Fellowship enables the elect to hear and understand the mystery of godliness. The incarnation is called a mystery: "And by common confession great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Beheld by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory" (I Tim. 3:16 NASB). The apostles did not fully grasp all the wonders of the manifested Life. However, their lack of understanding did not prevent their apprehension of what they were unable to comprehend. By the grace of God, Christians embrace by God-given faith what they do not fully understand. They are passive in the manifestation of life to them because the manifestation of the Word of life is all of God.

The two major prerequisites to fellowship with the Father and His Son are (1) the incarnation-"the life was manifested" (I John 1:2a NASB) and (2) regeneration-"was manifested to us" (I John 1:2b NASB). Jesus Christ was manifested generally in the incarnation, but He is manifested specially in regeneration. The theme of John 17 is Christ's authority over all flesh for the purpose of giving eternal life to those the Father gave Him by election (John 17:2; Eph. 1:4). He has universal authority and a special purpose. He also has general means and a particular object. Christ's universal authority cannot be established by placing His special object in the vice of human logic. Therefore, man's concurrence will not accomplish Christ's purpose to give eternal life to God's elect because human cooperation in the new birth is impossible.

The introductions to John's gospel and his first Epistle differ. The apostle described the eternality, personality, and Deity of Jesus Christ in John 1:1, but he used the neuter pronoun ho, translated "what" in I John 1:1. Furthermore, in John 1:1 the apostle stressed Christ's eternality: "IN [en] the beginning [arche] was [en, eta nu, imperfect active indicative of the verb eimi] the [ho] Word [logos]." However, in I John 1:1, he emphasized Christ's incarnation: "WHAT [ho] was [en, eta nu, imperfect active indicative of the verb eimi] from [apo] the beginning [arches]." There is a difference between the Greek preposition en (in-before creation) in John's gospel and the Greek preposition apo (from-at the time of creation or at the beginning of a particular dispensation) in his Epistle. The Epistle presents the message of eternal life, which is the beginning of the gospel proclamation.

An observation of John's use of the neuter pronoun ho (what) is interesting: (1) what was from the beginning, (2) what we have heard, (3) what we have seen, (4) what we beheld (discerningly saw), and (5) what we have seen and heard, we proclaim to you (I John 1:1, 3). The verbs "heard," "seen," "beheld," and "handled" reveal that the apostles had direct contact with the incarnate Word who was "from the beginning." These verbs manifest the historical reality of Christ's humanity against the Docetic theory that Jesus Christ did not have a real human nature. Conclusively, the neuter gender of "what" (ho) refers to one Person with two natures-Divine and human.

1. "Heard" is a perfect active indicative of akouo, which means to hear, listen to, or understand. The perfect tense is a completed action with continuing results or a resulting state of being. Therefore, what the apostles heard continued with them. They could not get away from the truth because it found permanent lodgment in their ears that had been circumcised by God's grace: "The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The LORD has made both of them" (Prov. 20:12 NASB). The circumcised ear and the seeing eye are the means by which spiritual instruction is conveyed to the mind of a regenerated person.

2. "Seen" is a perfect active indicative of horao, which means to see, attain true knowledge, or become acquainted with by experience. Like John, Paul indicated that his knowledge of Christ was by personal experience: "…Have I not seen [perfect active indicative of horao] Jesus our Lord…" (I Cor. 9:1 NASB). Again, the completed action with continuing results is used. The apostle's knowledge was not hearsay. A Christian reading the Scriptures and seeing only the earthly form of Aaron as priest, David as shepherd, and Solomon as king, and Jesus Christ as the gardener is impossible (John 20:15). If anyone is truly seeking Jesus Christ, Christ will reveal Himself through the types of Aaron, David, and Solomon. He will also reveal Himself through His human nature. The chosen ones will in joyful surprise say, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher) (John 20:16 NASB). Jesus Christ is expounded in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27).

3. "Beheld" is aorist middle indicative of theaomai, which means to gaze upon, view attentively, or learn by beholding. We should observe the difference between the perfect and aorist tenses. The verbs "heard" and "seen" are perfect tense verbs, denoting completed action with continuing results, but John used an aorist middle form of the verb theaomai (beheld), which refers to point action past time. Therefore, the apostles gazed on the Word of life. Knowledge gained from such a spiritual gaze makes an indestructible impression on the mind's eye. Although obstacles can hinder the affection, zeal, and activity gained from such a gaze, they can never be annihilated.

4. "Handled" is an aorist active indicative of pselaphao, which means to feel or handle. Gazing on the Word of life denotes meditation, and handling represents intimacy. The apostle John let it be known that his message was based on the historical reality of the eternal Son of God who became flesh (John 1:14). "The Word became flesh" refers to the hypostatic union-the Divine and human natures united in one Person. The Word absolutely considered had no beginning. The Word "was [en, imperfect of eimi, which means I Am] in the beginning." However, "the Word became flesh" had a beginning-"the man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5). Christ's beginning as Mediator began with the incarnation.

John used the term "flesh" (sarx) instead of "man" (anthropos) in John 1:14-"And the Word became flesh." Although the incarnate Christ is called "a man attested to you by God" (Acts 2:22) and "the man Christ Jesus" (I Tim. 2:5), the apostle necessarily used the word "flesh" instead of "man" in John 1:14 to eliminate any idea of the Word becoming a mere person. The second Person in the Godhead could not be made a mere human person in the incarnation. "Flesh" does not speak of a person, but a nature. Although the word "flesh" (sarx) is used several ways in Scripture-part of the human body, circumstances of the body, seat of passions, frailty, and carnality-it is also used when referring to human nature. The word "flesh" of John 1:14 does not mean a mere human person because the second Person in the Trinity could not be made a human person. However, the eternal Son of God did assume a human body prepared by the Father (Heb. 10:5). This assumed body was necessary for the eternal Son to stand in the place of the elect.

In becoming "the man Christ Jesus," the second Person in the Godhead did not become either a mere man or two persons. Therefore, the Divine logos did not in the incarnation cease being the Divine logos. The one-natured Divine logos became a Divine-human Person that He might be heard, seen, beheld, and handled.

The Greek verb for "was manifested" in both "the life was manifested" and "was manifested to us" is an aorist passive indicative of phaneroo (I John 1:2). It means to make manifest what has been hidden or unknown, expose to view, be plainly recognized, or understood. This verb is used nine times in I John (1:2-twice; 2:19, 28; 3:2-twice, 5, 8; 4:9). The manifestation that began with the incarnation is personalized in the regeneration of the elect. The regenerated person's knowledge of Christ's manifestation increases as he is taught. It will reach its climax when Jesus Christ will be manifested before him. At that time the regenerated ones will be fashioned like Him: "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is" (I John 3:2 NASB).

The Word of life was manifested in the incarnation. Without the incarnation the elect could have no manifestation of life in grace. Apart from grace they could have no fellowship with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. Three unions of the elect in Christ answer to the operation of the three Persons in the Godhead: (1) The union of election is attributed to the Father. (2) The union of representation is ascribed to the Son. (3) The union of regeneration is accredited to the Holy Spirit. The union of election by the Father and the union of representation by the Son are prerequisites to the union of regeneration by the Holy Spirit. God does not compromise His holiness and accommodate it to the moral degeneracy of man. Objective reconciliation by Christ's death precedes subjective regeneration.

Christ is spoken of as the Life and the Word. As the Life, He is God giving Himself to His own. As the Word, He is God revealing Himself to the elect. As the Lord, He is God within His people. As the Word, He is God outside of them. The Son of God is life essentially, eternally, communicatively, and spiritually. Therefore, Christ is the Christian's life not only in a general sense-"for in Him we live and move and exist…" (Acts 17:28 NASB)-but also by grace He will be their life in glory: "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is" (I John 3:2 NASB).

