Mediated fellowship

1 John 1:1-3 describes how those who never saw, heard, or handled the incarnate word of life can come to have fellowship with the Father through Jesus. First, the apostles (“we”) witnessed the Word in flesh directly. Second, they proclaim that testimony. Third, through believing their testimony, we come to have fellowship with the Father and with His Son.

Two points are worth emphasizing. One: That John emphasizes that knowledge comes through reliable testimony – an important epistemological point. Two, and more radically: The fellowship that believers have with the Father comes not merely by believing the testimony of the apostles, but by joining in fellowship with the apostles who are in fellowship with God. “We proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us”: Trusting the testimony of the apostles means having fellowship with the apostles themselves. Neat, but not salvific, we might think. Except for the rest of verse 3: “indeed our fellowship is with the Father.” Because the apostles have fellowship with the Father, all those who have fellowship with the apostles also have fellowship with the Father.

Here’s John’s ordo salutis: The apostles proclaim the truth about incarnate life; those who believe the apostolic testimony have communion with the apostles; and because those who believe have communion with the apostles, they also have communion with God.