the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—
the life was manifested: apparent, manifest, evident, known ;manifest i.e to be plainly recognised or known
the life (Word of Life) was made apparent, was made to be plainly recognised; the Word of Life was made known.
David Guzik sums this verse up well, explaining the word eternal and brings out the point of the trinity:
This life was manifested, that is, made actually, physically real; John solemnly testifies as an eyewitness (we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you) that this is the case. This is no fairy tale, no "once upon a time." This is real, and John is telling us about it as an eyewitness.
e. Eternal life which was with the Father: In calling Jesus eternal life, not only is John recalling the words of Jesus (John 5:26; 6:48; 11:25; 14:6), he is also repeating the idea expressed in his first words: that Jesus Himself is eternal, and therefore God.
i. We say that people are eternal, and that God's Word is eternal; but we say this with the understanding that we mean they are eternal in the future sense - they will never perish, being immortal (Isaiah 40:8; John 5:29). Yet even people and God's Word are not eternal in the past sense; to say that something is eternal in the past sense is the same as saying that it is God.
ii. The eternal existence of Jesus is also declared in Micah 5:2 - But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. The word everlasting here literally means "beyond the vanishing point."
f. In saying that this being, who is eternal, and is eternal life Himself, is distinct from the Father (was with the Father), John builds the New Testament understanding of the Trinity - that one God exists as three Persons, equal and one, yet distinct in person.
GOD SO LOVES US SO MUCH HE WANTED TO MAKE HIMSELF PLAINLY RECOGNISED AND KNOWN TO US!
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