João 1

Bob Utley · Citado em PreceptAustin

João 1:1

Utley - A philosophical/theological Prologue (Jn 1:1–18) and a practical Epilogue (Jn 21:1-25) John

João 1:1

Utley - "Jn 1:1-18 are an attempt to relate to both Hebrew and Greek minds by use of the term logos." Utley goes on to summarize the attraction of Logos to both Jews and Greeks - "Hebrew background - (a) The power of the spoken word (Isa. 55:11; Ps. 33:6; 107:20; 145:15), as in Creation (Ge 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29) and the Patriarchal blessing (Gen. 27:1ff; 49:1) (b) Proverbs 8:12–23 personifies “Wisdom” as God’s first creation and agent of all creation (cf. Ps. 33:6 and the non-canonical Wisdom of Solomon, 9:9) (c.) the Targums (Aramaic translations and commentaries) substitute the phrase “Word of God” for logos because of their discomfort with anthropomorphic terms. Greek background - (a.) Heraclitus - the world was in flux; the impersonal divine and unchanging logos held it together and guided the changing process. (b.) Plato - the impersonal and unchanging logos kept the planets on course and determined the seasons. (c.) Stoics - the logos was the “world reason” or manager, but was semi-personal (d.) Philo - he personified the concept of logos as “High Priest that set the soul of man before God,” or “the bridge between man and God,” or “the tiller by which the Pilot of the universe steers all things” (kosmocrater)." See Related Discussion by William

João 1:2

Utley says "This is parallel to Jn 1:1 and emphasizes again the shocking truth in light of monotheism that Jesus, who was born around 6–5BC., has always been with the Father and, therefore, is deity." (John 1 Commentary) He (this one) (houtos) - Masculine singular. Refers to the Word, the Messiah. John reiterates that He is eternal and that He is in close relationship with the Father. As Leon

João 1:3

Utley - "The Logos was the Father’s agent of creation of both the visible and the invisible (cf. v. 10; I Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2)." (John 1 Commentary) A T Robertson on through Him - By means of Him as the intermediate agent in the work of creation. The Logos is John’s explanation of the creation of the universe. The author of Hebrews (Heb 1:2) names God’s Son as the one “through Whom he made the ages.” Paul pointedly asserts that “the all things were created in Him” (Christ) and “the all things stand created through Him and unto Him” (Col. 1:16). Hence it is not a peculiar doctrine that John here enunciates. In 1 Cor. 8:6, Paul distinguishes between the Father as the primary source (ex hou) of the all things and the Son as the intermediate agent as here. Vincent on through Him - The preposition dia is generally used to denote the working of God through some secondary agency, as through the prophet (Matt. 1:22). It is the preposition by which the relation of Christ to creation is usually expressed (see 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2), though it is occasionally used of the Father (Heb. 2:10; Rom. 11:36, and Gal. 1:1, where it is used of both). Hence, as Godet remarks, it “does not lower the Word to the rank of a simple instrument,” but merely implies a different relation to creation on the part of the Father and the Son. (John 1 Commentary - Vincent's Word Studies)

