Is this a contradiction in the Bible? John 1:18 & Genesis 17:1 Who can see the face of God?

Question

John 1:18
No man hath seen God at any time.

Genesis 17:1
And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him....

1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time.

Exodus 6:3
And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob....

Exodus 24:9-11
Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. And they saw the God of Israel ... They saw God, and did eat and drink.

Answer 1

Uhm... LSD?

Answer 2

It is evident above that God was seen. But, considering the "can't-see-God" verses, some would understandably argue that there would be a contradiction. Once explanation offered is that the people were seeing visions, or dreams, or the Angel of the LORD (Num. 22:22-26; Judges 13:1-21) and not really God Himself. But the problem is that the verses cited above do not say vision, dream, or Angel of the LORD. They say that people saw God (Exodus 24:9-11), that God was seen, and that He appeared as God Almighty (Exodus 6:2-3).
At first, this is difficult to understand. God Almighty was seen (Exodus 6:2-3) which means it was not the Angel of the Lord, for an angel is not God Almighty, and at least Moses saw God, not in a vision or dream, as the LORD Himself attests in Num. 12:6-8. If these verses mean what they say, then we naturally assume we have a contradiction. Actually, the contradiction exists in our understanding, not in the Bible--which is always the case with alleged biblical contradictions.
The solution is simple. All you need to do is accept what the Bible says. If the people of the OT were seeing God, the Almighty God, and Jesus said that no one has ever seen the Father (John 6:46), then they were seeing God Almighty, but not the Father. It was someone else in the Godhead. I suggest that they were seeing the Word before He became incarnate. In other words, they were seeing Jesus.
If God is a Trinity, then John 1:18 is not a problem either because in John chapter one, John writes about the Word (Jesus) and God (the Father). In verse 14 it says the Word became flesh. In verse 18 it says no one has seen God. Since Jesus is the Word, God then, refers to the Father. This is typically how John writes of God: as a reference to the Father. We see this verified in Jesus own words in John 6:46 where He said that no one has ever seen the Father. Therefore, Almighty God was seen, but not the Father. It was Jesus before His incarnation. There is more than one person in the Godhead and the doctrine of the Trinity must be true.

Answer 3

It's actually simple really; the Bible never contradicts.
You have to believe the word; the Bible says in John 1:18 & 1 John 4:12. "No man has seen God at any time"; this is true! They would be killed if they did!

Now going back to the other part (when it means Lord; it's talking about Jesus). Jesus was the spokesperson for God; he was figuratively speaking God.
JOHN 1:1 =IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD, AND THE WORD WAS GOD."

Now go back to Genesis 18:2 (three men)
Next Abraham says in Gen.18:3 "...My Lord,..."
Gen.18:13 "AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAHAM, WHEREFORE DID SARAH LAUGH,..."

Now to Genesis 17:1 - it was talking about Almighty God, so it doesn't say how he appeared. He could of appeared in a dream or vision or something else. (Example: God was the wind, dove, a burning bush in the Bible).
Also Exodus 6:3; the same thing above. With Jacob; it was a vision(Gen.46:2). Another time it was a man(it could of been Jesus) wrestling with Jacob because he said he had seen "God face to face". Remember Jesus was God figuratively.(Jesus appeared in the fiery furnace as the son of man).

Now with Exodus 24:9-11 (on this particular one; it could of been an image; like a see through; I had one like that with an image of an angel on the right in front of me and a snake on the left in front of me--can see right through it; can't touch it! It really scared me.)
I'm not really sure on this one so don't take my word for it.
(Example: the transfiguration---vision; can see through)

You should ask for God's Wisdom(James 1:5) for this one in Exodus 24:9-11. Let the Holy Spirit talk to you.(2Pet.1:19-21).

Answer 4

ok so i comprehend you have gotten like 1000's of solutions already, yet ought to offer mine. that's what i comprehend is actual in my heart. The Bible isn't full of contradictions what so ever. God is acceptable, he's organic. no longer something he says could be a lie. He could under no circumstances contradict something that he has already mentioned. What has took place is people settle directly to take verses. Chapters. Books. and make an entire doctrine on one little ingredient. They DONT see the bible as one massive photograph. One e book. which you could examine from beginning up to end with the intention to appreciate the entire theory. with the intention to work out God's observe for sure. truly Church has taught us that some books are no longer for us and therefor it truly is just one massive ole mess. each and every thing will contradict one yet another with the aid of fact we've desperate to take lit bits and products and not examine the bible right this moment forward in it truly is context.

Answer 5

Hello dear!
Don't get confused by the brainwashing Talmud and Bible and all of this sort books!
The two books you are associating are different, Exodus was written by the high priest of Egypt, who needed to create a religion for the Jews, convinced them and get them out of Egypt. While John and the others in New Testament were constructed by emperor Constantine to mentally suppress the people Roman empire had concorded and have them as slaves for ever, ...., and the Roman empire still goes strong!!!!!

Answer 6

This is the contradiction to ppl who read the bible, but Since most Cristians never really did they would not know.
PLus if you notice All those lovely Cristians are ignoring the OT. They don't even know and don't even have a clue what it says up there.

Answer 7

The Lord suddenly rejects Moses' request to see His face.
Exodus 33:20
20 But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."

Answer 8

Contradiction the whole book is a contradiction.
how much to buy and sale a slave. Southerners would be happy reading the Leviticus.

Answer 9

and so begin the christians who insult because they have no better answer!

Sounds like a contradiction to me, but Im sure some fundamentalist will have an excuse. Good luck!

Answer 10

No, it just says that they saw God, never his face and for all we know using the word "saw" could actually mean that they finally understood what God was about

Answer 11

The SON (JESUS) is in the Bosom (key-word) of the FATHER.!!!
IF anything went into the Bosom of the FATHER, it would CEASE TO EXIST!!!!! THERE's is too much POWER going on in there.!!!!! BUT the CREATOR made HIM a Physical Body to live in and you can see that CEPT HIS FACE------HE's gotta RUN the UNIVERSE (power come's outta HIS FACE and keep's everthing running smoothly (hopefully) (atom's, sub-atomic particle's, gravity so on and so on!!!) WE really don't understand what it mean's to be a CREATOR, but we are made in HIS IMAGE and LIKENESS of the Body HE made HIMSELF to live in. Hope this helps!!!!
p.s. Since JESUS is the CREATOR too (mystery----trinity) HE can go in there(Bosom of the FATHER), but HE has to leave that EARTHLY BODY HE (JESUS) was in on the EARTH, out-side (it disappear's when HE goes to be with the FATHER, and then that BODY reappear's) when JESUS come's back out). This happen's in HEAVEN, not on EARTH, at this time.
p.s. That BODY JESUS was in on the EARTH, STILL has the Nail Hole's in it from where HE was CURCIFIED for US on the CROSS, no, they didn't HEAL completely, probably for US to remember what HE did down here!!! Thanky-JESUS!!!!!!