John proclaimed the mystery of godliness. He was not giving a report of a report. A report of a report is dry. However, a report of that which has warmed one's heart can be spoken with enthusiasm. John had heard with his own circumcised ears, seen with his own enlightened eyes, meditated on with great joy on what he beheld, and handled with great intimacy the source of his experience. Therefore, the apostle was giving a mature testimony of his personal encounter with Jesus Christ, the incarnate Savior.

Paul exhorted Timothy and Titus to urge others to teach no other doctrine than the mystery of godliness (I Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:9). He warned Timothy against those not teaching sound doctrine (I Tim. 1:10). Some would depart from the faith in times subsequent to Paul's, warning of seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (I Tim. 4:1). Timothy should remind the brethren of these things: "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following" (I Tim. 4:6 NASB). Until Paul came he should "give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching" (I Tim. 4:13 NASB). In this manner, he would save himself and those who heard him from false doctrine.

Christians are regenerated for fellowship, not for isolation: "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship…" (Acts 2:42 NASB). The only basis for Christian fellowship is fellowship around the word of the living God. Biblical fellowship is that which binds saints together. Good fellowship results from having heard, seen, and understood from the Scriptures the saints' union with God.

A personal and experiential knowledge of fellowship in the sphere of the mystery of godliness is absolutely necessary for one to announce God's message to others. Neither natural power nor special training can equip a person for this work. A personal encounter with Jesus Christ must precede talent and training. John emphasized hearing and seeing throughout the first chapter of his first Epistle. The two things included in hearing and seeing are a revelation of Jesus Christ and an experimental knowledge of that revelation. This revelation is not in the sense that the Scriptures were given by revelation to the apostles. It is a revelation of Jesus Christ's having been revealed to the heart of the elect by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 16:17). The Holy Spirit does not cease His work at the point of regeneration. He causes the regenerated person to hear the message that results in an experiential knowledge of what has been revealed to him. Every babe in Christ has an experiential knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Christian's testimony must be a testimony of personally experienced truth, not hearsay truth.

The motive for announcing God's message is that saints may become spiritual benefactors to those the Holy Spirit regenerates. They are motivated by the love of God that has been shed abroad in their hearts: "For the love of Christ controls us…" (II Cor. 5:14 NASB). They are new creatures in Christ. God has reconciled them unto Himself and has committed to them the word of reconciliation. Therefore, Christians are ambassadors for Christ (II Cor. 5:17-20). The constraint of God's love has an important connection with ambassadorship for Christ.

Christ's impeccable human nature made His sufferings possible. His Divine nature raised Him from among the dead (I Pet. 3:18). The infinite punishment He suffered for the elect was because of His hypostatic union-the God-Man: (1) Christ was urged with the strongest desire to complete redemption for the elect. (2) The Lord Jesus yielded to an imperative and urgent impulse to finish the work the Father sent Him to accomplish. (3) The Son of God was held fast by the bond of the eternal covenant of God. (4) He suffered from anticipated suffering. His soul was exceeding sorrowful. When Jesus Christ died, He was no longer held under judgment or distressed. Justice could make no further demand of Him.

Fellowship because of the mystery of godliness implies resemblance to God. The consequence of this is that sin always becomes more hateful to us, the world loses its charm for us, and the flesh loses its power over us: "…the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day" (Prov. 4:18 NASB). Fellowship is with the Father who chose the elect, with His Son Jesus Christ who redeemed the elect, and with the Holy Spirit who regenerates the elect. Christian fellowship is sharing the common experience of eternal life. This bond of fellowship that Christians enjoy is more endearing and binding than any blood relationship (Luke 12:51-53). Fellowship with God produces Christian fellowship. Saints have creature identity outside of Christ, but they have Christian identity in Christ. Their fellowship is joint participation, partnership, possessing things in common, and belonging in common to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.