João 1:6

Utley - It is interesting to note that Christ is described in IMPERFECT TENSE (pre-existence) verbs, while John is described in AORIST (manifested in time - "there came" is aorist tense) and PERFECT TENSE (a historical event with lasting results) verbs (cf. apostello in perfect tense in Jn 1:6). Jesus has always existed. (John 1 Commentary) Steven Cole sees this next section (Jn 1:6-13) as analogous to the beginning of a courtroom drama or trial - "He has already (Jn 1:1-5) given us a description of Jesus Christ as the eternal Word, the second Member of the Trinity, and the Creator of all that is. He has said that in Jesus is life and that life was the light of men. But even though that Light shines in the darkness, the darkness did not comprehend (or overpower) it (Jn 1:5). This implies the conflict between light and darkness that unfolds in this drama. In John 1-4, there is initially belief in Jesus, but in John 5-12, there is subsequent unbelief, leading up to His mock trial and crucifixion. In our text, John introduces the witness of John the Baptist to Jesus (Jn 1:6-8) and the witness of Jesus Himself, “the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man” (Jn 1:9). There is more than adequate testimony in Jesus’ favor. But what will the jury decide? While as I said, this plays out throughout the entire story, John shows here that many who should have decided favorably sadly rejected the witness to Jesus Christ, whereas others welcomed the witness by receiving and believing in Him. But John isn’t just reporting a courtroom drama for your entertainment. He wants to draw you into the story and elicit your personal verdict on the witness to Jesus Christ: Our text falls into two parts: In 1:6-9, John shows that God has given adequate witness to His Son. In 1:10-13, he shows that this witness to God’s Son demands a verdict of faith in Him. But in spite of the solid evidence, that verdict isn’t guaranteed. Many of those who should have decided in favor of Jesus did not know Him or receive Him. But those who did are born of God and become His children. (John 1:6-13 God’s Witness, Your Verdict) It is fascinating to recall Jesus' own evaluation of John the Baptist declaring ""Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Mt 11:11) Luke records "he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine or liquor; and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's womb." (Lk 1:15) No other person has ever been described as full of the Spirit while still in utero! This man was great! Now ponder Jesus' sterling affirmation of John for a moment. He is saying that John was greater than Noah, Job, Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, or any other of the ancient men of God. Bennema agrees that the Baptizer's role is primarily that of a witness of Jesus but that his "characterization as a witness is complex and multifaceted—his single trait is not a simple trait. This becomes evident when we examine his other roles as a baptizer, herald-forerunner, teacher, best man, and a “lamp.” (Ed: Bennema has a lengthy discussion of each of these facets of John the Baptist) Most scholars do not adequately explain how John’s other roles relate to his principal role. In fact, I will argue that it is misleading to speak of primary and secondary, major and minor roles. John never operates as a witness apart from his other roles; rather, he is a witness in these roles." (The Character of John in the Fourth Gospel - JETS 52/2, 6/2009, 271-284) Dods - The testimony of John is introduced not only as a historical note but in order to bring out the aggravated blindness of those who rejected Christ. John is an excellent example for us to imitate as witnesses of Jesus Christ. Using these passages that describe John the Baptist, Pastor Steve Kreloff gives us some basic principles for being a witness - (1) John was a man and God uses men and women. God uses people! Evangelism works best with people… There is no substitute for a person, for the Gospel must be seen in a life for it to be believable to others. People need to see changes in our lives. We are the letter people will read. The change in us and the life of Christ in us demonstrates the validity of the Gospel… This is not too deep but it is important to understand… God always uses people… You may think you don't have the gift of evangelism (etc)… all that it requires is that you have a voice. If you have voice you can be a witness. (See Jn 1:22-23 "I am a Voice… ")… So just be a "voice!" (2) A voice has to speak of Christ - "He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the Light." (Jn 1:7) A witness simply takes the witness stand and says what he knows to be true… Some people think that "I will just witness with my life." That is not enough. That's part of it… If you never open your mouth and share the Gospel with people, but you think "They're just going to see my life and they will conclude that God has changed me and they need salvation." No, you know what they will conclude if you never them Who changed you, they'll conclude that you're just a good person… honest… caring… You need to tell them that Christ has changed you and He can change them… You have to open your mouth and speak the truth… So we are witness of the Light. We are to tell people what we know about Christ… You don't have to be an expert… Some Christians are so fearful because they don't know the answers to the tough questions… There is nothing wrong with saying "I don't know the answer, but I will look it up."