1 Johannes 1

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1 Johannes 1:1

Wat van die begin af was, wat ons gehoor het, wat ons met ons oë gesien het, waarna ons gekyk en met ons hande aangeraak het, aangaande die Woord van die Lewe—

(a) Van die begin af. John was with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry (Matt. 4:21). He was one of the Lord’s closest friends.

(b) What we have heard… seen… looked at. Unlike those preaching lies about Jesus (1 John 4:1–2), John was a credible witness. He saw the miracles, heard the teachings, and witnessed the Lord’s death, resurrection, and glorious ascension.

(c) Wat ons aangeraak het. John was part of a small group of people who physically touched the Risen Lord (Luke 24:39). John is refuting the Gnostic view that the material world was evil and a spiritual God would have nothing to do with it. Jesus was fully human. He had a physical body. Anyone who said Jesus was not from God or had not come in the flesh was a deceiver and an antichrist (1 John 4:3, 2 John 1:7).

(d) Die woord or message or revelation of God is Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:13). Just as we reveal ourselves by what we say, God reveals himself through his Son (Heb. 1:3). Jesus is God explaining himself to the human race.

(e) Die Woord van die Lewe is the Word or message of God and the Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14). It is Jesus the Living Word who gives eternal life to those who believe in him (John 5:24).

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1 Johannes 1:2

en die lewe is geopenbaar, en ons het gesien en getuig en verkondig aan julle die ewige lewe wat by die Vader was en aan ons geopenbaar is—

(a) Was manifested. Jesus, who was previously with God in heaven, “was manifested to us” on earth. In other words, “Jesus, the Word of Life appeared, and we (apostles) heard him and saw him with our own ears and eyes.”

(b) Ewige lewe is not merely endless life; eternal life is divine life. It is Christ’s glorious life as opposed to the broken short-lived disease-ridden life we inherited from Adam. Eternal life is not something we receive in the future, but something we can have now (1 John 5:13). And where do we find this life? “This life is in the Son” (1 John 5:11). He who has the Son has life (1 John 5:12). Throughout John’s writings, Jesus is synonymous with eternal life (1 John 5:20). You can’t have one without the other.

Sien inskrywing vir Nuwe Lewe.

(c) Which was with the Father. On numerous occasions, Jesus told the disciples that he was not from earth but had been sent from the Father (e.g., John 5:37). Jesus is no mere man but a heavenly Man and the Son of God (1 John 5:5).

(d) Die pa. The Maker of heaven and earth is your heavenly Father who loves and cares for you. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus called God your Father and our Father no less than sixteen times. Before Jesus, almost no one called God Father. But after Jesus, every New Testament writer spoke this way and John was no exception. Again and again, John reminds us that God is our Father (1 John 1:3, 2:1, 13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 24, 3:1, 4:14, 5:1).

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1 Johannes 1:3

wat ons gesien en gehoor het, verkondig ons ook aan julle, sodat julle ook met ons gemeenskap kan hê; en waarlik, ons gemeenskap is met die Vader en met sy Seun Jesus Christus.

(a) Wat ons gesien en gehoor het, verkondig ons aan julle. You do not need a degree or years of study to be a witness for Jesus. All you need is to tell others what you have seen and heard. Tell them what the Lord has done for you.

(b) So that you too may have fellowship. In these opening verses, John is addressing a general audience that includes unbelievers who are walking in darkness (1 John 1:6) and who do not have the truth in them (1 John 1:8). He writes so that they may come to the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. He is saying, “Get plugged into Jesus because that’s where the life is” (1 John 4:9).

(c) Gemeenskap (koinonia) beteken letterlik vennootskap of deelname. Dit is 'n woord wat die lewe beskryf wat in geestelike eenheid met die Here en mekaar geleef word. Jy is nie gemaak om alleen te wees nie. Jy is ontwerp om uit jou verbintenis met die Outeur van die Lewe te leef. Deur mense soos Johannes nooi God ons almal uit om na hom te kom om heel gemaak te word en deel te hê aan sy geseënde lewe.

When Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches,” he was giving us the secret for abundant life (John 15:5). Real life is found in living out of our connection with the Author of Life. In union with the Lord we experience the freedom to know and be known, to give and receive, to love and be loved.

(d) Gemeenskap met ons beteken meer as om kerk toe te gaan. Koinonia-fellowship is about living fully out of our connection with Christ and his body. It’s the authentic sense of community that comes from having our hearts knitted together in love (Col. 2:2).

(e) Gemeenskap met die Vader en Seun bring aanvaarding, intimiteit, geregtigheid, heiligheid die ewige lewe, en al die seëninge en voorregte van die hemel. Diegene wat een met die Here is, kort geen goeie ding nie.

Verdere leeswerk: "Die vele voordele van unie.”

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1 Johannes 1:4

Hierdie dinge skryf ons, sodat ons blydskap volkome kan word.

(a) Hierdie dinge skryf ons. Johannes het ten minste drie briewe, een Evangelie en die Boek Openbaring geskryf.

(b) Ons vreugde. Eens op 'n tyd was John 'n visserman. Toe ontmoet hy Jesus en word 'n visser van mense. Net soos 'n visserman se vreugde is om vis te vang, is Johannes se vreugde om siele vir Jesus te wen.

But John was not just a catcher of fish; he was also a mender of nets, and this is what he was doing when Jesus first met him (Matt. 4:21). John’s joy was to mend the church nets, so to speak, to ensure that those who heard the gospel would not be lured away by false prophets and deceivers (1 John 4:1). This is why he rejoiced to see his spiritual children walking in the truth (3 John 1:4).

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1 Johannes 1:5

Dit is die boodskap wat ons van Hom gehoor het en aan julle verkondig dat God Lig is, en in Hom is daar hoegenaamd geen duisternis nie.

(a) Die boodskap ons het van hom gehoor. Johannes se boodskap het direk van Jesus af gekom. Dit was nie iets wat hy uitgedink of tweedehands gehoor het nie.

(b) Announce to you. The gospel is not a job advertisement but an announcement.

(c) God is Light. God is light in the sense that he is the Source of all illumination and the means by which we see what is true and good. The shadowless God is good to you all the time. His face is always shining upon you in love. He loves you so much that he sent his Son to rescue you (1 John 4:10).

(d) In him there is no darkness at all. God does not bring darkness into your life for a season. He will never take your job or your kids or give you sickness. Everything he does and gives is good and perfect (Jas. 1:17).

(e) Duisternis is a metaphor for evil and sin and anything untouched by the Light of the World. Any place the good news of Jesus is not heard remains in darkness. Blackest darkness is the destiny of those who refuse to come to the Light (Jude 1:13).

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1 Johannes 1:6

As ons sê dat ons gemeenskap met Hom het en tog in die duisternis wandel, lieg ons en beoefen nie die waarheid nie;

(a) As ons sê. We may fool some with our words, but the beliefs and intentions of our hearts are revealed by what we do (1 John 2:4, 9).

(b) Ons het gemeenskap; sien inskrywing for 1 John 1:3.

(c) Aan wandel in die duisternis is to reject the light and love of God. It’s refusing to trust in the Savior. It’s pretending we are fine and have no need of grace (1 John 1:8). It’s living for yourself and having no love for others (1 John 2:9).

(d) Ons lieg. Diegene wat in duisternis wandel terwyl hulle beweer dat hulle die Een ken wat lig is, mislei hulself. Hulle dink dalk hulle is goeie mense, maar as hulle nie die Vader se liefde ken nie, is hulle verlore.

(e) Do not practice the truth. They do not abide in the grace of Jesus. John is not talking about believers who know the truth (1 John 2:21), but those who do not know Jesus.

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1 Johannes 1:7

Maar as ons in die Lig wandel soos Hy self in die Lig is, het ons gemeenskap met mekaar, en die bloed van Jesus Sy Seun reinig ons van alle sonde.

