² just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first^(A) were eyewitnesses^(B) and servants of the word.^(C)

²⁷ And you also must testify,^(A) for you have been with me from the beginning.^(B)

³ how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation?^(A) This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord,^(B) was confirmed to us by those who heard him.^(C)

¹⁶ ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.^(A) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.^(B)

The Incarnation of the Word of Life

1 That which was from the beginning,^(A) which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,^(B) which we have looked at and our hands have touched^(C)—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared;^(D) we have seen it and testify to it,^(E) and we proclaim to you the eternal life,^(F) which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,^(G) so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^(H)

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,^(A) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.^(B)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^[b](B)

To the Elders and the Flock

5 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder^(A) and a witness^(B) of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:^(C)

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism^(A) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^(B) with us of his resurrection.”