John 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father 's side, he has made him known.

NIV: No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

NASB: No one has seen God at any time; God the only Son, who is in the arms of the Father, He has explained Him.

CSB: No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side—he has revealed him.

NLT: No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.

KJV: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

NKJV: No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

This is another statement affirming Jesus' divinity in the gospel of John, and it reinforces the third of seven names: "the Son of God."

Here, "seeing God" is meant in a physical, literal sense of perceiving God the Father, in person, with one's eyes. God chose to reveal Himself in certain forms in the past (Genesis 18:1; Hebrews 1:1–2), but He is essentially a Spirit (John 4:24). The gospel of John describes Jesus as the "Word" of God, using the Greek word logos. Jesus is the message, or the definition, of God. Words are tangible symbols of ideas, both for our eyes and our ears.

The fact that God came in human form is critical. Jesus is a human being who experiences our struggles (Hebrews 4:15); He is one to whom we can relate. Jesus is a message from God, in a language we all understand: relationship. Jesus explains God to us in a way we could never understand otherwise.

John also repeats the claim that Jesus is God. The Greek term monogenēs is used here as well as in John 1:14, John 3:16, and John 3:18, translated as "only" in the ESV. Other translations use words such as "one and only" or "only begotten" or "unique." This means Jesus is of the exact same "stuff" as God the Father (Hebrews 1:3).

John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word logos, meaning "the Word." This passage clearly describes Jesus as God, and co-creator with God the Father. These verses summarize Jesus' ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist—a different John from the author of this gospel—was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as "the Word," from the Greek logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names or titles for Christ in this chapter, including "the Son of God," "the Word," and "the King of Israel."

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including "the Word," "the Son of God," and "the King of Israel." This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.