John 1:18 says, “No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.”
I think the meaning of this sentence is clear: God is a Siamese twin. And half of him is shy.
Well, there go plans for never dying. I’m officially lucky if God doesn’t kill me right now.
Stupid sense of humor. I knew it’d be the end of me.
So, to hurry up: I think here John means the obvious, which is that the unknowable God made himself known and knowable by incarnating himself as Jesus.
If you read John 1:18 slowly, though, it becomes a serious brain-bender. Every time I try to parse my way through it I feel another portion of my brain shorting out. I try to read it about two more times, and my keyboard will short out from me drooling on it.
Thus, again, do we fall into the genius of John: Using nothing but one-dimensional print on a page, he blasts into oblivion what we think we know, and leaves in its place nothing but God.
******************************************************************************************************************************
Email: johnshore@sbcglobal.net
Follow: http://twitter.com/johnshore
Befriend: http://www.facebook.com/john.shore1
Be Fan: http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Shore/89494795412?ref=s
Posted by Brian Shields on February 15, 2009 at 8:15 am
They told me when I was a kid, I would see air cars. I’m losing my patience.
Posted by annaldavis on February 15, 2009 at 9:20 am
No air cars yet, but we’re only a couple of years away from a mini-personal aircraft that you can fold up and fit in your garage. Don’t even need a pilot’s license.
Posted by annaldavis on February 15, 2009 at 9:22 am
BTW, I absolutely love that about God. We think we have Him pinned down, reduced to a lifestyle choice. And then a verse like this happens along. How little we really understand!
Posted by yeu@nn on February 15, 2009 at 5:35 pm
same here… agree with annaldavis
i love how John artfully yanks the wool from our eyes… and yanks the rug from under our notions abt God… so cool 
Posted by angelbearoh on February 15, 2009 at 7:22 pm
We’re also quite a few years out from Rosie the Robot Maid. But then we’re probably too far into our computer-generated cartoon worlds to care.
Posted by ric booth on February 15, 2009 at 10:22 pm
“Using nothing but one-dimensional print …”
Very well put John.
Posted by Christian Beyer on February 16, 2009 at 11:06 am
This NIV translation does sound kind of awkward (I think). I like this one:
John 1:18 (Contemporary English Version)
“No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.”
In 2019 we are supposed to be getting flying cars. And replicants. I can’t wait.
Posted by John Shore on February 16, 2009 at 11:36 am
That is a lot clearer, Chris. Though I DO kind of like the ever in-folding, Zen koanish language of the NIV.
Replicants!! I totally want four of them. Maybe THEN I could finally get out of doing housework myself.
Posted by Redlefty on February 16, 2009 at 12:11 pm
I just read about two entire pages of Greek commentary on verse 18 alone, and I think I’m even more confused than before!
Now I basically read it as “God wicked cool, brah.”
Posted by John Shore on February 16, 2009 at 4:01 pm
ha! good one, Red! (And thanks, Ric.)
Posted by John Shore on February 16, 2009 at 4:02 pm
… and yeu, and ann
Posted by Brian Shields on February 17, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I’ve heard there are a lot of out of work replicants these days since the democants took over in D.C.
Posted by Ricky H on September 3, 2009 at 3:44 am
Isn’t the printed word two-dimensional?
Posted by Roy Huntley on November 20, 2009 at 7:07 pm
I disagree with my Baptist brothers. When they get to Heaven I want them to count THEM sitting side by side. I have no problem with those who disagree. RH