Verse 12
No one has seen God in His pure essence without some kind of filter (cf. John 1:18). Instances in which the biblical writers said that people saw God were theophanies, manifestations of God in human or angelic form (e.g., Genesis 18:1-22; Exodus 33:18-23; et al.). [Note: See Baker’s Dictionary of Theology, s.v. "Theophany," by Wick Broomall.] Whenever we love one another we make it possible for God to "abide" in close fellowship with us. Furthermore God’s love reaches a fullness and depth in us that is possible only when we love one another. It attains its full flower (1 John 4:19).
There are three stages of God’s love in 1 John. These stages are love manifested to the world (1 John 4:9), love given to the family of God (1 John 3:1), and love perfected in a smaller group within this family (i.e., those who abide in God, 1 John 4:12). The love of God does not reach perfection until it finds objects of love beyond itself. When it does, God, whom no one has seen, will be visible in this manifestation of love.
"God’s love for us is perfected only when it is reproduced in us or (as it may mean) ’among us’ in the Christian fellowship." [Note: Stott, p. 164. Cf. Westcott, p. 152.]
The same phenomenon occurs in human families. When a child says or does something just like one of his or her parents, we see the parent in the child’s behavior (cf. 1 John 3:9).
"The love of God displayed in His people is the strongest apologetic that God has in the world." [Note: Bruce, p. 109.]
Be the first to react on this!
