1 John 1:2 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;)
1 John 1:2 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?
1 John 1:2 niv
The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
1 John 1:2 esv
the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us ?
1 John 1:2 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.
1 John 1 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:1 | In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. | Pre-existence and deity of Christ |
| Jn 1:4 | In him was life, and the life was the light of men. | Christ as the source and embodiment of life |
| Jn 1:14 | The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory... | Incarnation of the pre-existent Word/Life |
| Jn 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. | God's gift of eternal life through Christ |
| Jn 14:6 | Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life..." | Christ is the embodiment of life |
| Jn 17:3 | And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. | Knowing God and Christ is eternal life |
| 1 Jn 1:1 | That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. | Emphasizes physical eyewitness testimony |
| Heb 1:1-2 | Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son... | God's ultimate revelation through His Son |
| Col 1:15 | He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. | Christ as the visible image of the invisible God |
| Phil 2:6-7 | Who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself... | Christ's pre-existence and incarnation |
| 1 Tim 3:16 | Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh... | Christ's divine manifestation in human form |
| 2 Pet 1:16 | For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. | Apostolic eyewitness authentication of truth |
| Lk 1:2 | Just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us. | Apostolic authority through eyewitness |
| Acts 2:32 | This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. | Apostles as witnesses to historical events |
| Acts 4:20 | For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. | Compulsion to proclaim what they witnessed |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. | Contrast with death; eternal life as a gift |
| Tit 1:2 | In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began. | Eternal life promised by God before creation |
| 1 Cor 15:3-4 | For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day... | Proclamation of foundational truths |
| Isa 53:11 | By his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. | Foreshadowing of the suffering servant Christ |
| Rev 21:6 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment." | Christ as the ultimate source of life |
| Jn 6:68 | Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." | Christ's words contain eternal life |
1 John 1 verses
1 John 1 2 Meaning
The apostle John declares that the divine, eternal Life, which is a person—Jesus Christ Himself—was made visible and tangible to human beings. He and other apostles personally observed this Life, bearing authoritative witness to His reality. Their mission is to confidently proclaim this same eternal life, which pre-existed in intimate communion with God the Father before being revealed in the flesh for all to encounter.
1 John 1 2 Context
First John 1:2 elaborates on the audacious claim made in verse 1. John, writing in a time of emerging Gnostic-like doctrines, firmly establishes the true basis of their message: a tangible, historical encounter with Jesus Christ. Verse 1 emphasizes that the apostles' testimony is based on what they heard, saw, looked upon, and touched. Verse 2 identifies this "Word of Life" as "the life" itself—the eternal life that pre-existed with God the Father. It clarifies that this Life was manifested in human form, countering beliefs that denied Christ's genuine physical presence (docetism). The apostles are not spreading abstract ideas or myths, but concrete, eyewitness facts. Their aim, as stated in verses 3 and 4, is to share this foundational experience so that their readers might have fellowship with them and with the Father and the Son, leading to complete joy.
1 John 1 2 Word analysis
- the life (Greek: hē zoē - ἡ ζωή): Not merely biological existence (bios) or a manner of life (bios also), but rather the essential, divine, spiritual life inherent in God and supremely embodied in Jesus Christ. It signifies the source, essence, and fullness of all true life, distinguishing it from physical life. It is intrinsically tied to God Himself.
- was manifested (Greek: ephanerōthē - ἐφανερώθη): A passive verb indicating that "the life" was actively revealed by God. It means to be made visible, apparent, or plainly seen. This points directly to the incarnation of Christ, where the unseen God became seen in human flesh, making known His true nature and purpose.
- and we have seen it (Greek: kai heorākamen - καὶ ἑωράκαμεν): Heorākamen is the perfect tense of horao (to see). This implies a direct, complete, and continuing result of having seen with their own eyes. It signifies a profound, sustained gaze that led to sure knowledge, affirming the concrete reality of their encounter with the incarnate Christ, directly combating those who denied His physical existence. This is authoritative eyewitness testimony.
- and bear witness (Greek: kai martyroumen - καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν): To give testimony, attest to something as true, based on personal knowledge or experience. This is a legal term, emphasizing the truthful and verifiable nature of their proclamation. The apostles are factual witnesses, making a credible declaration of what they personally observed.
- and proclaim (Greek: kai apanggellomen - καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν): To announce, declare, or report a message. This describes the apostolic task of sharing the gospel, communicating the facts of Christ's manifestation, not keeping it to themselves. It's a public and authoritative declaration.
- to you (Greek: hymin - ὑμῖν): The direct recipients of the apostles' message, emphasizing the communal aspect of their mission and the shared nature of faith.
- the eternal life (Greek: tēn zōēn tēn aiōnion - τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον): Further clarifies and defines "the life" from the beginning of the verse. Aiōnion (eternal) speaks not just of unending duration, but pre-eminently of the quality of life that belongs to God, belonging to the age to come, imbued with God's very nature and character. This eternal life is explicitly a Person—Jesus Christ.
- which was with the Father (Greek: hē en pros ton Patera - ἡ ἦν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα): Pros ton Patera indicates intimate co-existence and relationship, often translated as "face to face with the Father." It denotes not merely proximity but distinction within unity and active, conscious fellowship. This confirms the pre-existence of Christ with God the Father before His incarnation.
- and was manifested to us (Greek: kai ephanerōthē hēmin - καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν): A repetition of "was manifested," for emphasis and clarification. It reiterates that the subject of their witness is the same pre-existent eternal Life, now made visible specifically to them, the apostles. It underscores the profound truth of God breaking into human history in the person of Christ.
1 John 1 2 Bonus section
The emphatic re-statement of "was manifested" within a single verse underscores the intense importance of the Incarnation as the ground for Christian faith and fellowship. This emphasis strongly implies a counter-argument to the contemporary error that claimed Christ only seemed to have a physical body or was an apparition, lacking true humanity. For John, the entire Christian message hinges on the reality that God's eternal life entered space and time in a form that could be seen, heard, and touched. This historical manifestation makes fellowship possible; otherwise, believers would be connecting to an ethereal spirit or a philosophical idea, rather than the living God revealed in His Son.
1 John 1 2 Commentary
First John 1:2 serves as a pivotal verse, expanding on the foundational claim of eyewitness encounter with the "Word of Life." It emphatically states that the life John refers to is not a concept or an experience, but the pre-existent, eternal Son of God, who intimately shared relationship with the Father. The apostles' proclamation is therefore not abstract theology but the trustworthy report of His tangible appearance, a direct manifestation of divine truth in human history. This precise and repetitive language aims to build an unshakable basis for the believers' faith, rooted in objective, verifiable truth about Jesus Christ, the Living Word. It reassures the readers that their fellowship with God is not based on speculative belief but on the historically attested reality of Christ's coming.