… Stop worrying about defending the faith and make certain you are explaining the Gospel… Tell them what you do know and don't worry about what you don't know. (3) John's witness is of Jesus Christ (the Light, Jn 1:7) Our witness should always cause people to look away from us and towards the Lord… Much of what is called evangelism today is self-centered. It's "me." It's bearing witness to ourselves… to our experience… all the changes… John made it clear that he did not want to talk about himself… make much of Jesus Christ, not yourself… He must increase. I must decrease… Of course there is a place for our personal testimony, but use it to make a place to present the Gospel… We need to realize who we are. In John 1:8 John realized "he was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light." John understood who he was (Ed: and for what purpose he had been sent)… Turn to John 5:35 where Jesus speaking of John the Baptist says "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light." So here Jesus called John a burning and shining light and yet in John 1:8 we read "He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light." Is this a contradiction? Not at all. It only serves to clarify what God's Word teaches about witnessing. There are two Greek words for "light"-- in chapter 1 the word (phos) means the essence of light, not the rays coming from the light. John was not the essence of light. Why? Because Jesus Christ is the essence of light. He is the Light of the world (Jn 8:12). But in Jn 5:35 the word "light" describes a portable lamp (Gk - luchnos) which has no light in and of itself. John the Baptist had no light of his own. He was a "portable lamp" who was lit by Jesus Christ. In other words, he was not the Light, but he reflected the Light of Christ… And that's what being a witness is… We too have received light (when we were saved) and our role is to tell other darkened souls about the Light that is powerful enough to dispel their darkness also. Evangelism is nothing more than one shining lamp telling a darkened lamp where it can get eternal light (life)!… Be as simplistic as John was… Make sure that you are talking about Christ. Make sure you tell them Who He is, what He has done for you and how they can receive Him. Don't worry about being eloquent… Just be faithful to the message and exalt the Lord. (John 1 Sermons - sermon #7449) William Simmons on John the Baptist - Apart from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is probably the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was meticulously recorded (Luke 1:5-25 ). His entrance into the world was marked by angelic proclamation and divine intervention (Luke 1:57-80 ). John's birth not only parallels that of Jesus, but echoes the momentous occasion of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:15-22; 21:1-7 ). John is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God. Although his formative years were lived in obscurity in the desert (Luke 1:80 ), his public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. John was that voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming Messiah (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:3-6 ). In this sense his message and ministry marked the culmination of the law and the prophets, but heralded the in breaking of the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12; Luke 16:16 ). So John was truly a transitional figure, forming the link between the Old and New Testaments. He spans the ages with one foot firmly planted in the Old Testament and the other squarely placed in the New. The central theme of his ministry was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2 ). He was called "The Baptist" because his practice was to baptize those who responded to the message he proclaimed and sincerely repented of their sins (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20). John was an end-times prophet. He conducted his ministry with an eschatological authority that demanded immediate action. He taught that judgment is at hand. The axe is laid to the roots and God will thoroughly purge his threshing floor (Matthew 3:10-12; Luke 3:9,17 ). And the authenticity of repentance was evidenced in very practical terms: share with those in need, eliminate graft, and prohibit extortion (Luke 3:11-14). John's lifestyle was as austere as his message. He was an ascetic living in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and subsisting on locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). Unlike Jesus, he expected people to come to him, rather than he going to them (Matthew 3:5). John was no "crowd pleaser." He willingly confronted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment (Matthew 3:7; Luke 3:7). He did not hesitate to expose the immorality of Herod and chose to die a martyr's death rather than compromise his convictions (Matthew 14:3-12; Mark 6:17-29). All of these characteristics portray John as a fiery prophet proclaiming the apocalyptic message of God. Indeed, Luke says that John came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17). He goes on to allude to Malachi 4:5 , which states that Elijah will return "before that great and dreadful day of the Lord." In fact, some contemporaries of John inquired if he were Elijah (John 1:21).(John the Baptist - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology) Related Resources on John the Baptist Bridgeway Bible Dictionary John the baptist Baker Evangelical Dictionary John the Baptist Easton's Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Fausset Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible John the Baptist Hastings' Dictionary of the NT John the Baptist Morrish Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Smith Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Whyte's Bible Characters John the baptist Watson's Theological Dictionary John the Baptist International Standard Bible Encyclopedia John the Baptist Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia John the baptist The Nuttall Encyclopedia John the Baptist The Jewish Encyclopedia John the Baptist A MAN SENT Sent from God - This is a clear indication that John comes on the scene backed by the power and authority of God. Notice that sent (apostello) is in the perfect tense which speaks of permanence. Leon

