☐ Witness to the Word of Life (1:1–4) Probably each of us has had the experience of speaking in a situation of emergency, under duress or out of anxiety. Our words spill forth, racing ahead of our thoughts, until we run out of breath or someone gently urges us to “slow down.” In some ways, the preface of this epistle (1:1–4) points to the urgency of the situation in which the Elder finds himself. His ideas and words tumble forth in his eagerness to express his concerns. Almost awkwardly he repeats