Ever Wonder: Q&A on Grace #4

Recently, a friend of GraceWorks International sent in a question wanting to know some details about the first chapter of 1 John. Eager to dive into these kinds of discussions, Joe responded in a way that addresses the specifics of the question by giving his interpretation of the passage while leaving room for other ways of understanding the text.

Question: I’ve been thinking about 1 John, and I’m puzzled by a phrase in 1 John 1:7. I have gone back and forth on the meaning of “…fellowship with one another…”  Does this mean our fellowship with God or our fellowship with each other?

Joe Duke: Your question is insightful, and I love this discussion!

Our understanding of 1 John is of vital importance. Interpretation of the letter revolves around two primary options: 1) 1 John is written to show us proofs of life (to confirm whether or not we’re Christians) or 2) 1 John is written as tests of fellowship (whether or not, as believers, we’re walking in fellowship with God). Many people, especially in the Lordship Salvation camp, understand the purpose of 1 John as option 1. Taking this view leads to finding assurance of salvation in behavioral proofs rather than in faith alone. My view is that 1 John is written to believers to help us understand if we are walking in fellowship with God and not as a template to test if we are genuine Christians.

As you may know, most people interpret the “one another” in 1 John 1:7 as referring to fellow believers. Of course, most of the “one another” passages in the New Testament refer to the relationship believers share with each other. So, this view is not without support. But few people have considered that “one another” in 1 John 1:7 could be referring to the believer and God. I don’t think there is a negative consequence of understanding the passage either as our fellowship with God or fellow believers. But the context of 1 John does give us hints that what’s in mind here is that “one another” refers to the believer and God.

I looked back through my preaching history and found that the first time I went public with the interpretation that the believer and God is what is meant by “one another” was in 1997 in a series on 1 John called Full of Joy. That seems like 100 years ago! I do think this interpretation more accurately represents the purpose of the epistle.

John begins this epistle with what he and the others in the apostolic circle have experienced (notice the word, we).

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—

In 1 John 1:3, John says he wants the readers to be in fellowship with these apostolic witnesses. But the purpose of this connection with the apostles is so they may experience fellowship with God.

³ 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. ⁴ And these things we write to you that our joy may be full.

In other words, if the readers connect with the message John is bringing, they will be in fellowship with the apostles but more importantly in fellowship with God. The result is that their (the apostles’) joy may be full. There is a textual variant in verse 4. Some manuscripts read your joy and some read our joy. Our joy is found in the majority of texts and is the reading I prefer. But nothing critical is at stake with either rendering.

With the context established, John begins to demonstrate that God has no connection with darkness. Instead, He is light. Notice 1 John 1:5-6,

⁵ This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

It appears that the phrase, “fellowship with Him” (v. 6), is a deliberate set-up for showing that the “one another” in verse 7 is a reference to the believer and God. Furthermore, it’s impossible to walk in darkness and be in fellowship with God because God has nothing to do with darkness. Nothing in God is characterized by darkness but only light.

Now when we read 1 John 1:7, it seems natural that we understand the verse to be describing the believer’s fellowship with God.

⁷ 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.

We cannot have fellowship with God if we walk in darkness. But we can have fellowship with God if we walk in the light. Light is where God lives; it’s who God is. To walk in the light is to live in God’s presence.

Notice too, that walking in the light positions us to experience the cleansing of sins (discussed also in 1 John 1:8-9). When we walk in the light we are in fellowship with God and “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” We might summarize 1:7 with, “Live in the light because that’s where God lives, He is light, thus we experience fellowship with Him and He with us, and in that fellowship, we also experience the cleansing of our sins.”

Hope all of this helps! It’s a fun discussion that, if nothing else, should drive us toward the light!