Misinterpretations often claim this verse denies any human immortality, ignoring biblical promises of eternal life for believers through Christ, or assert God is utterly unknowable and impersonal, contradicting His relational revelations in Scripture and incarnation in Jesus; others wrongly use 'no man can approach' to dismiss biblical theophanies or visions of God, reducing divine encounters to mere illusions, or apply it to promote elitist spiritual hierarchies where only a few claim special access.
I Timothy 6:16
King James Version (1769)
16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
This passage exalts God's unique and inherent immortality, portraying Him as dwelling in transcendent, unapproachable light that symbolizes His perfect holiness and glory beyond human comprehension, emphasizing that no one has seen or can see Him in His full essence, yet He alone deserves eternal honor and sovereign power as the ultimate King.