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 2(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); 3that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4And we write these things to you, that our joy may be fulfilled.
5This is the message which we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie and don’t tell the truth. 7But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
The apostle John wrote His Gospel, as well as this small letter, by starting out his treatises by focusing on the Logos, or Word, to set the stage. However, his Gospel prologue dealt with the eternal relationship with His father for eternity, but this letter focuses on the humanity of the eternal Word. The apostle John describes a close relationship with Jesus—they heard and observed the Word, even stared at HIm, and touched His flesh—that contradicts the false teachers who sought to penetrate the fellowship of the believers to whom John wrote. These heretics asserted that had fellowship with God and yet claimed they had no sin principle and did not commit sin. John makes it plain that should believers (John includes himself) make such claims they are deceiving themselves and making God a liar. Only by recognizing (confessing) our sins may we have fellowship with the Father and the Son.