1 John 4:12 BSB — MannaFest

1 John 4:12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

BSB

Parallel translations (2) ▾

ASV

No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:

KJV

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

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Commentary

3 voices

Tertullian

Against Praxeas (220)

"And we have seen His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father; " that is, of course, (the glory) of the Son, even Him who was visible, and was glorified by the invisible Father.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

It has obtained its completion in and upon us. God's love is not perfected in him, but in and with us. His love could not be designed to be ineffectual and fruitless upon us; when its proper genuine end and issue are attained and produced thereby, it may be said to be perfected; so faith is perfected by its works, and love perfected by its operations.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible (1832)

No man hath seen God at any time - The very words, with the change of ἑωρακε for τεθεαται, of this apostle in his gospel, Joh 1:18. We may feel him, though we cannot see him; and if we love one another he dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us - it has then its full accomplishment, having moulded us according to its own nature.

Voices on this verse

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Original language & word study

20 tagged words

Original	Transliteration	Meaning	Word study
θεὸν	theon	God	G2316 →
οὐδεὶς	oudeis	no [one]	G3762 →
πώποτε	pōpote	at any time	G4455 →
τεθέαται·	tetheatai	has seen;	G2300 →
ἐὰν	ean	if	G1437 →
ἀγαπῶμεν	agapōmen	we shall love	G25 →
ἀλλήλους,	allēlous	one another,	G240 →
ὁ	ho	<the>	G3588 →
θεὸς	theos	God	G2316 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
ἡμῖν	hēmin	us	G3165 →
μένει	menei	abides	G3306 →
καὶ	kai	and	G2532 →
ἡ	hē	the	G3588 →
ἀγάπη	agapē	love	G26 →
αὐτοῦ	autou	of Him	G846 →
ἐν	en	in	G1722 →
ἡμῖν	hēmin	us	G3165 →
τετελειωμένη	teteleiōmenē	perfected	G5048 →
ἐστίν.	estin	is.	G1510 →

Rare words are the text's own signal of a deliberate thread: the fewer the occurrences, the more the places it appears belong together.

The walk

The walk8

Where the connections lead

Follow this verse’s cross-references two steps out. Each card is a verse this one points to, and beneath it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several different paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it. Every stop shows its own words, and every stop is a page.

Through
John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
leads to
- Colossians 1:15
  The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
  Reached by 2 independent paths from here.
- John 6:46
  not that anyone has seen the Father except the One who is from God; only He has seen the Father.
- Matthew 11:27
  All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses…
- Luke 10:22
  All things have been entrusted to Me by My Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to…
- 1 Timothy 6:16
  He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
Through
1 John 4:20
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
leads to
- 1 John 3:17
  If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
- 1 John 2:9
  If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
Through
1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
leads to
- 1 Timothy 1:17
  Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

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About 1 John

The Last Supper — Gustave Doré (engraving, public domain)

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Continue: 1 John 4 →

01Commentary

The record, by era

Voices on this verse

02Original language & word study

03The walk

Where the connections lead

04Related verses

05Featured studies on this passage

06About 1 John

The record, by era

Where the connections lead

Commentary

Original language & word study

The walk

Related verses

Featured studies on this passage

About 1 John