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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_3:16-21
16For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.
Joh_3:16 "God so loved" This is an aorist active indicative (as is the verb "gave"), which here speaks of a completed act in the past time (God sent Jesus). Joh_3:16-17 deal primarily with the Father's love (cf. 1Jn_4:7-21, esp. Joh_3:9-10). "Loved" is the term agapaô. It was not used much in Classical Greek. The early church took it and filled it with specific meaning. In certain contexts it relates to the Father's or Son's love, however, it is used negatively of human love (cf. Joh_3:19; Joh_12:43; 1Jn_2:15). It is theologically synonymous with hesed in the OT, which meant God's covenant loyalty and love. In Koine Greek of John's day, the terms agapaô and phileô are basically synonymous (compare Joh_3:35 with Joh_5:20).
Interpreters must keep in mind that all words used to describe God carry human (anthropomorphic) baggage. We must use words that describe our world, our feelings, our historical perspective in an attempt to describe an eternal, holy, unique, spiritual Being (God). All human vocabulary is to some extent analogous or metaphorical. What has been revealed is surely true, but not ultimate. Fallen, temporal, finite mankind cannot grasp ultimate reality.
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▣ "so" This is literally "in such a manner" (i.e., Joh_7:46; Joh_11:48; Joh_18:22). It expresses method, not emotion! God demonstrated His love (cf. Rom_5:8) by giving (Joh_3:16) and sending (Joh_3:17, both are aorist active indicatives) His Son to die on mankind's behalf (cf. Isaiah 53; Rom_3:25; 2Co_5:21; 1Jn_2:2).
▣ "world" John used this Greek term kosmos in several senses (see note at Joh_1:10 and Special Topic at Joh_14:17).
This verse also refuted the Gnostic dualism between spirit (God) and matter. The Greeks tended to attribute evil to matter. For them matter (i.e., human body) was the prison house of the divine spark in all humans. John does not assume the evil of matter or flesh. God loves the world (planet, cf. Rom_8:18-22) and human beings (flesh, cf. Rom_8:23). This may be another intentional ambiguity (double entendre) so common in John (cf. Joh_1:5; Joh_3:3; Joh_3:8).
▣ "only begotten Son" This means "unique, one of a kind." It should not be understood as "only begotten" in (1) a sexual sense or (2) the sense that there are no other children. There are just no other children like Jesus. See fuller note at Joh_1:14.
▣ "whoever believes in Him" This is a present active participle, which emphasizes initial and continuing belief. See Special Topics at Joh_1:14; Joh_2:23. This affirmation is repeated from Joh_3:15 for emphasis. Thank God for the "whosoever"! This must balance any overemphasis on a special group (racial, intellectual, or theological). It is not that "God's sovereignty" and "human freewill" are mutually exclusive; they are both true! God always initiates the response and sets the agenda (cf. Joh_6:44; Joh_6:65), but He has structured His relationship with humans by means of covenant. They must respond and continue to respond to His offer and conditions!
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▣ "shall not perish" The implication is that some will perish (aorist middle subjunctive). Their perishing (amollumi, aorist middle subjunctive) is directly related to their lack of a faith response to Jesus (cf. Joh_11:25). God does not cause, direct, or will their unbelief (cf. Eze_18:23; Eze_18:32; 1Ti_2:4; 2Pe_3:9).
Many have attempted to take this term literally and thereby suggest an annihilation of the wicked. This would contradict Dan_12:2 and Mat_25:46. This is a good example of sincere believers forcing the Eastern highly figurative literature into a Western interpretive format (literal and logical). For a good discussion of this term see Robert B. Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament, pp. 275-277. See Special Topic: Destruction (apolummi) at Joh_10:10.
Again, note how John thinks and writes in dualistic categories (i.e., perish vs. eternal life). The vocabulary and theological structuring of Jesus' teachings are very different between the Synoptic Gospels and John. One wonders how much freedom (under divine guidance, i.e., inspiration) the Gospel writers had in preparing their evangelistic presentation of Jesus to their selected audiences. See Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth, pp. 127-148.
