SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:12
Ninguno vio jamás a Dios. Si nos amamos unos a otros, Dios permanece en nosotros, y su caridad es completada en nosotros;
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:12
Verse 12. No man hath seen God at any time.] The very words, with the change of ewrake for teqeatai, of this apostle in his gospel, John i. 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.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 12. No man hath seen God at any time , &c.] The same is said by the Evangelist John, ( John 1:18); but here it is observed with a different view, and upon another account; there it signifies that no man has seen and looked into the counsels and designs of God, and been able to make a discovery and declaration of his mind and will, his love and grace, and which is there ascribed to the Son of God, (see Gill on “ John 1:18”); but here the sense is, that whereas God is invisible in his nature, and incomprehensible in his being and perfections, so that there is no coming to him, and seeing of him, and conversing with him in a familiar way, and so not of loving him as he is in himself, and ought to be loved, as one friend sees, converses with, and loves another, and finds his love increased by sight and conversation; then we ought to love the saints and people of God, who are visible, may be seen, come at, and conversed with, (see 1 John 4:20); for this clause stands among the arguments and reasons for brotherly love: if we love one another God dwelleth in us ; not as he does in his Son, by union of nature; nor as in heaven, by the displays of his glory; nor as in the whole world, by his omnipresence and power; but by his Spirit, and the communications of his love, and by his gracious presence and communion, which he indulges the saints with; for such who love one another, as they appear to have the Spirit of God, of which that grace is a fruit, so they are by the Spirit built up a fit habitation for God, and by which Spirit he dwells in them; and such may expect the presence of God, for they who live in peace, the God of love and peace shall be with them: and his love is perfected in us ; not that love of God, with which he loves his people; for that admits of no degrees, and is not more or less in itself, or in his heart; but is always invariably and unchangeably the same, and is full, complete, and perfect in his own breast, as it was from all eternity; and does not pass by degrees, or gradually rise from a love of benevolence to a love of complacency and delight, or increase as our love does to him and to one another, on which it has no dependence: nor is this love perfected in the saints in this life; that is to say, they have not perfect knowledge and enjoyment of it; nor have they all the effects of it bestowed upon them, and applied unto them; the perfection of it, in this sense, will be in heaven: but the love with which God is loved is here designed; and it is called his, because he is both the object and the author of it; and this is no effect as to degrees; yea, sometimes, instead of abounding and increasing, it goes back, it is left, and waxes cold; and it will not have its completion till the saints come to heaven, and then it will be in its full perfection and glory, when faith and hope shall be no more: but the sense is, that this grace of love is sincere and hearty, and without dissimulation; it is unfeigned love; and it is in deed and in truth, and not in word and in tongue only; and this appears to be so, by the love which is shown to the brethren, the children of God; so that love to God in the saints is perfected by love to the brethren, just in such sense as faith is made perfect by works, ( James 2:22), that is, is made to appear to be genuine, right, and true.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-13 - The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. He that does not love the image of God in his people, has no saving knowledge of God. For it is God's nature to be kind, and to give happiness. The law of God is love and all would have been perfectly happy, had all obeyed it. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness of sin, and the salvatio of sinners, consistently with God's glory and justice, shows that God is love. Mystery and darkness rest upon many things yet. God has s shown himself to be love, that we cannot come short of eterna happiness, unless through unbelief and impenitence, although stric justice would condemn us to hopeless misery, because we break ou Creator's laws. None of our words or thoughts can do justice to the free, astonishing love of a holy God towards sinners, who could no profit or harm him, whom he might justly crush in a moment, and whose deserving of his vengeance was shown in the method by which they wer saved, though he could by his almighty Word have created other worlds with more perfect beings, if he had seen fit. Search we the whol universe for love in its most glorious displays? It is to be found in the person and the cross of Christ. Does love exist between God an sinners? Here was the origin, not that we loved God, but that he freel loved us. His love could not be designed to be fruitless upon us, an when its proper end and issue are gained and produced, it may be sai to be perfected. So faith is perfected by its works. Thus it wil appear that God dwells in us by his new-creating Spirit. A lovin Christian is a perfect Christian; set him to any good duty, and he is perfect to it, he is expert at it. Love oils the wheels of his affections, and sets him on that which is helpful to his brethren. man that goes about a business with ill will, always does it badly That God dwells in us and we in him, were words too high for mortals to use, had not God put them before us. But how may it be known whethe the testimony to this does proceed from the Holy Ghost? Those who ar truly persuaded that they are the sons of God, cannot but call his Abba, Father. From love to him, they hate sin, and whatever disagree with his will, and they have a sound and hearty desire to do his will Such testimony is the testimony of the Holy Ghost.
Greek Textus Receptus
θεον 2316 ουδεις 3762 πωποτε 4455 τεθεαται 2300 5766 εαν 1437 αγαπωμεν 25 5725 αλληλους 240 ο 3588 θεος 2316 εν 1722 ημιν 2254 μενει 3306 5719 και 2532 η 3588 αγαπη 26 αυτου 846 τετελειωμενη 5048 5772 εστιν 2076 5748 εν 1722 ημιν 2254
Vincent's NT Word Studies
12. God. Beginning the sentence emphatically, and without the article: God as God. "God hath no man ever yet seen." Compare John i. 18.
His love. Not our love to Him, nor His love to us, but the love which is peculiarly His; which answers to His nature.
