1 Timothy 3:16

"who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."

Today we're going to look at the phrase "whom no one has seen or can see" from 1 Timothy 3:16. What do other scriptures say that will help us understand this?

"But, he [God] said, you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." - Exodus 33:20

"No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known." - John 1:18

John 1:18 is a very interesting verse. The first sentence says straight out that no one has seen God. This is the same thing 1 Timothy 3:16 says and it is in full agreement with the Old Testament. Then it says that:

1> The One and Only God is at the Father's side.

Notice how this verse makes a point of clearly saying that there is ONE AND ONLY GOD. So we know there is only one God. Yet, this verse says that this ONE AND ONLY GOD is at God the Father's side. What's going on? How can God be at God's side if there is only one God?

2> The One and Only God also has made him [God the Father] known.

This is saying that the One and Only God has made God known to us. Again it sounds like there are two Gods. One who makes the other one known.

Let's ask a question. Who is at the Father's side? The answer is in Acts 2:33:

"Therefore, [Jesus] having been exalted to the right hand of God..."

So the person who is the ONE AND ONLY GOD at the Father's side is Jesus.

How can God [Jesus] be at the side of God [the Father]? He can, only if He is God, and the one God exists as more than one person. This leads us to the Trinity, which we'll talk about later. The important point related to this verse is, Jesus is God. This gets us back to the question in 1 Timothy 6:16: since no one has seen God, what are we seeing when we look at Jesus.

When God came to earth 2000 years ago He veiled some of His characteristics. If He had not done this there would have not been any point in coming to earth, because as we read in Exodus (above quote), anyone who saw Him would die.

However, one of God's purposes in coming to earth was to be with His children, to teach us and to be an example for us to follow. Thus God had to hide (veil) some of His characteristics, such as His Glory, so that people could look at Him and not die.

Remember, we are created in God's image. Thus when He hides (veils) some of His Godly characteristics what does he look like? A man. And that "man" was Jesus.

Has anyone seen God as he truly is? No. When people looked at Jesus were they seeing God? Yes. But not all of Him.

Here's an example:

Let's say I've been in an accident and I'm in the hospital. You come to visit me and see me covered in blankets up to my chin. Have you seen me? Yes. But, you see me like we see God when we look at Jesus. You only see the part of me that is not hidden.

How do you know what I look like? It is only through the part you see, that part which is not covered by blankets, that you can know what the rest of me is like. And it is the same with Jesus. It is through God [Jesus, who is God with part of Himself hidden under blankets] that we know what God is like.