1 John 1:2

"The life was manifested." For in the Gospel he thus speaks: "And what was made, in Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

"And we show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto you."

He signifies by the appellation of Father, that the Son also existed always, without beginning.

For its salvation is endangered, not by its being ignorant of itself, but of the word of God. "The life," says He, "was manifested," not the soul.

Note that there is an important difference between seeing and contemplating. For what is seen can be told to others, which is not always possible with things which are contemplated. For there are many things which may be perfectly well contemplated but which cannot be expressed in words because they are known by some ineffable understanding. In this verse it should be noticed that those who are bearing witness are not validating the life of Jesus but improving themselves by their confession.

"The Life was manifested." Christ therefore is "the word of life." And whereby manifested? For it was "from the beginning," only not manifested to men: but it was manifested to angels, who saw it and fed on it as their bread. But what saith the Scripture? "Man did eat angels' bread." Well then "the Life was manifested" in the flesh; because it exhibited in manifestation, that that which can be seen by the heart only, should be seen by the eyes also, that it might heal the hearts. For only by the heart is the Word seen: but the flesh is seen by the bodily eyes also. We had wherewith to see the flesh, but had not wherewith to see the Word: "the Word was made flesh," which we might see, that so that in us might be healed wherewith we might see the Word.

"We have seen and are witnesses." Perhaps some of the brethren who are not acquainted with the Greek do not know what the word "witnesses" is in Greek: and yet it is a term much used by all, and had in religious reverence; for what in our tongue we call "witnesses," in Greek are "martyrs." Now where is the man that has not heard of martyrs, or where the Christian in whose mouth the name of martyrs dwelleth not every day? For it was for bearing witness of that which they had seen, and bearing witness of that which they had heard from them who had seen, that, while their testimony itself displeased the men against whom it was delivered, the martyrs suffered all that they did suffer. The martyrs are God's witnesses.

"And we declare to you eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us."
"And we declare to you the life." Therefore, what we have seen, we also declare to you, John says. What is that? That he who is eternal life has been revealed to us, and we have become witnesses of him both before his crucifixion and after his resurrection. For he was indeed nailed to the cross in the flesh, and in that same flesh he rose again.

This is directed towards Jews and Greeks, who also slander our mystery as being more recent. It shows therefore that it is also ancient, because from the beginning, that is, at the same time as the conceived [ἐννοηθείσῃ] beginning. Or that it is not only by law, but also of the visible creation itself, that this is more inspiring: for the former had a beginning, but this was even before that beginning. Therefore, when the mysteries of the Greeks arose yesterday or the day before, what can anyone say? Those things that are praised in the self-indulgence of the mind have received a substance that barely withstands late, when filthiness was already prevalent among men, of which both discipline and remembrance as we decline from the better to our confusion of night.
Therefore, demonstrating the magnificence of our mystery from its very antiquity, John added that this is also life, and life measured not by time-based space, but having persistence and always existing with the Father, saying things that are in accordance with what was said in his Gospel. For there it is: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (Jn. 1:1) However, this "was" does not designate a time-based subsistence, but is the essence of a lasting thing, and the principle, basis, and foundation of all that have come to be, without which not even these could exist. Each of them, as they are born, is said to be something determined, for example, to be an angel, to be the sun, to be the sky, and all other things. But the Son, being alone, comes to participate in all things for existence. Therefore, Paul says: "In Him we live and move and have our being." (Acts 18:28)
This to have heard according to the introductory doctrine, where one first receives, comes to live itself, not corporally, but perfectly knowing, after long exercise and consideration: which is also called contact with the Word of life, which said: "I am the life." (Jn. 14:6) However, this can also be said about the Word that was in the beginning: namely, that we have heard it would come through the law and the prophets. Therefore, we have seen and touched this one coming in the flesh: "for no one has ever seen God visibly." (Jn. 1:18, 1 Jn. 4:12) Nor did we hastily decide from the appearance, but after a long examination, that is, the mutual questioning of the law and prophetic testimonies concerning Him, we believed in the Word appearing in the flesh. But, what we have seen, that is, we have admired with our eyes. For Θεασθαι "to have looked upon" is to gaze with wonder and astonishment. Therefore, we have not perceived or touched what was there, for who can declare this generation? (Isa. 53:8) But what has happened: either through interactions of understanding, as has already been said, or also through the senses, as Thomas after the resurrection. (Jn. 20:26) For he was one and inseparable, the same both visible and invisible, both seized and unable to be comprehended, both touched and unable to be touched, speaking in a human manner and performing miracles as God.
However, we say this because of the supreme union of the Word with the flesh. The series of words is this: 1:1-2c 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 touched, of the Word of Life; for the life was revealed, and we have seen it, and bear witness: And I declare to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us: therefore, what we have seen, we also declare to you.
Here therefore the discourse responds where it is said. What therefore we have seen. However, the discourse was not reported as we have: first indeed because of the use of abbreviated words, then also despising the trivialities of the Greeks, and showing that our salvation is not in words, but in works, and making us more attentive in these matters, lest we should immediately find what is proposed there and become negligent. Furthermore, dealing with divine matters, he wished to conceal in obscurity those things which were more uplifting than could be accepted by profane ears, nor should they be safely spread to them. For it is not the act of a sensible man, nor of a discerning consideration, to throw what is holy to dogs, and to cast pearls before swine. (Matt. 7:6)

John says this with reference to the close union of the Word with the flesh. Or perhaps he says this with reference to the resurrection, considering the way in which it was made known to the apostles by the action of Thomas. That proved that Christ rose again with the same flesh in which he had been crucified.

And the life was manifested, etc. He refers to that life which speaks in the Gospel: "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11); which was manifested through divine miracles declared in the flesh, and the disciples present saw what they would testify to posterity with undoubted truth, when performing signs, as John himself wrote, He manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him (John 2). And because the apostle John testifies that he saw the life manifested with his co-apostles, the heretic Apelles should be confounded with his followers, who contends that the same life, that is, the Lord Savior, appeared to the world not as God in truth, but as a man in fantasy.

And we proclaim to you eternal life, etc. It was with the Father in eternal divinity, and appeared in time to the world in humanity.

"Beheld" means the same as saw with one's own eyes and marveled; for θεάσασθαι derives from θαυμάζειν and means: to look with wonder. "Handled" means the same as examined. The connection of the discourse is as follows: that which was from the beginning, which we heard, and saw, and beheld with our eyes, and which our hands handled concerning the Word of life, which was manifested, and which we saw, and bear witness to, and declare unto you, that is, the eternal life which is with the Father and was manifested to us; so then, what we saw, that we also declare unto you,

The Apostle did not proclaim in the way we do, first, for the sake of brevity of speech, then out of disregard for Hellenic empty talk, further, to show that our salvation is not in words but in deeds, and finally, to make us more attentive, so that we, finding what is set forth easy and as if self-evident, would not become distracted. Beyond this, the Theologian wished by obscurity to conceal that which is above impure hearing and with which it is unsafe to fill it; "for to give what is holy to dogs and to cast pearls before swine" (Matt. 7:6) is contrary to sound reason.