That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
of the Word of life: "Of" is from the Greek peri, better translated "concerning." The apostles’ experiences with Jesus were "concerning" the Word of life. Some try to say that "the Word of life" is the message of life, but we do not preach concerning the word of God--we preach the word itself; however, we do preach concerning Jesus, the Word of life. There should be no question that the Word that was made flesh in John 1 is the Word of life in 1 John 1. "Word" is from logos, meaning more than words in general. W. E. Vine says that logos "denotes the expression of thought--not the mere name of an object...as embodying a conception or idea" (229). Jesus is the total expression of God, the full revelation of all that God is. When He came in human flesh, He showed us God as He is in human form, the full expression of deity. He is not only the living Word of God, He is the "Word of life." He is called "the life" (John 11:25; John 14:6), "the bread of life" (John 6:35; John 6:48), and "the light of life" (John 8:12). Jesus came that we might have abundant life, (John 10:10). "Life" comes from zoe, which Vine says, "is used in the N.T. ’of life as a principle, life in the absolute sense, life as God has it, that which the Father has in Himself, and which He gave to the Incarnate Son to have in Himself, John 5:26, and which the Son manifested in the world, 1 John 1:2..." (336). Those who want true life must come to the Word of life Himself (John 14:6).