SEV Biblia, Chapter 1:3
lo que hemos visto y oído, esto os anunciamos, para que tambin vosotros tengis comunin con nosotros; y que nuestra comunin sea con el Padre, y con su Hijo Jess, el Cristo.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 1:3
Verse 3. That which we have seen and heard] We deliver nothing by hearsay, nothing by tradition, nothing from conjecture; we have had the fullest certainty of all that we write and preach. That ye also may have fellowship with us] That ye may be preserved from all false doctrine, and have a real participation with us apostles of the grace, peace, love, and life of God, which communion we have with God the Father, who hath loved us, and given his Son Jesus Christ to redeem us; and with his Son Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for the life of the world and through whom, being God manifested in the flesh, we have union with God, are made partakers of the Divine nature and dwell in God, and God in us.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 3. That which we have seen and heard , &c.] This is repeated, both to confirm and illustrate what had been before said, and to carry on the discourse to what follows: declare we unto you ; in the ministry of the word; the person and offices of Christ being the sum and substance of the Gospel ministration, that declares him to be the true God and eternal life, God over all, blessed for ever; and truly man, made of a woman, and made under the law; and to be the only Mediator between God and man, to be prophet, priest; and King, and to be the alone Saviour and Redeemer: this declares the greatness and excellency of his salvation, what an able, proper, and suitable Saviour he is; and what precious promises and spiritual blessings are in him, even all grace and eternal glory. And this declaration of him is made in the Gospel, for the following ends and purposes, that ye also may have fellowship with us ; in hearing, seeing, and handling of Christ in a spiritual sense; and by enjoying the same privileges in God's house and family, the same ordinances and spiritual provisions; joining and partaking with them in all the immunities and advantages of a Gospel church state here; and by being with them to all eternity hereafter. And truly our fellowship [is] with the Father ; the Father of Christ, the covenant God and Father of his people; and which they have with him, when under the influence and witnessings of the spirit of adoption, and can in the strength of faith call him their Father, draw nigh to him through Christ as such, and are indulged with his presence, and the discoveries of his love: and with his Son Jesus Christ ; being in union to him, they become partakers of him, and of his blessings; they receive out of his fulness, and grace for grace; they are admitted to an intimacy and familiarity with him; they are had into his chambers of secret retirement; they are brought into his banqueting house, where his banner over them is love, and where he sups with them, and they with him; and into this fellowship are they called by the grace of God, through the Gospel; as also they have fellowship with the blessed Spirit, though not here mentioned; (see 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-4 - That essential Good, that uncreated Excellence, which had been from the beginning, from eternity, as equal with the Father, and which at lengt appeared in human nature for the salvation of sinners, was the grea subject concerning which the apostle wrote to his brethren. The apostles had seen Him while they witnessed his wisdom and holiness, his miracles, and love and mercy, during some years, till they saw his crucified for sinners, and afterwards risen from the dead. They touche him, so as to have full proof of his resurrection. This Divine Person the Word of life, the Word of God, appeared in human nature, that he might be the Author and Giver of eternal life to mankind, through the redemption of his blood, and the influence of his new-creating Spirit The apostles declared what they had seen and heard, that believer might share their comforts and everlasting advantages. They had fre access to God the Father. They had a happy experience of the truth in their souls, and showed its excellence in their lives. This communio of believers with the Father and the Son, is begun and kept up by the influences of the Holy Spirit. The benefits Christ bestows, are no like the scanty possessions of the world, causing jealousies in others but the joy and happiness of communion with God is all-sufficient, s that any number may partake of it; and all who are warranted to say that truly their fellowship is with the Father, will desire to lea others to partake of the same blessedness.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3739 εωρακαμεν 3708 5758 και 2532 ακηκοαμεν 191 5754 απαγγελλομεν 518 5719 υμιν 5213 ινα 2443 και 2532 υμεις 5210 κοινωνιαν 2842 εχητε 2192 5725 μεθ 3326 ημων 2257 και 2532 η 3588 κοινωνια 2842 δε 1161 η 3588 ημετερα 2251 μετα 3326 του 3588 πατρος 3962 και 2532 μετα 3326 του 3588 υιου 5207 αυτου 846 ιησου 2424 χριστου 5547
Vincent's NT Word Studies
3. The regular course of the sentence, broken by ver. 2, is now resumed, by the repetition of that which we have seen and heard. Only the order is reversed: seen and heard instead of heard and seen (ver. 1), and the two elements of experience, sight and hearing, are thrown together without the repeated relative that which. In ver. 1, the climax advanced from the lower evidence of hearing to that of sight. Here, in recapitulating, the process is reversed, and the higher class of evidence is put first.
Unto you also (kai umin). The also is variously explained. According to some, referring to a special circle of Christian readers beyond those addressed at the conclusion of the Gospel. Others, again, as referring to those who had not seen and heard as contrasted with eye-witnesses. Thus Augustine on John xx. 26 sqq. "He (Thomas) touched the man, and confessed the God. And the Lord, consoling us who, now that He is seated in heaven, cannot handle Him with the hand, but touch Him by faith, says, 'Because thou hast seen thou hast believed; blessed are they who have not seen and believe.' It is we that are described; we that are pointed out. May there therefore come to pass in us that blessedness which the Lord predicted should be: the Life itself has been manifested in the flesh, so that the thing which can be seen with the heart alone might be seen with the eyes also, that it might heal our hearts."
Fellowship (koinwnian). This word introduces us to one of the main thoughts of the Epistle. The true life in man, which comes through the acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God, consists in fellowship with God and with man. On the word, see on Acts ii. 42; Luke v. 10. The verb koinwnew to come into fellowship, to be made a partner, to be partaker of, occurs 1 Pet. iv. 13; 2 John 11; Heb. ii. 14, etc. The expression here, (eceis koinwnian) is stronger, since it expresses the enjoyment or realization of fellowship, as compared with the mere fact of fellowship. See on John xvi. 22.
Our fellowship (h koinwnia h hmetera). More strictly, the fellowship, that which is ours, according to John's characteristic practice of defining and emphasizing a noun by an article and possessive pronoun. See on John x. 27. Ours (possessive instead of personal pronoun) indicating fellowship as a distinguishing mark of Christians rather than as merely something enjoyed by them.
With the Father and with His Son (meta tou patrov kai meta tou uiou autou). Note the repeated preposition meta with; distinguishing the two persons, and coordinating the fellowship with the Father, and the fellowship with the Son, thus implying the sameness of essence. The fellowship with both contemplates both as united in the Godhead. Plato says of one who lives in unrestrained desire and robbery, "Such an one is the friend neither of God nor man, for he is incapable of communion (koinwnein adunatov), and he who is incapable of communion (koinwnia) us also incapable of friendship" ("Gorgias," 507). So in the "Symposium" (188), and he defines divination as "the art of communion (koinwnia) between gods and men."