(a) As ons in die lig wandel. We walk in the light by believing in Jesus. “Believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light” (John 12:36). Only those who know the Light of the world can walk in the light. “Whoever follows me will have the light of life and will never walk in darkness” (John 8:12). Just as the sun does not shine at night, the sons of the light (those in Christ, see 1 Thess. 5:5), cannot walk in darkness.

There are two kinds of people; those who walk in the light (because in Christ they have the light of life) and those who don’t (because they have no fellowship with the God who is light).

(b) He himself is in the Light. Jesus is the Light because he is One with the God who is light (1 John 1:5).

(c) Ons het gemeenskap met mekaar. Sommige sê ons moet reg loop om gemeenskap met die Here te handhaaf, maar Johannes praat oor ons gemeenskap of verhoudings saam met mekaar. True connection with others is only possible when you have received the unfailing love God has for you. When you know how much Christ loves you, you will be able to love others, even those who have hurt you (John 15:12). And when you appreciate how Christ has forgiven you, you will be able to forgive them too (Col. 3:13).

(d) Die bloed van Jesus. In the new covenant, You are not forgiven or cleansed because you walk right or review your sins and shortcomings. You are clean because the blood of Jesus cleanses you and goes on cleansing you.

(e) Reinig ons van alle sonde. All sin means alle sonde, past, present, and future. There is no sin Jesus did not carry, and no sin greater than his grace.

From time to time we all stumble. When you sin, don’t heed the voice of condemnation; listen to Jesus who speaks for you (1 John 2:1). When you are reminded of something you did, remember what Jesus did. When the accuser points to your faults, point to Jesus by whose blood you have been washed whiter than snow (Rev. 12:11). His blood has secured your eternal redemption (Heb. 9:12).

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1 Johannes 1:8

As ons sê dat ons geen sonde het nie, bedrieg ons onsself en is die waarheid nie in ons nie.

(a) As ons sê dat ons geen sonde het nie. Self-righteous people have convinced themselves they have no sin. “I’m basically a good person.” They are deceiving themselves, for the truth is we all fall short and none of us is righteous (Rom. 3:10, 23). We all need God’s grace.

Alhoewel die leerstellings van die eerste-eeuse Gnostisisme 'n kwessie van spekulasie is, is dit waarskynlik dat die Gnostici onder diegene was wat beweer het dat hulle geen sonde het nie.

(b) Die waarheid is another name for Jesus (John 14:6). It’s also a name for God the Father (1 John 5:20) and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:6) Truth is not a manmade construct but is defined by the One who is truth personified. Both grace and truth are fully realized in Jesus (John 1:17).

(c) The truth is not in us. Those who are disconnected from the One called Truth are living in a false reality. This is not about Christians going through a bad patch, for the truth abides in us forever (2 John 1:2).

Wanneer jy die Bybel lees, is dit belangrik om die gehoor te identifiseer. Johannes se brief sou wyd versprei gewees het. Dit sou deur alle soorte mense gehoor gewees het. Hier in die eerste hoofstuk praat Johannes met diegene wat van Christus ontkoppel is (vers 3), wat in duisternis wandel (vers 6) en nie die waarheid in hulle het nie (vers 8). Al gebruik hy woorde soos ons en ons, nooi hy ongelowiges uit om hul geloof in God te stel. Aan die begin van die volgende hoofstuk sal hy sy aandag verskuif na gelowiges of die kinders van God.

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1 Johannes 1:9

As ons ons sondes bely, is Hy getrou en regverdig om ons ons sondes te vergewe en ons van alle ongeregtigheid te reinig.

(a) As ons ons sondes bely. If those who say they have no sin (see previous verse) repent and agree with God that they have sinned, God will cleanse them from all sin.

To confess is to agree. Confessing sins does not mean reviewing your sins one by one (what if you miss one?) in a futile attempt to merit forgiveness or maintain fellowship with the Lord. Biblical confession is agreeing with God that we are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Nor do we need to work to maintain our fellowship with the Lord for God abides with us forever and he will never leave (1 John 4:15–16, 2 John 1:2).

