From the Beginning - Appeared - Proclaimed - Fellowship - Joy Be Complete
Redemptive History in the Preface to the 1st Epistle of John
1John 1:1-4 (ESV)
[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— [2] the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— [3] 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. [4] And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
There is something poetic going on here in these verses as John uses the words, “From the Beginning – Appeared (Made Manifest) – Proclaimed – Fellowship – Completed Joy.” The words “from the beginning” invoke the words of the Prologue of John’s Gospel. The reader is called to think about the timeless eternity past and the moment time began at creation.The Triune God creating all that is all the while displaying perfect fellowship.
The words, “joy may be complete” is a reference to the end or consummation when it can be fully and truly said that our joy will be complete. Only when death and sin have been conquered and we are fully glorified in our heavenly bodies and experiencing that divine fellowship on the new earth can we most fully say our joy is complete. That is when it will finally, ultimately be finished.
The words “from the beginning” and “joy may be complete” represent eternity past and eternity future creating literary book ends. In the middle of these two books ends are the 1st advent of Christ coming to redeem man, the proclamation of the Gospel where people are called to repentance and faith in Christ, and the fellowship of believers reconciled to God and each other (the Church). Very masterfully, John has alluded to the redemptive history of God telling such a grand narrative in his short preface. God creates, (man falls), Christ comes and redeems, the Apostles proclaim, the church is established, (he comes again) and joy is made complete.
The Story of God, the greatest story that could ever be told is beautifully summarized in these verses. Our God is a God who redeems.
[from the beginning - appeared - proclaimed - fellowship - joy be complete]
