Lord Jesus. We are not to understand the expression as equivalent to “He who.” The preposition “of” in the expression “of the Word of life” is peri (περι), “concerning.” This speaks of the things concerning our Lord, rather than of Him personally. John speaks of that which was true of our Lord from the beginning. “Was” is the verb of being in the Greek text (eime (εἰμε), “to be,” not ginomai (γινομαι), “to become.”) It is in the imperfect tense which speaks of an abiding state in past time. Thus,