1 John 1:2
“(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The eternal life that dwelt with the Father was made visible, and John testifies to what he saw.
What Does 1 John 1:2 Mean?
In a parenthesis John pauses to define his claim. The life was manifested, made openly visible, and he and the others saw it and now bear witness. This life was with the Father before it appeared, and then it was shown to them in time.
The gospel is the announcement that eternal life is not merely an idea but came to dwell among us. What was hidden with the Father stepped into view in Jesus, so that those who never saw the Father might see His life in the Son. To bear witness is John's whole purpose: to point away from himself toward the life that was opened to all.
In the Original Language
phaneroo (φανερόω), 'to make manifest' -- to bring into open view what was once hidden, used here of the life appearing in Christ.