1 João 1
Oecumenius
1 João 1:1-2
Isto é dirigido aos judeus e aos gregos, que também caluniam o nosso mistério como sendo mais recente. Mostra, portanto, que também é antigo, porque desde o início, isto é, ao mesmo tempo que o início concebido [ἐννοηθείσῃ]. Ou que não é só pela lei, mas também pela própria criação visível, que isso é mais inspirador: pois a primeira teve um começo, mas isso foi antes mesmo desse começo. Portanto, quando os mistérios dos gregos surgiram ontem ou anteontem, o que alguém pode dizer? Aquelas coisas que são elogiadas na autoindulgência da mente receberam uma substância que mal resiste tarde, quando a imundície já prevalecia entre os homens, da qual disciplina e lembrança à medida que declinamos do melhor para a confusão da noite. Portanto, demonstrando a magnificência do nosso mistério desde a sua antiguidade, João acrescentou que isto também é vida, e vida medida não pelo tempo-espaço, mas tendo persistência e existindo sempre com o Pai, dizendo coisas que estão de acordo com o que foi dito no seu Evangelho. Pois aí está: “No princípio era o Verbo, e o Verbo estava com Deus, e o Verbo era Deus”. (João 1:1) No entanto, este “era” não designa uma subsistência baseada no tempo, mas é a essência de algo duradouro, e o princípio, base e fundamento de tudo o que veio a existir, sem o qual nem mesmo estes poderiam existir. Diz-se que cada um deles, ao nascer, é algo determinado, por exemplo, ser um anjo, ser o sol, ser o céu e todas as outras coisas. Mas o Filho, estando sozinho, passa a participar de todas as coisas para a existência. Portanto, Paulo diz: “Nele vivemos, nos movemos e existimos”. (Atos 18:28) Isto ter ouvido segundo a doutrina introdutória, onde primeiro se recebe, passa a viver-se, não corporalmente, mas conhecendo perfeitamente, depois de longo exercício e consideração: o que também se chama contato com a Palavra da vida, que dizia: “Eu sou a vida”. (João 14:6) Contudo, isto também pode ser dito sobre a Palavra que estava no princípio: a saber, que ouvimos que viria através da lei e dos profetas. Portanto, vimos e tocamos este vindo em carne: “porque ninguém jamais viu a Deus visivelmente”. (João 1:18, 1 João 4:12) Nem decidimos precipitadamente pela aparência, mas depois de um longo exame, isto é, o questionamento mútuo da lei e dos testemunhos proféticos a respeito Dele, acreditamos na Palavra aparecendo em carne. Mas, o que vimos, isto é, admiramos com os olhos. Para Θεασθαι, “ter olhado” é olhar com admiração e espanto. Portanto, não percebemos nem tocamos no que havia ali, pois quem poderá declarar esta geração? (Isa. 53:8) Mas o que aconteceu: seja através de interações de entendimento, como já foi dito, ou também através dos sentidos, como Tomé após a ressurreição. (João 20:26) Pois ele era um e inseparável, o mesmo tanto visível como invisível, tanto apreendido como incapaz de ser compreendido, tanto tocado como incapaz de ser tocado, falando de maneira humana e realizando milagres como Deus. Contudo, dizemos isso por causa da união suprema da Palavra com a carne. A série de palavras é esta: 1:1-2c Aquilo que era desde o princípio, o que ouvimos, o que vimos com os nossos olhos, o que contemplamos e as nossas mãos tocaram, da Palavra da Vida; porque a vida foi revelada, e nós a vimos, e damos testemunho: E eu vos declaro a vida eterna que estava com o Pai e nos foi revelada: portanto, o que vimos, também vos declaramos. Aqui, portanto, o discurso responde onde é dito. O que, portanto, vimos. No entanto, o discurso não foi relatado como nós: primeiro pelo uso de palavras abreviadas, depois também desprezando as trivialidades dos gregos, e mostrando que a nossa salvação não está em palavras, mas em obras, e tornando-nos mais atentos a estas questões, para que não encontremos imediatamente o que é proposto ali e nos tornemos negligentes. Além disso, tratando de assuntos divinos, ele desejava ocultar na obscuridade aquelas coisas que eram mais edificantes do que poderiam ser aceitas por ouvidos profanos, nem deveriam ser divulgadas com segurança a eles. Pois não é ato de um homem sensato, nem de uma consideração criteriosa, jogar o que é sagrado aos cães e lançar pérolas aos porcos. (Mat. 7:6) - Comentário sobre 1 João
1 João 1:2
"And we declare to you eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us." "And we declare to you the life." Therefore, what we have seen, we also declare to you, John says. What is that? That he who is eternal life has been revealed to us, and we have become witnesses of him both before his crucifixion and after his resurrection. For he was indeed nailed to the cross in the flesh, and in that same flesh he rose again. — Commentary on 1 John
1 João 1:3
"What we have seen and heard, we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ." And what profit do we bring you from this announcement? Namely, that just as we have taken you as partners [κοινωνοὺς] through the words of what we have seen and heard, so you may also be partners of the Father and of his Son Jesus Christ. — Commentary on 1 John
1 João 1:4
"And we write this to you, so that your joy may be complete." However, having seized this, let us be complete with joy as if united with God. Or because while you are participants with us, we have our joy to the fullest; which the joyful sower will establish for the reapers, rejoicing in what they may enjoy from their labors. — Commentary on 1 John
1 João 1:5
