From the Beginning 1 John 1:1

 What was from the beginning? 

From my beginning, I  remember patches, little glimpses of activity: Being held by my mother…crying in the middle of the night as my father held and comforted me. But I do not remember my “Beginning.” I just was. At some point, I came to understand that my parents came before me and my grandparents before them. My parents talked about my great-grandparents. As age has crept up, I have become increasingly aware of the many generations that have gone before.

John starts his letter at the beginning. 1 John 1:1 says, “That which was from the beginning…” The word John uses for “beginning” is “ἀρχή” (archē).  It comes from the verb “ἄρχω” (archō), which means to be chief, to lead, or to rule. From the idea of being chief, “arche” means beginning, origin, or the person or thing that commences something, that by which anything begins to be. 

The beginning was long before you and I. It was before our parents and great-grandparents. Whenever it was, whatever John was talking about was from the “beginning.” John does not answer the question, “From what beginning?” So, we assume that he is speaking of the beginning of everything.  The words, “That which was from the beginning,” point to our (humanity’s) origin.  

Scripture assumes that God was from the beginning. We were created. The Bible opens with, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” 

Where we came from is important. It is a big deal. 

Where did humanity come from?

In Today’s world, the idea of creation is no longer given a place at the table. Even though science cannot answer everything (because science is done by human beings who are flawed), science is how we grow in knowledge. Science is applying our minds to the systematic observation of our world. Therefore, science is essential for our survival. It is necessary to examine the evidence and go where it takes us. Science includes fields such as math, and physics, sociology, and psychology. Given the essential nature of science, it is reasonable to examine the assumption of a Creator God, and it is unreasonable to rule out the possibility of creation a priori. History is not science. It is a record of what happened. And to deny God is to deny history. Most of humanity believes that the evidence is strong enough to believe at least that God exists, and the majority believe in the God of the Bible. Our purpose here is not to examine the evidence. Rather, the goal right now is to point out the battle that rages around the whole concept of “the Beginning.”

John’s claim to have heard and touched and seen “that which was from the beginning is incredible. Look at John’s opening sentence!

1 John 1:1 (NKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which wehave looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life--

 Consider the list that he gives. First, he identifies what he is speaking of as “That which was from the beginning.” Next, John says, “which we have heard.” 

It is necessary to notice that John does not say “which we have heard about.” To make this point clear, John says, “which we have seen with our eyes.” John and whoever was with him saw that which was from the beginning with their physical eyes. They were not there in the beginning to see it, but that which was from the beginning was made manifest according to what John says in verse 2. 

The beginning was a long time ago.

John is not saying he had a vision. John is saying that they (we) saw something with their physical eyes. The “we” implies that John was not alone. He says, “which we have seen with our eyes. Then he emphasizes the fact that they saw with their physical eyes when he says, “which we have looked upon.” The idea behind this statement, “looked upon,” is that they studied it with their eyes long and hard. They stared at it. And then, if their eyes are not enough, he adds another statement, “and our hands have handled.” In other words, they did science on it. They carefully observed it.

Please pay attention! John is saying, “We.” He is not alone in his testimony. He is claiming to be one of a number of eyewitnesses. He has not named Jesus yet, so please pardon my jumping the gun, but it is crucial that we understand that there are more than one or two eyewitness accounts of Jesus. The most reliable records are those of the four gospels, but other writers from that day make mention of Jesus. 

We are not following clever fables. The gospels are not dreams, visions, or make-believe. They are history. John’s statement highlights the concrete reality of those who walked with and listened to Jesus. Their eyes saw Him. Their hands touched Him. They spent YEARS with Him! History has recorded Him! 

Humanity resists Him. The battle over the “Beginning” rages because we don’t want to acknowledge Him. John brings up several reasons why we fight against the knowledge of Him, but let’s consider just one right now.

In John’s Gospel, he says, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” And then later, He says,

John3:20 (NKJV) “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.”

John 3:20 explains humanity’s fight against the knowledge of God. John and his companions saw “that which was from the beginning.” They handled it with their hands and examined it with their eyes over an extended time. However, we do not accept their testimony; even though we know in our hearts they speak the truth. This is why Romans 1:18 says:

Romans 1:18 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

In Romans 1:18, it does not say we ignore the truth. It says we “suppress the truth.” John deals with this later, but I will point out the answer to this condition of our hearts.

1 John 1:9 (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Are you suppressing the truth in your life? Each of us must ask God to help us to seek and know the truth.