João 1:8

Utley summarizes John's record of witnesses to Jesus The noun (marturia) and its verb (martureo) “witness” is a key term in John. There are many witnesses to Jesus: 1. John the Baptist (cf. John1:7, 8, 15; 3:26, 28; 5:33) 2. Jesus Himself (cf. John 3:11; 5:31; 8:13–14) 3. the Samaritan woman (cf. John 4:39) 4. God the Father (cf. John 5:32, 34, 37; 8:18; 1John 5:9) 5. Scripture (cf. John 5:39) 6. the crowd at Lazarus’ raising (cf. John 12:17) 7. the Spirit (cf. John 15:26–27; 1John 5:10, 11) 8. the disciples (cf. John 15:27; 19:35; 1John 1:2; 4:14) 9. the author himself (cf. John 21:24)

João 1:14

Utley - Jesus takes this analogy (of God as Father) and deepens it into full family fellowship, especially in John 1:14, 18; 2:16; 3:35; 4:21, 23; 5:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 36, 37, 43, 45; 6:27, 32, 37, 44, 45, 46, 57; 8:16, 19, 27, 28, 38, 42, 49, 54; 10:15, 17, 18, 25, 29, 30, 32, 36, 37, 38; 11:41; 12:26, 27, 28, 49, 50; 13:1; 14:2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 20, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 31; 15:1, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 23, 24, 26; 16:3, 10, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32; 17:1, 5, 11, 21, 24, 25; 18:11; 20:17, 21! (John 1 Commentary) Full of grace and truth - Jesus was abounding in these attributes.

João 1:14-18

Utley - The gnostic false teachers used it to describe the angelic aeons between the high god and lesser spiritual beings. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (cf. Col. 1:19; 2:9; Eph. 1:23; 4:13) and the angelic levels. Here again it seems John the Apostle is attacking an early gnostic view of reality. (John 1 Commentary) D A Carson explains John's use of pleroma in this context - John 1:14 described the glory of God manifest in the incarnate Word as full of grace and truth. Picking up on the term, John says that it is from this fulness that we have received grace after grace. Thus ‘fulness’ here bears no technical, gnostic sense. Fulness (4138)(pleroma from pleroo = make full, fill, fill up) means fullness, full measure, abundance, completion or what fills. Pleroma describes a full measure or abundance with emphasis upon completeness. Pleroma is completion and describes what is fulfilled or is completed without any gap. The sum total. The totality. Pleroma speaks of the total quantity and emphasizes completeness. Pleroma was a recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. (Lightfoot) See discussion of this word group Online article in NIDNTT - pages 733-741 - Pleroo - fill, complete, fulfil, accomplish, carry out; (plérés) , full, filled, complete; (pléroma), that which has been completed, fullness; (anapléroo), fill up; (plérophoreo), bring in, full measure, fulfil, accomplish, persuade, assure, satisfy fully; (plérophoria), fullness, full assurance; (pimplémi), fill, complete, fulfil; (empimplémi), fill full, fill up, satisfy. There are several nuances of pleroma in the NT uses… (1) Literally full or filled up - contents. what fills something up (of earth and all it contains [that fills it] - 1Cor 10:26, of baskets (Mk 8:20). In the Parable of the Patched Garment pleroma is translated "to patch" which means to complete or fill out the torn garment (Mt. 9:16; Mk 2:21) In classical Greek pleroma described a ship, as it is filled ( manned) with sailors, rowers, and