1 John 1:3-4 3that which we have seen and heard, we proclaim also to you, so that you yourselves may also have fellowship with us. And also our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
As one of the twelve apostles who lived with Jesus and learned from him for three years, John and other eyewitnesses (we) then told others (you) about what they had experienced. John and the other eyewitnesses, particularly the other apostles who were commissioned by Jesus, did not keep the good news to themselves but diligently announced it to the world. Their experience of seeing and hearing about life was too life-transforming to remain quiet about—the whole world needed to know! The readers could not see and hear about the Word made flesh, but they could still experience the Life by accepting in faith the report of John and other witnesses.
These verses hint at the purpose of John’s writing, expressed in the purpose clause of verse 3. He wanted them to have fellowship with other believers. Fellowship (koinōnian) expresses a common bond of some type, especially shared interest and way of thinking. John’s fellowship with the readers may not have been in the way of physical presence with one another due to such hurdles as distance and travel. Christians around the world can fellowship by sharing the same faith in Jesus and being bonded by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:4-6). John explains a crucial connection in relationships. Believers are connected to one another because they are connected to the Father and Son. If we are in a right relationship to God, our fellowship with one other will be closer. The closer we come to God, the closer we can come to one another.
This connection of fellowship filled up John’s joy. If the readers listened to and responded positively to his letter, he would have deep satisfaction that his mission to testify about Jesus would be fulfilled. Our mission is best completed when we also find ourselves drawing closer to God in obedience to the command to “go into the world.” We can do that by drawing closer to other people because we have obeyed the command to love one another.