Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, November 27th, 2024
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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New Living Translation

1 John 1:3

We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Apostles;   Communion;   Fellowship;   God;   Testimony;   Word of God;   Scofield Reference Index - Life;   Thompson Chain Reference - Christ;   Divine;   Fellowship, Divine;   Fellowship-Estrangement;   Spiritual;   The Topic Concordance - Jesus Christ;   Life;   Manifestation;   Witness;   Word of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Communion of Saints;   Communion with God;   Doctrines of the Gospel, the;   Grace;   Joy;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Church;   Fellowship;   Jesus christ;   Witness;   Word;   Worship;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fellowship;   Hear, Hearing;   Purity;   Testimony;   Union with Christ;   Word;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Fellowship;   Love to God;   Resurrection of Christ;   Union to Christ;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Fellowship;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - High Priest;   Hobab;   John, the Epistles of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Fellowship;   Jesus Christ;   John, the Letters of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Communion;   John, Epistles of;   John, Gospel of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Apostle;   Brotherly Love;   Communion (2);   Eternal Life (2);   Example;   Fellowship;   Fellowship (2);   God;   Gospel (2);   Grace;   John Epistles of;   Knowledge;   Look ;   Perseverance;   Personality;   Priest;   Print ;   Sin (2);   Transfiguration (2);   Union;   Unity (2);   Witness (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Fellowship,;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Refuge;   Smith Bible Dictionary - John, the First Epistle General of;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Communion;   John, the Epistles of;   Logos;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for April 23;   Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for November 15;   Every Day Light - Devotion for November 11;  

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
We are telling you about what we have seen and heard because we want you to have fellowship with us. The fellowship we share together is with God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.
Revised Standard Version
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
That which we have sene and herde declare we vnto you that ye maye have felloushippe with vs and that oure fellishippe maye be with the father and his sonne Iesus Christ.
Hebrew Names Version
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah.
New American Standard Bible
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
New Century Version
We announce to you what we have seen and heard, because we want you also to have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with God the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Update Bible Version
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us: yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:
Webster's Bible Translation
That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
World English Bible
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. Yes, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
That which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ:
Weymouth's New Testament
that which we have seen and listened to we now announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship in it with us, and this fellowship with us is fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor `we tellen to you that thing, that we seyn, and herden, that also ye haue felowschipe with vs, and oure felowschip be with the fadir, and with his sone Jhesu Crist.
English Revised Version
that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:
Berean Standard Bible
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Contemporary English Version
We are telling you what we have seen and heard, so that you may share in this life with us. And we share in it with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Amplified Bible
what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.
American Standard Version
that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:
Bible in Basic English
We give you word of all we have seen and everything which has come to our ears, so that you may be united with us; and we are united with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ:
Complete Jewish Bible
What we have seen and heard, we are proclaiming to you; so that you too may have fellowship with us. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Yeshua the Messiah.
Darby Translation
that which we have seen and heard we report to you, that *ye* also may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship [is] indeed with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
International Standard Version
What we have seen and heard we declare to you so that you, too, can have fellowship with us. Now this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.John 17:21; Acts 4:20; 1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 2:24;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
And what we have seen and heard, we make known also to you, that you may have communion with us; and our communion is with the Father, and with his Son Jeshu the Meshiha.
Murdock Translation
And what we have seen and heard, we make known to you also, that ye may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus the Messiah.
King James Version (1611)
That which wee haue seene and heard, declare we vnto you, that ye also may haue felowship with vs; and truely our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Sonne Iesus Christ.
New Life Bible
We are preaching what we have heard and seen. We want you to share together with us what we have with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
New Revised Standard
we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
English Standard Version
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Geneva Bible (1587)
That, I say, which wee haue seene and heard, declare wee vnto you, that yee may also haue fellowship with vs, and that our fellowship also may be with the Father, and with his Sonne Iesvs Christ.
George Lamsa Translation
It is that which we have seen and heard that we declare to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That which we have seen and heard, are we announcing, even unto you, in order that, ye too, may have fellowship with us, and, our own fellowship also, may be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Douay-Rheims Bible
That which we have seen and have heard, we declare unto you: that you also may have fellowship with us and our fellowship may be with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
That which we haue seene and heard declare we vnto you, that ye also maye haue felowship with vs, and that our felowship may be with the father, and his sonne Iesus Christe.
Good News Translation
What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Christian Standard Bible®
what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
King James Version
That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Lexham English Bible
what we have seen and heard, we announce to you also, in order that you also may have fellowship with us, and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
Literal Translation
We announce to you what we have seen, and what we have heard, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Young's Literal Translation
that which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That which we haue sene & herde, declare we vnto you, that ye also maye haue fellishippe with vs, and that oure fellishippe maye be with the father and with his sonne Iesus Christ.
Mace New Testament (1729)
what we have seen and heard, we declare unto you, that ye also may be of the same society with us: and truly associated with the father, and with his son Jesus Christ.
THE MESSAGE
We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!
New English Translation
What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ).
New King James Version
that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.
Simplified Cowboy Version
We tell you what we have seen and heard so that you will join us in the crew that rides for the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

