Some thoughts from I John 1:1 ==
John has three voices as he writes. At one level he speaks for himself. He takes time to explain what he has seen, heard, and touched. He speaks about and from experiences that only he can have.
But John also speaks for the church. Five times in this first verse he uses 1st person plural pronouns to describe what he is about to say. Though John had many personal experiences with Jesus (he was the disciple that Jesus loved), he also shared many experiences with the other disciples. History tells us that John was the only original apostle alive as he wrote these words exiled to the island of Patmos, thus his words are the last words spoken for the apostles as the church enters the patristic age.
Finally, John spoke for God. As he wrote I John, he was inspired – so that the very words he wrote were the words God intended for him to put to paper.
As a pastor, I also speak with three voices: my own, the church, and God. I pray that the three voices will be in harmony. My prayer is that I may say nothing that does not reflect well on the church and on Almighty God as seen in all three persons of the Trinity.
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