1:3
John emphasises again that what the apostles were proclaiming is what they have seen and unheard. It is not something they had thought up after years of study, or of meditation, nor of visions seen in an hallucinogenic state. They had seen Jesus Christ, they had listened to Him. Moreover, they did this so that others could have fellowship with them. There is a key principle of openness in the gospel, and it cuts two ways. In John’s day the gnostics were exclusive, claiming secret knowledge. Today, we still need to guard against exclusivity or closedness. The gospel is given for sharing. However, today the danger is often a wrong sort of openness. We can put the emphasis on fellowship, forgetting that it is fellowship with the Father and the Son. This involves the need to repent, the need to believe, and the need to make Christ Lord of our lives.
1:4
Our joy becomes complete when we share the gospel. Our lives are enriched by others entering into the same fellowship. Even if the people who join are radically different from ourselves, indeed we might say especially if they are radically different from ourselves. The gospel calls out to all men and women, it calls all to repent and believe, all to receive grace and mercy, all to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
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