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At the beginning of his epistle, John emphasizes the eyewitness testimony of the apostles. They preach about things that they have seen and heard with their own ears and eyes, things they have touched.
Since we haven't done any of that, we rely on their testimony, and that is troublesome for many Christians. Our knowledge of Jesus seems much less reliable than that of the apostles had. Like Thomas, we want to see it for ourselves.
In fact, much of what we believe about anything is based on testimony. Do you believe in China? Did Napoleon conquer Europe? Have you ever seen an atom or an electron? Couldn’t Osama bin Laden be no more than an elaborate hoax concocted by a paranoid federal government with the cooperation of the media?
We rely on testimony in every day life just as much. Was your wife overcharged at the grocery? Did you see it happen? Did the boss tell that joke to your husband at work? Did you hear it? Did your toddler throw a tantrum while you were at work? How can you be sure?
We can't avoid relying on testimony, and the only question is whether the testimony is reliable, whether the witnesses are trustworthy.
The knowledge of God, like the life that John speaks of, is mediated through a community. Just as we have life by coming into fellowship with the apostles who have fellowship with the Father and Son, so we know about Jesus, and know Jesus, because of what they proclaim. This requires faith, trust in testimony, rather than sight; but it's very much like the faith we live by every day.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Sunday, September 24, 2006 at 08:02 AM
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