Gospels Part 061
John 1:18 tells us that no one has ever seen God. What exactly does this mean?
As we near the end of John’s introduction to his Gospel in John 1:18, we read this astounding statement that few understand,
“No one has ever seen God. The only one, Himself God, who is in closest fellowship with the Father, has made God known” (New English Translation [NET]).
Let the importance of this statement sink in for a moment, “No one has ever seen God.” Remember that John is writing sometime near the end of the first century, decades after Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and His return to His Father. But as we’ve seen, John himself tells us that he and others were personal eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-3). John must be telling us that the “God” whom no one has ever seen refers to God the Father. Let’s look at a few more scriptures here that help us understand this.
Jesus says in John 5:37,
“And the Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me. You people have never heard His voice nor seen His form at any time” (NET).
Jesus plainly said of the Father that no one has directly seen Him or heard His voice. As we see here in John 1:18, Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father.
John also writes in John 6:46—apparently a parenthetical thought he inserted—
“(Not that anyone has seen the Father except He who is from God—He has seen the Father.)” (NET).
This repeats and fully agrees with what we see in John 1:18.
Notice in 1 John 4:12 how John tells us the same thing again:
“No one has seen God at any time.”
We have multiple explicit statements from John, one quoting Jesus Himself, stating that no man has ever seen God the Father other than the One who became Jesus Christ. Do other biblical writers confirm this as well? Yes, they do.
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:13-16,
“I urge you in the sight of God...the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power.”
Paul also repeats the same truth—that no one has ever seen God the Father. He also adds that we cannot see God the Father. Jesus Christ, the apostle John, and the apostle Paul all tell us the same thing, that no one has seen God the Father.
Who did individuals see in the passages of the Hebrew Scriptures where they are described as seeing God? We will explore this in tomorrow’s lesson.
© 2026 Scott Ashley. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
UYA Team | uya@ucg.org
United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of the young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.
Course Content
Scott Ashley
Scott Ashley was managing editor of Beyond Today magazine, United Church of God booklets and its printed Bible Study Course until his retirement in 2023. He also pastored three congregations in Colorado for 10 years from 2011-2021. He and his wife, Connie, live near Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Ashley attended Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, graduating in 1976 with a theology major and minors in journalism and speech. It was there that he first became interested in publishing, an industry in which he worked for 50 years.
During his career, he has worked for several publishing companies in various capacities. He was employed by the United Church of God from 1995-2023, overseeing the planning, writing, editing, reviewing and production of Beyond Today magazine, several dozen booklets/study guides and a Bible study course covering major biblical teachings. His special interests are the Bible, archaeology, biblical culture, history and the Middle East.
