1 John 4:12

BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.”

What this verse means

A short, plain-language explanation of 1 John 4:12 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.

Compare translations
BSBPD

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.”

Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)
KJVPD

“No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.”

King James Version · Public Domain
ASVPD

“No man hath beheld God at any time: if we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us:”

American Standard Version · Public Domain
YLTPD

“God no one hath ever seen; if we may love one another, God in us doth remain, and His love is having been perfected in us;”

Young's Literal Translation · Public Domain
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Cross references

Other passages that echo 1 John 4:12 — 13 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  1. Genesis 32:30So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
  2. Exodus 33:20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
  3. Numbers 12:8I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
  4. John 1:18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
  5. 1 Corinthians 13:13And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.
  6. 1 Timothy 1:17Now to the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
  7. 1 Timothy 6:16He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
  8. Hebrews 11:27By faith Moses left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.
  9. 1 John 2:5But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
  10. 1 John 3:24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
  11. 1 John 4:6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
  12. 1 John 4:17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.
  13. 1 John 4:20If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

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