In 1 John 1:1 should it be "word of life" or "living expression"?

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Bill Ross
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Joined: August 12th, 2012, 6:26 pm

In 1 John 1:1 should it be "word of life" or "living expression"?

Post by Bill Ross »

mGNT 1 John 1:1-3

1 ὃ ἦν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ὃ ἀκηκόαμεν ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς 2 καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἐφανερώθη καὶ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἥτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ ἐφανερώθη ἡμῖν 3 ὃ ἑωράκαμεν καὶ ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπαγγέλλομεν καὶ ὑμῖν ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς κοινωνίαν ἔχητε μεθ’ ἡμῶν καὶ ἡ κοινωνία δὲ ἡ ἡμετέρα μετὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
All of the translations seem to have "word of life" in John 1:1, etc., ala:
NIV 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.
Now, in addition to my objection to the rendering of LOGOS as "Word" I am wondering if the last phrase should read "the Living Message"? This seems to make much more sense to me. Is that a less natural reading or as natural?

I notice that later he seems to use "message we have heard from him":
1Jo 1:5 MGNT - 5 καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη **ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ** καὶ ἀναγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς φῶς ἐστιν καὶ σκοτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδεμία
What I lack in youth I make up for in immaturity.
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