Gospel And Letter

Quod fuit ab initio... Hanc epistolam beatus Apostolis Joannes de fidei et charitatis perfectione conscripsit, laudans devotionem eorum qui in unitate Ecclesiae perseverabant; porro illorum impietatem coarguens, qui Ecclesiae pacem vesano dogmate turbabant, Cerinthi maxime et Marcionis, qui Christum ante Mariam non fuisse contendebant. Propter quos etiam Evangelium suum scripsit, ibi quidem et suis et ipsius Domini verbis consubstantialem Patri Filium affirmans, hic autem quae a Domino didicit propriis sermonibus depromens, et haereticorum stultitiam apostolica auctoritate refellens. Unde mox in capite Epistolae divnitatem simul et humanitatem veram ejusdem Dei et Domini nostri Jesu Christi designat dicens: Quod fuit ab initio, quod audivimus. Fuit enim ab initio Filius Dei, sed eumdem Filium Dei in homine apparentem audierunt, et oculis viderunt discipuli, quod ipsum in Evangelio latius explicavit. Nam quod hic ait: Quod fuit ab initio, hoc est quod in Evangelio dicit: In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. Hoc erat in principio apud Deum. Et quod hic subdidit: Quod audivimus, quod vidimus oculis nostris, hoc est quod ibi latius subdit: Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis, et vidimus gloriam ejus, gloriam quasi Unigeniti a Patre. Et ne parum dicere videretur in eo quod ait: Quod vidimus oculis nostris, adjunxit: Quod perspeximus, et manus nostrae contrectaverunt de Verbo vitae. Non solum quippe corporalibus oculis sicut caeteri Dominum viderunt, sed et perspexerunt, cujus divinam quoque virtutem spiritualibus oculis cernebant. Maxime ille qui eum in monte clarificatum viderunt, e quibus unus erat ipse Joannes. Quod autem ait: Et manus nostrae contrectaverunt de Verbo vitae, Manichaeorum vincit insaniam, qui Dominum veram assumpsisse carnem negant; quam apostoli veram esse dubitare non poterant, ut pote cujus veritatem non solum videndo, sed et tangendo probarent; maxime Joannes ipse, qui, in sinus ejus in coena recumbere solitus, tanto licentius ejus membra, quanto vicinius tangebat. Sanctus Beda, In Primam Epistolam Sancti Joannis, Caput Primum Source: Migne PL 93.85b-d

That which was from the beginning... 1  This letter which the blessed John wrote concerning the perfection of faith and charity, praises the devotion of those who persevered in the unity of the Church, but refutes those impious ones who were troubling the church with deranged teachings, especially Cerinthus and Marcion, who contended that Christ was not before Mary. On account of which he even wrote his Gospel, there certainly affirming with the very words of the Lord the consubstantiality of the Son with the Father, and here exhibiting what he learned from the Lord's teaching in his own words, refuting the foolishness of heretics with Apostolic authority. Whence immediately in the beginning of the letter he exhibits the Divinity and true humanity of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, saying, 'That which was from the beginning, which we have heard.' 1 For the Son of God was from the beginning, but the same Son of God appearing as a man the disciples heard, and with their eyes saw, which same he more broadly expounds in his Gospel. For what He says here: 'That which was from the beginning,' is what he says in the Gospel: 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word.' 2 And which here he continues: 'Which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes,' which in the Gospel is more broadly expounded: 'And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we saw His glory, the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father. 3 And least it seem too slight when he said: 'What we saw with our eyes,' he adds: 'Which we perceived and our own hands touched, concerning the Word of life.' Not only then with corporeal eyes, as others, did they see the Lord, but they even perceived, discerning with spiritual eyes His Divine Power. And certainly they who saw Him transfigured on the mount, of whom one was John. 4 That indeed saying, 'And our hands have touched the word of life, he routs the madness of the Manichees, who deny that the Lord took up true flesh, which the Apostles were not able to doubt, not only seeing the truth, but in touching it having proof of it, and certainly that John, who on His breast reclined at the supper, 5 who by the greater freedom of his members, so much more deeply touched upon Him. Saint Bede, from the Commentary On The First Letter of Saint John, Chap 1 1 1 Jn 1.1 2 Jn 1.1 3 Jn 1.14 4 Mt 17.1-8, Mk 9.1-7, Lk 9.28-36 5 Jn 13.23