John, the Philosopher
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 1 John 1:1 NIV
This we proclaim – If you read this text in the NIV, you would immediately be confronted with a dogmatic statement, like this: “The Incarnation of the Word of Life.” This heading is not in John’s letter (of course). It is the translator’s addition to make sure the reader understands the meaning of John’s words. But as an addition, it makes a crucial mistake. It refuses to ask the question: What was John writing about?
“Theology starts with dogmas, philosophy begins with problems. Philosophy sees the problem first, theology has the answer in advance.”[1]
You see, John is not writing dogma in his letter. John is a witness, not a theologian. As such, he addresses a personal problem, namely, who is this man, Yeshua. John is a Jewish, Messianic philosopher. “The philosopher . . . is a witness, not an accountant of other people’s business.”[2] And we need to read him as someone who experiences the trauma of a real question, not an official apostle espousing official doctrine. John is interested in this: Is the Messiah a real person? His answer is: “Yes, I was there. I saw him. I heard him. I touched him.” Even though Abraham Heschel never writes about John’s letters, what he says about Jewish thinkers applies:
“In religion, on the other hand, the mystery of the answer hovers over all questions. Philosophy deals with problems as universal issues; to religion the universal issues are personal problems. Philosophy, then, stresses the primacy of the problem, religion stresses the primacy of the person.”[3]
John is a Jewish, Messianic philosopher, not a Greek one. He deals with personal problems and personal answers. He writes about personal experiences. He wants his readers to know that what he observed is real. They can trust him. It’s not doctrine. It’s not statements about the incarnation. It’s not reasoned arguments against Gnosticism. It’s John’s testimony, his witness.
You are also a witness. Something happened in your life that set you on this journey. Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to keep you going, even when others considered you odd, mistaken, or heretical. That experience might have happened a long time ago, or it might have been yesterday, but it was real. Theology and philosophy are only attempts to give meaning to the experience. They are not substitutes for the experience. Perhaps you need to reflect on that experience, the core of your subsequent beliefs, and thank God He showed up when He did. Perhaps that’s more important than added headings to the text of your life.
Topical Index: philosophy, religion, witness, 1 John 1:1
[1] Abraham Heschel, God in Search of Man (Ferrar, Straus and Giroux, 1955), p. 4.
[2] Ibid., p. 5.
[3] Ibid., p. 4.
