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Word, before time began, He had life in Himself. As the begotten Son, having "emptied"
Himself (Phil. 2: 7), all "fullness" on behalf of His redeemed people dwelt in Him, and
the "life in Himself" was given Him on our account, and constitutes the gift of eternal
life that is "In His Son", with the result that he that hath the SON "hath LIFE". So, in
chapter 6: where the Manna is in view, He said:
"As the LIVING Father hath sent Me, and I LIVE by the Father: so he that eateth Me,
even he shall LIVE by Me" (John 6: 57).
No.5.
The Witness of the Gospels.
pp. 101, 102
In John 10: where the Saviour said "The good Shepherd giveth His LIFE for the
sheep" (John 10: 11) he also said:
"Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My LIFE, that I might take it
again. No man taketh it from Me . . . . . I have power to lay it down, and I have power to
take it again. This commandment have I received of My Father" (John 10: 17, 18).
The life given, the life laid down, the life taken again, this is "life eternal", the gift of
God. So, when John wrote his first epistle, instead of going back to "the beginning", he
said:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with
our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of Life:
(For the LIFE was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto
you THAT ETERNAL LIFE, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us)"
(I John 1: 1, 2).
So again "God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath
the SON hath LIFE" (I John 5: 11, 12). John brings his epistle to a conclusion, much as
he does his Gospel, where Thomas said "My Lord and my God". Here he writes:
"And we know that the Son of God is come
(step
No. 1).
And hath given us an understanding
(step
No. 2).
That we may know Him that is true
(step
No. 3).
And we are in Him that is true
(step
No. 4).
Even in His Son Jesus Christ
(step
No. 5).
This is the True God
(step
No. 6).
And Eternal Life."
(step
No. 7).
Let there be no mistake as to the intention of John here. It is a characteristic of his to
use the word translated "this", and a survey of its usage will leave us in no doubt as to his
intention, when he says "This is the true God".
HOUTOS is the Greek word translated "this" and is found in John's writings as
follows: