1 Timothy 6:16 (WEB)
He alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.
Catechism · 2
In the Age of the Church
“In the newness of the Spirit, they also composed hymns and canticles in the light of the unheard - of event that God accomplished in his Son: his Incarnation, his death which conquered death, his Resurrection, and Ascension to the right hand of the Father.” — Catechism footnote: Cf. Phil 2:6-11; Col 1:15-20; Eph 5:14; 1 Tim 3:16; 6:15-16; 2 Tim 2:11-13.
The Revelation of God
“God, who "dwells in unapproachable light", wants to communicate his own divine life to the men he freely created, in order to adopt them as his sons in his only-begotten Son.” — Catechism footnote: I Tim 6:16, cf. Eph 1:4-5.
Fathers and councils · 40
Gregory of Nyssa
“But we, even when we are told that God “only hath immortality,” understand by “immortality” the Son.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“…that Abraham and Moses were not capable of the knowledge of the Name, and that “no man hath seen God at any time,” and that “no man hath seen Him, nor can see,” and that the light around Him is unapproachable, and “there is no end of His greatness”;—so long as we say and believe these things, how like is an argument…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“And how can the word hold good, “No man hath seen God at any time” and, “Whom no man hath seen nor can see” and, “There shall no man see the face of the Lord and live” if to be inside the door, or outside, or the finding pasture, denote the essence of the Father?” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“God, Whom no man hath seen or can see? or the bodily image, that is, the form of a servant in which God was?” — editor's note: The reference is perhaps to 1 Tim. vi. 16; but the quotation is not verbal. See also S. John i. 18.
Read the whole comment“…even Christ, saying to His disciples, ‘Ye are the light of the world,’ we have learned from the blessed Paul, when he gives the title of ‘Light unapproachable’ to the God over all, and by the addition defines and teaches us the transcendent superiority of His Light; and now that we have learnt that there is so great…” — editor's note: Cf. 1 Tim. vi. 16. The quotation, as S. Gregory points out, is inexact.
Read the whole comment“If he is to get his way here, he will take the truth from the Apostle’s words, which say that He “only hath immortality,” which He gives to others.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Tertullian
“The apostle confirms this statement; for, speaking of God, he says, “Whom no man hath seen, nor can see;” because the man indeed would die who should see Him.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“Moreover, how comes it to pass, that the Almighty Invisible God, “whom no man hath seen nor can see; He who dwelleth in light unapproachable;” “He who dwelleth not in temples made with hands;” “from before whose sight the earth trembles, and the mountains melt like wax;” who holdeth the whole world in…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Jerome
“1 Tim. vi. 16.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Wherefore also the Apostle calls Him the only invisible God, Who dwells in light unapproachable, and Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. i. 17; vi. 16.
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Catena Aurea on John
- Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on John
“If we say, that the text, No oned hath seen God at any time, (1 Tim. 6:16) applies only to men; so that, as the Apostle more plainly interprets it, Whom no man hath seen nor can see, no one is to be understood here to…” — the author cites it
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Cyril of Jerusalem
“To Whom be glory, honour, and power for ever and ever.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16.
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Augustine of Hippo
“Already hast Thou told me, O Lord, with a strong voice, in my inner ear, that Thou art eternal, having alone immortality.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“If indeed God “dwell in inaccessible light,” whereinto they enter, to whom it is said, “Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“So, too, that which the Apostle says, “Who only hath immortality.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16
Read the whole comment“Amen.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 14–16
Read the whole comment“…the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 15, 16
Read the whole comment“For they gave birth to this opinion who were not able to understand in respect to the unity of the Trinity such texts as, “Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God;” and, “Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16
Read the whole comment“And it is not said of Him in vain, that “He only hath immortality.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16
Read the whole comment“Amen.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Theodoret of Cyrus
“He says “Whom no man hath seen nor can see.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16
Read the whole comment“But we hear the exclamation of the divine Paul: “Who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16
Read the whole comment“Amen.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 13, 14, 15, 16
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Ambrose of Milan
“And so the adversaries’ injurious conclusion is rejected with contempt and disgrace, which they drew from the Scripture speaking of God: “Who alone hath immortality and dwelleth in light unapproachable;” for these words are written of God, which Name belongs equally to Father and to Son.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“…shall manifest, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Who alone hath immortality, and dwelleth in light unapproachable, Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 13–16.
Read the whole comment“And it does not seem out of agreement with this that it is written: “Who alone hath immortality.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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John Chrysostom
“Thus in another place he says, that “God is Light” ( 1 John i. 5 ), and elsewhere (it is said), that He “dwelleth in light unapproachable” ( 1 Tim. vi. 16 ); yet these expressions are used not that we may suppose a compounded nature, but that by little and little we may be led up to the highest doctrines.” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“Wherefore Paul saith, “Whom no man hath seen, nor can see.” ( 1 Tim. vi. 16.)” — the author cites it
Read the whole comment“We draw nigh unto God, “who dwelleth in the light, which no man can approach unto.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Basil the Great
“So we understand these words to be said of the nature, “who alone hath immortality” and “to God only wise,” and “none is good save one, that is God,” for here “one” means the same as alone.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Hilary of Poitiers
“…in truth; that He is immortal and invisible, as Paul says, Who only hath immortality, and dwelleth in light unapproachable, whom no man hath seen nor can see, and the Evangelist, No one hath seen God at any time, except the Only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father; that He alone abides eternally…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Gregory of Nazianzus
“…and the pure natures scarce able to contain the brightness of God, Whom the deep covers, Whose secret place is darkness, since He is the purest light, which most men cannot approach unto; Who is in all this universe, and again is beyond the universe; Who is all goodness, and beyond all goodness; Who…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“For if you conceive in this manner of the meaning of To the only wise God, or Who only hath Immortality, Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, or of to the king of the Ages, immortal, invisible, and only wise God, then the Son has vanished under sentence of death, or of darkness, or at any rate…” — editor's note: Ib. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“V. God is Light: the highest, the unapproachable, the ineffable, That can neither be conceived in the mind nor uttered with the lips, That giveth life to every reasoning creature.” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Leo the Great
“…nature is transformed, so that no longer “in a mirror,” nor “in a riddle,” but “face to face” it sees the very Godhead “as He is,” which no man could see; and through the unspeakable joy of eternal contemplation obtains that “which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man.”” — editor's note: Exod. xxxiii. 20; John. i. 18; 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Hippolytus of Rome
“The beloved generates love, and the light immaterial the light inaccessible.” — editor's note: φῶς ἄϋλον γεννᾷ φῶς ἀπρόσιτον. The Son is called “Light of Light” in the Discourse against Noetus, ch. x. [See p. 227 supra.] In φῶς ἀπρόσιτον the reference is…
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John Cassian
- John Cassian, The Institutes VIII.3Book VIII
“…“The Lord awoke like a sleeper, a mighty man, drunken with wine;” He “who only hath immortality and dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto:” not to say anything of the “ignorance” and “forgetfulness,” of which we often find mention in Holy Scripture: nor lastly of the outline of His limbs, which are…” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Clement of Alexandria
“Thus also Paul, when he speaks of “light inaccessible.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“For that which is called the descent on the mount of God is the advent of divine power, pervading the whole world, and proclaiming “the light that is inaccessible.”” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
Read the whole comment“For what rational cause remains any more to the man who has gained “the light inaccessible,” for revering to the good things of the world?” — editor's note: 1 Tim. vi. 16.
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Cross-references · 42
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in Confessions XII.11.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in Confessions XII.11.
Cited together in Confessions XII.11.
Cited together in Confessions XII.11.
Cited together in The Institutes VIII.3.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in The Institutes VIII.3.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity XV.5.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity XV.5.
Cited together in Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 15.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 16.
Cited together in The Stromata, or Miscellanies VI.3.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 16.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 16 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 16.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on John 1:18 (4) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.
Cited together in Augustine of Hippo on John 1:18 (4) (Catena Aurea) and 2 other places.
Cited together in Against Praxeas Chapter 16.
Cited together in Against Eunomius X.1.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity I.1.
Cited together in Catechism §52 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Catechism §52 and 1 other place.
Cited together in Confessions XII.11.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.
Cited together in On the Holy Trinity II.8.
Cited together in Exposition of the Christian Faith III.2.