1 John 4:12

[pgnat1]

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in.

Hi, I was just curious about this Bible verse. How is it possible that “no one has ever seen God?” I mean, Jesus was on Earth and encountered a good number of people… I guess I just do not understand it. Thanks for your help.

 

[Nita]

Hi, I was just curious about this Bible verse. How is it possible that “no one has ever seen God?” I mean, Jesus was on Earth and encountered a good number of people… I guess I just do not understand it. Thanks for your help.

It means no one has seen God in His Divine Nature. God is spirit. Among other things, our eyes cannot see spirits.

Jesus is the name given to the Second Person of the Trinity in His incarnation – that is, after He assumed a human nature. When the people saw Jesus, they were seeing his human nature - seeing a human body.

 

[R_C]

You do understand it, perfectly. It seems so evident to me that the Spirit is already telling you in your heart that there is something missing in that phrase, because if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God.

Indeed, s. John the Evangelist is making a reference to something the Lord said and that he wrote down in his gospel, something that reflects exactly what you already understood: if you have seen Christ, you have seen God.

John 1:18

No one has ever seen God; it is the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

John 14:6-10

Jesus said: I am the Way; I am Truth and Life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father too. From this moment you know him and have seen him.

Philip said, ‘Lord, show us the Father and then we shall be satisfied.’ Jesus said to him, 'Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? 'Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, “Show us the Father”? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?

Of course, the Evangelist is writing for those who live after the glorious Ascension of the Lord, and his writing is fully in agreement with the other teachings of Christ he wrote down throughout his gospel.

Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’

Jesus said to him: You believe because you can see me. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.

 

[pgnat1]

You do understand it, perfectly. It seems so evident to me that the Spirit is already telling you in your heart that there is something missing in that phrase, because if you have seen Jesus, you have seen God.

Indeed, s. John the Evangelist is making a reference to something the Lord said and that he wrote down in his gospel, something that reflects exactly what you already understood: if you have seen Christ, you have seen God.

Of course, the Evangelist is writing for those who live after the glorious Ascension of the Lord, and his writing is fully in agreement with the other teachings of Christ he wrote down throughout his gospel.