Remember, John is speaking about people who are disconnected from God. They have no fellowship with the Father or the Son (1 John 1:3). They have not received the free gift of forgiveness because they don’t believe they need it (1 John 1:8). Having told them the bad news—“you are deceiving yourselves”—he now tells them the good news: “Admit your need for forgiveness and you shall have it!” And how many times do we need to do this? Once is enough. The moment we confess our need for Jesus we are cleansed from all unrighteousness.

Vergifnis is nie iets wat ons verdien deur ons dade van belydenis nie; dit is 'n gawe wat ons deur geloof ontvang (sien inskrywing for Acts 13:38). In Christ, we have the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14). In him, you are completely and eternally forgiven according to the riches of his grace (Eph. 1:7).

Ongelukkig kaap sommige hierdie vers om diegene te veroordeel wat Christus verlos het. Hulle sê dinge soos "Jy moet jou sondes bely om vergewe te bly of om gemeenskap met die Here te handhaaf." Dit is hoekom ons alles wat Johannes sê moet lees. Jy is gereinig van alle sonde by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). You have been 100% forgiven on “account of his name” (1 John 2:12). Jesus has done it all!

Sien inskrywing for Confession.

(b) Hy is getrou en regverdig om ons ons sondes te vergewe. God does not forgive us because we are good, but because he is good. He is the faithful and righteous One who loves us in our sin (1 John 2:2) and sends his Son to save us (1 John 4:14). Forgiveness is a done deal—Jesus will never return to the cross—but you will never experience God’s forgiveness unless you receive it by faith. Forgiveness is not a wage to earn but a gift to receive and in Christ you have it (Col. 1:14). In him, you are completely and eternally forgiven according to the riches of his grace (Eph. 1:7).

(c) En om ons van alle ongeregtigheid te reinig. In Christ, you have been cleansed from all unrighteousness and all sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). You have been 100 percent forgiven on account of his name (1 John 2:12).

Some use the words of 1 John 1:9 to preach dead works, as in we must confess to make ourselves righteous. That is not what John is saying. Jesus is the Righteous One (1 John 2:1) and it is his righteousness that God freely offers us by grace (Rom. 1:17). The good news of 1 John 1:9 is that God’s grace is greater than your worst sin. The blood of Jesus cleanses you from almal ongeregtigheid.

Some also say that we must confess our sins and keep short accounts to maintain fellowship with the Lord. John says nothing of the kind here (or anywhere). While being open and honest about our mistakes is healthy in any relationship, God’s love is not for sale, and his fellowship is not purchased through confession. God has promised to never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). His Spirit or truth abides with you forever (John 14:16, 2 John 1:2).

Verdere leeswerk: "Gesonde vs ongesonde belydenis”

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1 Johannes 1:10

As ons sê dat ons nie gesondig het nie, maak ons ​​Hom 'n leuenaar en is sy woord nie in ons nie.

(a) As ons sê. Johannes praat nie van Christene nie maar van eiegeregtige ongelowiges wat dink hulle is sonder sonde. “Ek is basies ’n goeie mens.” Hy herhaal wat hy in vers 8 gesê het, maar met een belangrike toevoeging...

(b) Ons maak hom 'n leuenaar. Someone who says, “I have no need of grace” is essentially calling God a liar (1 John 5:10). They are blaspheming or slandering the Holy Spirit who seeks to convince them of their need for Jesus (Matt. 12:32). Such people are in grave danger. By denying their need for help, they put themselves beyond help.

(c) His word is not in us. Jesus is the Word of God and the Word of Life who gives meaning to life (1 John 1:1, 2:14). Jesus is the word (verse 10), the truth (verse 8), the light (verse 5) and the life (verse 1) that unbelievers lack.

Verdere leeswerk: "Wat is die onvergeeflike sonde?”

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