Joh_3:17 "to judge the world" There are several passages in John that assert that Jesus came as Savior, not Judge (cf. Joh_3:17-21; Joh_8:15; Joh_12:47). However, there are other passages in John that assert that Jesus came to judge, will judge (cf. Joh_5:22-23; Joh_5:27; Joh_9:39; as well as other parts of the NT, Act_10:42; Act_17:31; 2Ti_4:1; 1Pe_4:5).
Several theological comments are in order.
1. God gave judgment to Jesus as He did creation and redemption as a sign of honor (cf. Joh_5:23)
2. Jesus did not come the first time to judge, but to save (cf. Joh_3:17), but by the fact that people reject Him, they judge themselves
3. Jesus will return as King of Kings and Judge (cf. Joh_9:39)
Joh_3:18 This verse repeats the theme of a free salvation through Christ versus a self inflicted judgment. God does not send people to hell. They send themselves. Belief has continuing results ("believing," present active participle) and so does unbelief ("has been judged," perfect passive indicative and "has not believed," perfect active indicative). See Special Topics at Joh_2:23; Joh_9:7.
Joh_3:19-21 "men loved the darkness rather than the light" Many people who have heard the gospel reject it, not for intellectual or cultural reasons, but primarily for moral ones (cf. Job_24:13). The Light refers to Christ (cf. Joh_1:9; Joh_8:12; Joh_9:5; Joh_12:46) and His message of God's love, mankind's need, Christ's provision, and the required response. This is a recurring motif from Joh_1:1-18.
Joh_3:19 "This is the judgment" Judgment, like salvation, is both a present reality (cf. Joh_3:19; Joh_9:39) and a future consummation (cf. Joh_5:27-29; Joh_12:31; Joh_12:48). Believers live in the already (realized eschatology) and the not yet (consummated eschatology). The Christian life is a joy and a terrible struggle; it is victory after a series of defeats; assurance yet a series of warnings about perseverance!
Joh_3:21 "practices the truth" Since "the Light" (cf. Joh_3:19-20[twice],21) is an obvious reference to Jesus, it is possible that "the truth" should also be capitalized. Robert Hanna in A Grammatical Aid to the Greek New Testament quotes N. Turner in his Grammatical Insights into the New Testament, who translates it as "the man who is a disciple of the Truth" (p. 144).
Theologically this verse expresses the same truth as Matthew 7. Eternal life has observable characteristics. A person cannot truly encounter God in Christ, be filled by the Holy Spirit, and remain the same. The parable of the soils focuses on fruit-bearing, not germination (cf. Matthew 13; Mark 4; Luke 8. Also note John's discussion in Joh_15:1-11). Works do not earn salvation, but they are the evidence of it (cf. Eph_2:8-10).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
This is a study guide commentary, which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.
These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought-provoking, not definitive.
1. What is the meaning of the phrase "born again"?
2. What do you think "water" refers to in Joh_3:5 and why?
3. What does "believe" (saving faith) involve?
4. Is Joh_3:16 a passage about Jesus' love for mankind or the Father's?
5. How is Calvinism related to Joh_3:16?
6. Does "perish" mean annihilation?
7. Define "the light."
CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS TO Joh_3:22-36
A. John's emphasis on the full deity of Jesus Christ is communicated from the very beginning of the Gospel through dialogue and personal encounters. This chapter continues that format.
B. John, writing his Gospel toward the end of the first century, deals with some of the questions that had developed since the Synoptic Gospels were written. One of them has to do with the large following and apparent early heresies connected with John the Baptist (cf. Act_18:24 to Act_19:7). It is significant that in Joh_1:6-8; Joh_1:19-36; Joh_3:22-36 John the Baptist affirms his inferior relationship to Jesus of Nazareth and asserts Jesus' Messianic role.