2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Other Translations of 1 John 3:2

New International Version

2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,Or "when it is made known" we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

English Standard Version

2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appearsOr when it appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

The Message

2 But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him - and in seeing him, become like him.

New King James Version

2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

New Living Translation

2 Dear friends, we are already God's children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 John 3:2

Commentary on 1 John 3:1-2

(Read 1 John 3:1-2)

Little does the world know of the happiness of the real followers of Christ. Little does the world think that these poor, humble, despised ones, are favourites of God, and will dwell in heaven. Let the followers of Christ be content with hard fare here, since they are in a land of strangers, where their Lord was so badly treated before them. The sons of God must walk by faith, and live by hope. They may well wait in faith, hope, and earnest desire, for the revelation of the Lord Jesus. The sons of God will be known, and be made manifest by likeness to their Head. They shall be transformed into the same image, by their view of him.