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.
John now gives his reason for repeating this old, therefore familiar, commandment to his readers. Before giving it, though, John reminds his readers that this command is true in Christ as well as in them. This indicates that Jesus lived it out. It would be fair to say that Jesus is the embodiment of it.
Next, John gives a reason for the importance of this command. He moves into the light-darkness imagery. As was introduced, beginning in 1:5, this passing darkness refers to the sphere of sin. The “true light” is the moral purity experienced through Jesus’ work on the cross and applied continuously on behalf of believers (1:7). The age of sin is ending as Jesus continues to dispel the darkness. His statement that darkness is in the process of disappearing, “is passing away,” has a view to this present world that will someday be replaced with the new heavens and earth in the eternal state.