And this is the promise that we have heard from Him; and we announce to you that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Having said this, John resumes the conversation, explaining what the announcement he heard is: and he says that this is that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. And where did John hear it? From Christ Himself, who said: "I am the light of the world (Jn. 8:12);" and: "I came as light into the world." (Jn. 13:46) Light therefore is, and darkness is not in it. Spiritual light, however, stirs the eyes of our soul to its reception, turning away from all these material things, and urging solely towards its desire with loving affection. However, darkness signifies either ignorance or sin. In God, indeed, neither ignorance nor sin can be found. For these refer to material things and the structure that is found among us. If it has been said elsewhere: "Darkness has been placed as a hiding place for Him," (Ps. 17:12) it was nonetheless said "has been placed;" not, however, "he is darkness," as it was said, "God is light." For it is one thing that is placed by Him who places. Here, then, darkness signifies ignorance, which consists in the fact that God cannot be comprehended: and this is ours, not God's. Therefore, something is placed among those things that do not belong to anyone, nor for his own sake, but for someone else that concerns him. That he also calls darkness sin is evident from what has been said by the same in the Gospel. For what does John say there? "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it (Jn. 1:5);" by calling darkness our substance, which is subject to sins, in which he was made or by which he was assumed, he did not contract impurities from it: for he did no sin, etc. — Commentary on 1 John
1 João 1:6-7
If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. Since therefore we are called to have fellowship with God, who is light; furthermore, in such light the darkness cannot stand, as has been demonstrated, nor can we, who are partakers of the light, thereafter receive darkness in ourselves, lest we suffer the penalties of falsehood and be separated from the fellowship of light along with falsehood. Therefore, having mutual fellowship (namely, both among ourselves and with the light), we make ourselves difficult to sin. But how will this happen to us, John says, who have previously offended in many sins? For no one who is truthful and accustomed to speaking the truth will dare to say that he is without sin. Therefore, if anyone is surrounded and occupied by this fear, let him be of good spirit, he says, for he has been purified by the blood of His Son Jesus Christ shed for us, having contracted a fellowship with Him. Therefore, observe that because of the supreme union, He also calls the Son of the Father the nature assumed from us, whose blood is undoubtedly of the assumed nature and not of God. How then, is Nestorius mad and impious, who separating the flesh of the Son does not allow His mother to be called Θεοτόκον, that is, the Mother of God? "But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light," (1 Jn. 1:7) it should be understood that the understanding of the whole sentence is the overturning of the blasphemy of the Jews (see Rev. 2:9): for they indeed said of Christ: "We know that He is a sinner." (Jn. 9:34) John says therefore: If we do the works of light, we are partakers of him; but if we do not, we are strangers to him. How then, is he not truthful, he asks, and has committed no sin, although "he was rejected by us among sinners?" (Is. 53:12) If therefore we who said, "His blood be upon us and upon our children," (Matt. 27:24) boldly say that we have not sinned, we deceive ourselves (1 Jn. 1:8) or are deceived, as if it were not a sin to crucify Christ. — Commentary on 1 John
1 João 1:8-9
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. "If we confess our sins." John repeats the statement, using it more richly, so that the frequency of the produced refutation may restrain them by the degree of sin itself and invite them to confession. However, John indicated how much good arises from confession when he said: "Say your sins first, so that you may be justified." (Is. 43:26) However, it was also the custom of the Teacher of this beloved disciple to repeat the same things more frequently, first moderately, then more perfectly, wishing to make the understanding of the words more effective, and striving to instill their habit into the listeners. Indeed, John called God faithful. This means "truthful". For "Πιστός", that is, "faithful", is said not only of one to whom something is entrusted, but also of one who is confirmed in truth, who by his truthful manner causes others to become partakers of this as well. Therefore, God is called faithful in this way: just, indeed, as one who does not reject those who approach him, regardless of the sins they have committed. Therefore, he undoubtedly forgives the sins of those who run to holy baptism through repentance, whether they have sinned against him or against another. There, if we confess, John says, we shall obtain appropriate forgiveness. But if we shamelessly say that we have not sinned, we shall commit a double evil, both showing ourselves to be liars and slandering God, who surpasses all truth, with falsehood. For He Himself says through the Prophet: "They have repaid me evil for good." (Ps. 109:5) And again from John's own mouth: "If I have spoken wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike me?" (Jn. 18:23) If, with these things being so, we still say that we have not sinned, we deny his words, which are spirit and life. (Jn. 6:64) "For the words that I speak," he says, "are spirit and life." And if we no longer have his word dwelling in us: what could be more serious? — Commentary on 1 John