soldiers; (2) Figuratively - fullness, a total quantity, with emphasis upon completeness, full number, full measure, fullness, completeness, totality (of divinity, the divine nature in Christ = present in totality! "The whole total of the Godhead" was pleased to dwell in Christ = Christ has ALL the divine attributes in himself. Col 1:19, Col 2:9), fullness of persons (Ro 11:25 full number of Gentiles; Eph 1:23 speaking of the Church, the body of Christ). Fulfillment of a goal (Eph 4:13 = Paul is speaking in the context of the believers in the Church, where God wants every believer to manifest the qualities of His Son, Who is Himself the standard for their spiritual maturity and perfection. Christ it the totality of God and that is every believer's goal in this life, which of course we can never attain, but toward which we continually strive [our part in sanctification] = the process of sanctification by the Spirit and the Word [God's provision for sanctification or growth in Christ-likeness, into the "fullness of Christ."].). (3) Fulfillment, full performance (Ro 13:10 speaking of love); (4) Fulfillment of time - the totality of a period of time, a period of time, when all intended within it has been accomplished (Gal 4:4, Eph 1:10). Pleroma means the full realization in time of God’s predestined plans revealed in the Scripture. (5) As what is beyond measure = overflowing amount, wealth, abundance (Ro 15.29); The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters - Paul uses fullness (pleroma) with different shades of meaning in both the passive sense “that which is completed or filled” (as object) and the active sense “that which completes or fills up” (as subject). -- 1. Totality of Space - 1Cor 10:26; 2. Totality of Quantity - "full inclusion" of Israel (Ro 11:12) after "the total number of the Gentiles have come in" (Ro 11:25); 3. Totality of the Law - Another passive use is Paul’s reference to love as “the sum of the Law’s demands” (Rom 13:10), which believers fulfill wholly because by God’s provision in Christ through his Spirit (see Holy Spirit) sin has no more power over them (cf. Rom 8:4, 9–10); the immediate context shows his concern for obedience to the whole Torah (Rom 13:8–10). 4. Fulfillment of Time - Gal 4:4; 5. Fullness of Essence - Col 1:19, 2:9 (BORROW Dictionary of Paul and his letters ) Pleroma is a common term with the Greek philosophers and in the false teachings of Gnosticism (Wikipedia Article). Gnosticism used pleroma for the entire host of intermediary beings between God and man. The Gnostics taught Christ was kind of “halfway house” to God, a link in the chain with other better links on ahead. Paul countered with the clear and indisputable truth that in Christ "all the fullness (pleroma) of Deity dwells (present tense = continually) in bodily form." (Col 2:9) Paul is saying that Christ is not some inferior emanation. In short, as mysterious and incomprehensible to our finite minds as this truth is, Jesus was fully God and fully Man and the great news is that we as believers are "been made complete" in Him (Col 2:10). Every believer possesses all of Jesus today that they will possess of Him for all eternity. The goal now of course is for Jesus to possess "all of our heart" today, which is the essence of the Spirit's work of daily, progressive sanctification (setting us apart from the world and unto God) in believers (cp Php 1:6). William

