From The Beginning

Quod fuit ab initio... Hanc Epistolam beatus Apostolus 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 divinitatem 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 illi 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 sinu ejus in coena recumbere solitus, tanto licentius ejus membra, quanto vicinius tangebat. Sed et post resurrectionem ejus a mortuis, manus eorum tractaverunt de Verbo vitae, cum veram eum recepisse carnem, quamvis jam incorruptibilem, absque ulla dubietate cognoverunt, audientes ab illo ipso: Palpate et videte, quia spiritus carnem et ossa non habet, sicut me videtis habere. Bene autem dicitur: Et manus nostrae contrectaverunt de Verbo vitae, quia cum veritatem resuscitatae carnis ejus a mortuis etiam manibus contrectando probarent, certius eum Verbum vitae, hoc est Deum verum, esse cognoverunt. Sanctus Beda, In I Epistolam Sancti Joannis, Caput I Source: Migne PL 93.85b-86b

That which was from the beginning... 1 The Apostle John wrote this letter about the perfection of faith and charity, praising the devotion of those who persevered in the unity of the Church, but disputing the impiety of those who troubled the peace of the Church with their irrational teachings, especially Cerinthus and Marcion, who contended that Christ did not exist before Mary. Indeed it was on account of them that he wrote his Gospel, and there with the very words of the Lord affirmed the consubstantiality of the Son and Father. But here in his own words he sets forth what the Lord taught and with Apostolic authority refutes the foolishness of heretics. Whence at the very beginning of the letter he designates the Divinity and true humanity of our God and Lord Jesus Christ, saying, 'That which was from the beginning, that we heard.' For the Son of God was from the beginning, but that same Son of God the disciples also heard and saw with their own eyes in the appearance of a man, which he explains more broadly in his Gospel. For as here he says, 'That which was from the beginning,' so in the Gospel he says, 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. In the beginning He was with God.' 2 Then here he adds, 'That we have heard and seen with our eyes,' that is, what is more broadly given in the Gospel as, 'The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father.' And lest it seems he says less here when he says, 'What we have seen with our eyes,' he adds, 'What we have perceived and our hands have  touched, the Word of Life.' They did not only see the Lord with the eyes of the body, as with other things, but they even looked on and perceived the Divine virtue with spiritual eyes, certainly those who saw Him transformed on the mountain, one of whom was John himself. 3 And saying, 'and our hands have touched, the Word of Life.' he overthrows the madness of the Manichees, who denied that the Lord had taken up the flesh, which truth the Apostles could not doubt, since they not only saw His truth, but they even proved it by touching, especially John himself, who alone reclined in His lap at the Last Supper, his members given as much freedom as a neighbour who touched. 4 But even after His resurrection from the dead, their hands touched the Word of Life, when He has received true flesh, now incorruptible, and without any doubt they knew, hearing from Him, 'Touch and see, because a spirit does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.' 5 And it is well said, 'And our hands have touched, the Word of Life,' because when by touch they proved the truth of the flesh raised up from the dead, they more certainly knew that He was the Word of Life, that is, the true God. Saint Bede, Commentary on the First Letter of Saint John, Chapter 1 1 1 Jn 1.1 2 John 1.1-2 3 Mt 17.1-8 4 Jn 13.23 5 Lk 24.39