Contextual Overview

1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life. 2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

which: 1 John 1:1, Acts 4:20

declare: 1 John 1:5, Psalms 2:7, Psalms 22:22, Isaiah 66:19, John 17:25, Acts 13:32, Acts 13:41, Acts 20:27, 1 Corinthians 15:1, Hebrews 2:12

ye also: Acts 2:42, Romans 15:27, Ephesians 3:6, Philippians 1:7, Philippians 2:1, 1 Timothy 6:2, Hebrews 3:1, 1 Peter 5:1,*Gr.

our fellowship: 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:23, 1 John 2:24, John 14:20-23, John 17:3, John 17:11, John 17:21, 1 Corinthians 1:9, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Philippians 2:1, Philippians 3:10, Hebrews 3:14

with his: 1 John 5:10, 1 John 5:11, Colossians 1:13, 1 Thessalonians 1:10

Reciprocal: Leviticus 3:1 - a sacrifice Numbers 10:32 - General Deuteronomy 12:12 - And ye Job 13:1 - ear Psalms 66:16 - Come Psalms 119:63 - a companion Song of Solomon 2:3 - I sat Matthew 10:2 - John Luke 24:48 - General John 1:41 - first John 16:24 - that John 17:22 - that John 17:23 - I John 20:30 - General Romans 1:3 - his Son 1 Corinthians 9:23 - that 1 Corinthians 10:16 - the communion of the blood 2 Corinthians 1:19 - the Son Galatians 2:9 - fellowship Philippians 1:5 - General Philippians 2:2 - Fulfil Philippians 2:28 - and that Philippians 3:8 - win Colossians 1:12 - the Father Philemon 1:17 - thou count Hebrews 1:9 - thy fellows 1 Peter 1:25 - this 1 John 1:6 - fellowship 1 John 2:1 - these 2 John 1:9 - he hath

Cross-References

Job 36:30
See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.
Job 38:19
"Where does light come from, and where does darkness go?
Psalms 33:6
The Lord merely spoke, and the heavens were created. He breathed the word, and all the stars were born.
Psalms 33:9
For when he spoke, the world began! It appeared at his command.
Psalms 97:11
Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
Psalms 104:2
You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens;
Psalms 118:27
The Lord is God, shining upon us. Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
Psalms 148:5
Let every created thing give praise to the Lord , for he issued his command, and they came into being.
Isaiah 45:7
I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord , am the one who does these things.
Isaiah 60:19
"No longer will you need the sun to shine by day, nor the moon to give its light by night, for the Lord your God will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

That which we have seen and heard,.... 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you - We announce it, or make it known unto you - referring either to what he purposes to say in this Epistle, or more probably embracing all that he had written respecting him, and supposing that his Gospel was in their hands. He means to call their attention to all the testimony which he had borne on the subject, in order to counteract the errors which began to prevail.