João 1:14-18

Utley - Some say that this (No one has seen God at any time) contradicts Ex. 33:20–23+. However, the Hebrew term in the Exodus passage refers to “afterglow,” not physical sight of God Himself. The thrust of this passage is that only Jesus fully reveals God (cf. Jn 14:8ff). This verse emphasizes the unique revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. He is the full and only divine self-disclosure. To know Jesus is to know God. Jesus is the Father’s ultimate revelation of Himself. There is no clear understanding of deity apart from Him (cf. Col. 1:15–19; Heb. 1:2–3). (John 1 Commentary)

João 1:16

Utley - The gnostic false teachers used it to describe the angelic aeons between the high god and lesser spiritual beings. Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (cf. Col. 1:19; 2:9; Eph. 1:23; 4:13) and the angelic levels. Here again it seems John the Apostle is attacking an early gnostic view of reality. (John 1 Commentary) D A Carson explains John's use of pleroma in this context - John 1:14 described the glory of God manifest in the incarnate Word as full of grace and truth. Picking up on the term, John says that it is from this fulness that we have received grace after grace. Thus ‘fulness’ here bears no technical, gnostic sense. Fulness (4138)(pleroma from pleroo = make full, fill, fill up) means fullness, full measure, abundance, completion or what fills. Pleroma describes a full measure or abundance with emphasis upon completeness. Pleroma is completion and describes what is fulfilled or is completed without any gap. The sum total. The totality. Pleroma speaks of the total quantity and emphasizes completeness. Pleroma was a recognized technical term in theology, denoting the totality of the Divine powers and attributes. (Lightfoot) Other Lexicons- Vine's discussion of pleroma Thayer's discussion of pleroma There are several nuances of pleroma in the NT uses... (1) Literally full or filled up - contents. what fills something up (of earth and all it contains [that fills it] - 1Cor 10:26, of baskets (Mk 8:20). In the Parable of the Patched Garment pleroma is translated "to patch" which means to complete or fill out the torn garment (Mt. 9:16; Mk 2:21) In classical Greek pleroma described a ship, as it is filled ( manned) with sailors, rowers, and soldiers; (2) Figuratively - fullness, a total quantity, with emphasis upon completeness, full number, full measure, fullness, completeness, totality (of divinity, the divine nature in Christ = present in totality! "The whole total of the Godhead" was pleased to dwell in Christ = Christ has ALL the divine attributes in himself. Col 1:19, Col 2:9), fullness of persons (Ro 11:25 full number of Gentiles; Eph 1:23 speaking of the Church, the body of Christ). Fulfillment of a goal (Eph 4:13 = Paul is speaking in the context of the believers in the Church, where God wants every believer to manifest the qualities of His Son, Who is Himself the standard for their spiritual maturity and perfection. Christ it the totality of God and that is every believer's goal in this life, which of course we can never attain, but toward which we continually strive [our part in sanctification] = the process of sanctification by the Spirit and the Word [God's provision for sanctification or growth in Christ-likeness, into the "fullness of Christ."].). (3) Fulfillment, full performance (Ro 13:10 speaking of love); (4) Fulfillment of time - the totality of a period of time, a period of time, when all intended within it has been accomplished (Gal 4:4, Eph 1:10). Pleroma means the full realization in time of God’s predestined plans revealed in the Scripture. (5) As what is beyond measure = overflowing amount, wealth, abundance (Ro 15.29); The Dictionary of Paul and His Letters - Paul uses fullness (pleroma) with different shades of meaning in both the passive sense “that which is completed or filled” (as object) and the active sense “that which completes or fills up” (as subject). -- 1. Totality of Space - 1Cor 10:26; 2. Totality of Quantity - "full inclusion" of Israel (Ro 11:12) after "the total number of the Gentiles have come in" (Ro 11:25); 3. Totality of the Law - Another passive use is Paul’s reference to love as “the sum of the Law’s demands” (Rom 13:10), which believers fulfill wholly because by God’s provision in Christ through his Spirit (see Holy Spirit) sin has no more power over them (cf. Rom 8:4, 9–10); the immediate context shows his concern for obedience to the whole Torah (Rom 13:8–10). 4. Fulfillment of Time - Gal 4:4; 5. Fullness of Essence - Col 1:19, 2:9 Pleroma is a common term with the Greek philosophers and in the false teachings of Gnosticism (Wikipedia Article). Gnosticism used pleroma for the entire host of intermediary beings between God and man. The Gnostics taught Christ was kind of “halfway house” to God, a link in the chain with other better links on ahead. Paul countered with the clear and indisputable truth that in Christ "all the fullness (pleroma) of Deity dwells (present tense = continually) in bodily form." (Col 2:9) Paul is saying that Christ is not some inferior emanation. In short, as mysterious and incomprehensible to our finite minds as this truth is, Jesus was fully God and fully Man and the great news is that we as believers are "been made complete" in Him (Col 2:10). Every believer possesses all of Jesus today that they will possess of Him for all eternity. The goal now of course is for Jesus to possess "all of our heart" today, which is the essence of the Spirit's work of daily, progressive sanctification (setting us apart from the world and unto God) in believers (cp Php 1:6). William

João 1:18

Utley - Some say that this (No one has seen God at any time) contradicts Ex. 33:20–23. However, the Hebrew term in the Exodus passage refers to “afterglow,” not physical sight of God Himself. The thrust of this passage is that only Jesus fully reveals God (cf. Jn 14:8ff). This verse emphasizes the unique revelation of God in Jesus of Nazareth. He is the full and only divine self-disclosure. To know Jesus is to know God. Jesus is the Father’s ultimate revelation of Himself. There is no clear understanding of deity apart from Him (cf. Col. 1:15–19; Heb. 1:2–3). (John 1 Commentary)