The First Letter of John Chapter 1
The Word of Life, the Light of God, and the Joy of Cleansing
1. The Apostolic Witness to the Word Made Flesh
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes… and our hands have handled, concerning the word of life…” (1 John 1:1)
St John begins with touchable Christianity: not an idea, not a theory, not a private “spirituality”, but the Incarnate Son truly heard, seen, and handled. The faith rests on eyewitness testimony and the reality of the Word made flesh.
Clement of Alexandria draws out the force of John’s phrase:
“He who came in the flesh became capable of being touched.”
John is saying: this Gospel is concrete; salvation is not imaginary; grace enters real life.
2. “The Life Was Manifested”
“The life was manifested, and we have seen it… and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father…” (vv. 2–3)
Christ is not merely a teacher of life—He is Life. Eternal life is not only a future reward, but a Person given to us, now revealed, now offered.
The Church does not invent her message; she hands on what she has received and seen.
3. Fellowship: The Church as Communion with God
“…that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (v. 3)
The goal of preaching is not “winning arguments” but bringing people into communion—with the apostles, with the Church, and therefore with God Himself.
And John adds a startling reason for writing:
“And we are writing this that our joy may be complete.” (v. 4)
Christian joy is not solitary. It becomes “complete” when communion deepens—truth shared, love strengthened, holiness growing.
4. The Message in One Line: God Is Light
“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all.” (v. 5)
“Light” here means not only brightness, but holiness, truth, purity, and life-giving clarity. Darkness means sin, falsehood, double-living, and the hiding that follows guilt.
St Augustine puts the question bluntly:
“ ‘God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all;’ sins are darkness: what shall become of us?”
John is preparing us for the only sane response: not denial, not despair—but confession and cleansing.
5. The Test of Real Fellowship
John gives three “if we say…” statements that expose self-deception:
(a) Claiming communion while living in darkness
“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie…” (v. 6)
Real communion with God always presses into a real change of life. We do not earn God’s love by holiness—but if we truly receive His life, we begin to walk differently.
(b) Walking in the light together
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another…” (v. 7)
Notice: walking in the light creates communion in the Church, not just private piety. Truth heals relationships; hidden sin corrodes them.
6. The Blood of Jesus Cleanses
“…and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (v. 7)
This is the heart of John’s comfort: God is light, yes—and therefore He exposes darkness—but He does so to cleanse, not to crush.
St Augustine urges the practical conclusion:
“If we walk in the light… the blood of Jesus Christ His Son shall purge us from all sin.”
The Cross is not merely a memory: it is the living fountain of mercy applied to us—supremely through repentance, prayer, and the sacramental life.
7. The Two Lies That Destroy the Soul
Lie 1: “I have no sin.”
“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…” (v. 8)
This is spiritual self-flattery. It is not humility but blindness.
Lie 2: “I have not sinned.”
“If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar…” (v. 10)
This is a deeper refusal: not only denying weakness, but refusing God’s verdict—and so shutting out His mercy.
8. The Door of Mercy: Confession
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (v. 9)
Confession is not grovelling; it is coming into the light. God is “faithful” to His promises and “just” because Christ has truly paid our debt—so forgiveness is not God pretending sin doesn’t matter, but God applying the merits of Christ.
A concise summary of the verse itself is often used in Christian preaching and catechesis:
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive…”
Theological Summary
| Theme | Revelation in 1 John 1 |
| The Word of Life | Christ truly manifested in the flesh (vv. 1–2) |
| Fellowship | Communion with the apostles and with God (v. 3) |
| Joy | Mature joy is communion in truth (v. 4) |
| God is Light | Absolute holiness; no compromise with darkness (v. 5) |
| Walking in the Light | Truthful living creates real ecclesial communion (v. 7) |
| Cleansing | The blood of Christ purifies from all sin (v. 7) |
| Confession | The ordinary path into mercy and renewal (v. 9) |
Moral and Spiritual Application
Refuse unreality. The Christian life begins by stepping into the light: no pretence, no masks.
Don’t confuse exposure with rejection. God exposes sin to heal it.
Practise quick confession. Daily to God in prayer; regularly and honestly in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Choose communion over concealment. Darkness isolates; light unites.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Word of Life made flesh,
You have brought the light of God into our darkness.
Grant us the grace to walk in the light without fear,
to confess our sins without excuses,
and to trust the cleansing power of Your Precious Blood.
Unite us in true fellowship with the Father and with You,
that our joy may be complete.
Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 