Book of 1 John Chapter 3 Vs. 2

 Father Hath Bestowed.

I John 3:2 "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."

Beloved

The correct reading is ἀγαπηοί beloved. The first occurrence of this title, which is suggested by the previous words concerning the relation of love. See 1Jhn. 2:7.

now are we... John here addresses the adopted sons who work righteousness (1Jhn. 2:29). Everyone who exercises genuine saving faith becomes a child of God at the moment of belief (John 1:12; Rom. 8:16; 2Pet. 1:4), through the truly heavenly, divine life in that person (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) will not be revealed until Jesus appears. In the meantime, the Holy Spirit is working into us the image of Christ.

Now are we and, etc.

The two thoughts of the present and the future condition of God's children are placed side by side with the simple copula, and, as parts of one thought. Christian condition, now and eternally, centers in the fact of being children of God. In that fact lies the germ of all the possibilities of eternal life.

it doth not yet appear (οὔπω ἐφανερώθη)

Rev., more correctly, it is not yet made manifest. See on John 21:1. The force of the aorist tense is, was never manifested on any occasion.

what we shall be (τί ἐσόμεθα)

This what suggests something unspeakable, contained in the likeness of God (Bengel).

But we know

Omit but.

when He shall appear (ἐὰν φανερωθῇ)

Rev., correctly, if He (or it) shall be manifested. We may render either if it shall be manifested, that is what we shall be; or, if He, etc. The preceding ἐφανερώθη it is (not yet) made manifest, must, I think, decide us in favor of the rendering it. We are now children of God. It has not been revealed what we shall be, and therefore we do not know. In the absence of such revelation, we know through our consciousness of childship, through His promise that we shall behold His glory, that if what we shall be were manifested, the essential fact of the glorified condition thus revealed will be likeness to the Lord. This fact we know now as a promise, as a general truth of our future state. The condition of realizing the fact is the manifestation of that glorified state, the revealing of the τί ἐσόμεθα what we shall be; for that manifestation will bring with it the open vision of the Lord. When the what we shall be shall be manifest, it will bring us face to face with Him, and we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is.

we shall be... The 4th New Testament prophecy in 1 John (1Jhn. 3:2, unfulfilled). Next, 1Jhn. 4:17. It is not yet manifest what we shall be like except that we shall have bodies like His glorified human body. This will be at the rapture (Phlp. 3:20-21; 1Cor. 15:51-54; Col. 3:4). Every person will have his own body, color, features, and characteristics, as on earth (1Cor. 15:35-54). This phrase introduces the fourth feature of the believer’s hope in 2:28-3:3. When Christ returns, He shall conform every believer to His image, i.e., His nature. A tension exists between the first part of the verse (now we are the sons) and the latter part (we shall be like Him).

Such tension finds resolution in the solid hope that at Christ’s return the believer will experience ultimate conformity to His likeness. The glorious nature of that conformity defies description, but as much as glorified humanity can be like incarnate deity believers will be, without becoming deity.

At Jesus’ coming (2:28) we shall be somehow transformed into His likeness. This process has already begun in the believer’s life (2Cor. 3:18).

This is speaking of the beloved of God. In the 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians, it speaks of our spiritual body that comes forth from this physical body. We know that God is a Spirit. We, also, know that Jesus is the Quickening Spirit. We will be like Him, in the fact that we will no longer be flesh and blood but will have a spiritual body.

as He is (καθώς ἐστιν)

Strictly, just as. Rev., even as.

“As long as the festivity

Of Paradise shall be, so long our love

Shall radiate round about us such a vesture.

Its brightness is proportioned to the ardor,

The ardor to the vision; and the vision

Equals what grace it has above its worth.

Dante, “Paradiso,” iv., 37-42.

This, also, speaks of a great knowledge of God that will come upon us when we leave this physical body and go to heaven in our spiritual body. Jesus is the Son of God, and we will be sons of God. These are things of God that we do know. There are many things that will not be revealed unto us, until we are in heaven with Him.

The eyes of our understanding will no longer be darkened. We shall have our eyes of understanding opened, and know, and understand Him.

1Cor. 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

But even for Christians, this perception is a spiritual one. Though now we are children of God, there is no physical evidence of this that an eye can see. The physical changes in Christians await the coming of Christ. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him (cf. 1Cor. 15:52-54; Phlp. 3:21). Such a transformation will result from seeing Him as He is.