That ye may have fellowship with us - With us the apostles; with us who actually saw him, and conversed with him. That is, he wished that they might have the same belief, and the same hope, and the same joy which he himself had, arising from the fact that the Son of God had become incarnate, and had appeared among people. To “have fellowship,” means to have anything in common with others; to partake of it; to share it with them, (see the notes at Acts 2:42); and the idea here is, that the apostle wished that they might share with him all the peace and happiness which resulted from the fact that the Son of God had appeared in human form in behalf of men. The object of the apostle in what he wrote was, that they might have the same views of the Saviour which he had, and partake of the same hope and joy. This is the true notion of fellowship in religion.

And truly our fellowship is with the Father - With God the Father. That is, there was something in common with him and God; something of which he and God partook together, or which they shared. This cannot, of course, mean that his nature was the same as that of God, or that in all things he shared with God, or that in anything he was equal with God; but it means that he partook, in some respects, of the feelings, the views, the aims, the joys which God has. There was a union in feeling, and affection, and desire, and plan, and this was to him a source of joy. He had an attachment to the same things, loved the same truth, desired the same objects, and was engaged in the same work; and the consciousness of this, and the joy which attended it, was what was meant by fellowship. Compare the 1 Corinthians 10:16 note; 2 Corinthians 12:14 note. The fellowship which Christians have with God relates to the following points:

(1) Attachment to the same truths, and the same objects; love for the same principles, and the same beings.

(2) The same kind of happiness, though not in the same degree. The happiness of God is found in holiness, truth, purity, justice, mercy, benevolence. The happiness of the Christian is of the same kind that God has; the same kind that angels have; the same kind that he will himself have in heaven - for the joy of heaven is only that which the Christian has now, expanded to the utmost capacity of the soul, and freed from all that now interferes with it, and prolonged to eternity.

(3) Employment, or cooperation with God. There is a sphere in which God works alone, and in which we can have no cooperation, no fellowship with him. In the work of creation; in upholding all things; in the government of the universe; in the transmission of light from world to world; in the return of the seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the storms, the tides, the flight of the comet, we can have no joint agency, no cooperation with him. There God works alone. But there is also a large sphere in which he admits us graciously to a cooperation with him, and in which, unless we work, his agency will not be put forth. This is seen when the farmer sows his grain; when the surgeon binds up a wound; when we take the medicine which God has appointed as a means of restoration to health. So in the moral world. In our efforts to save our own souls and the souls of others, God graciously works with us; and unless we work, the object is not accomplished. This cooperation is referred to in such passages as these: “We are laborers together (συνεργοί sunergoi) with God,” 1 Corinthians 3:9. “The Lord working with them,” Mark 16:20. “We then as workers together with him,” 2 Corinthians 6:1. “That we might be fellow-helpers to the truth,” 3 John 1:8. In all such cases, while the efficiency is of God - alike in exciting us to effort, and in crowning the effort with success - it is still true that if our efforts were not put forth, the work would not be done. In this department God would not work by himself alone; he would not secure the result by miracle.

(4) We have fellowship with God by direct communion with him, in prayer, in meditation, and in the ordinances of religion. Of this all true Christians are sensible, and this constitutes no small part of their special joy. The nature of this, and the happiness resulting from it, is much of the same nature as the communion of friend with friend - of one mind with another kindred mind - that to which we owe no small part of our happiness in this world.

(5) The Christian will have fellowship with his God and Saviour in the triumphs of the latter day, when the scenes of the judgment shall occur, and when the Redeemer shall appear, that he may be admired and adored by assembled worlds. Compare the notes at 2 Thessalonians 1:10. See also Matthew 19:28; Revelation 3:21.

And with his Son Jesus Christ - That is, in like manner there is much which we have in common with the Saviour - in character, in feeling, in desire, in spirit, in plan. There is a union with him in these things - and the consciousness of this gives peace and joy.

(There is a real union between Christ and his people, which lies at the foundation of this fellowship. Without this union there can be no communion. But a “union with Christ in these things, i. e., in character and feeling, etc.” is nothing more than the union which subsists between any chief and his followers; and why the apostle Paul, or others after him, should reckon this a great mystery, is not easily comprehended. Ephesians 5:32; Colossians 1:27. For a full view of the subject, see the author’s notes, with the supplementary note at Romans 8:10.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 John 1:3. 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.


 
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