ENDNOTE

¹ “Pa-ren´-the-sis, παρένθεσις, from παρα (para), beside, and ἐντιθέναι (entithenai), to put or place in. The figure is used when a word or sentence is inserted, which is necessary to explain the context. As to grammar, the context is complete without it, but not as to clearness and sense. “ Bullinger, E. W. (1898). Figures of speech used in the Bible (p. 470). London; New York: Eyre & Spottiswoode; E. & J. B. Young & Co.

² Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, p.1245.

³ Grammar: Adjective and Noun relationships,” The Second Attributive Position.”

The adjective may be either attributive or predicate in relation to the noun. That is, it may either modify the noun or assert something about it. When the article is present, it is usually easy to discern the relationship.

Clarification:

Grammarians look very closely at the variety of positions or order of words when a noun is modified by an adjective. There are a variety of constructions. Regarding our illustration, this expression is translated "the eternal life" yet in the Greek, the adjective eternal comes after the noun "the life the eternal." Also, both nouns and adjectives have articles. Sometimes they have no articles [Romans 2:7; Titus 1:2] and sometimes we have the article-adjective-noun [John 17:2; Acts 13:46; 1 Tim 6:12]. Dr. Robinson says the normal position of the adjective is between the article and the substantive (noun) so there must be a reason for the other constructions. Robinson-Grammar p.776-777.

Dr. Wallace classifies this type of construction as "the second attributive position." He writes:

The second attributive position is article-noun-article-adjective (e.g., ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἀγαθός = the good king). This difference in the placement of the adjective is not one of relation but of position and emphasis. In the second attributive position “both substantive and adjective receive emphasis and the adjective is added as a sort of climax in apposition with a separate article.” A literal, though awkward, gloss, bringing out the force of such a construction of ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ ἀγαθός, is “the king, the good one.” This construction occurs frequently. Wallace p. 306-307

⁴ In a future article, Exegesis of 1 John 1:6, the grammar of the first-person plural will be thoroughly examined. When the writer uses the first-person plural to mean “I and my associates” it is the exclusive use of WE. John uses WE in verse 2 to refer to the joint testimony of the apostolic witness about the Lord Jesus.