God & Savior

John 3:17-18

17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
John 3:17-18
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Study notes

Verse 17

God sent His Son into the world not to condemn it but to save it.

Explanation

Verse 17 explains verse 16 from another side. The purpose of the Son's coming was rescue, not condemnation. The word "world" appears three times, keeping the focus on the whole world as the place God's love reaches.

Theology

The Son's mission is saving. Judgment is real (3:18-19), but it is not the reason He came (compare 12:47).

Original language
  • ἀπέστειλεν (apesteilen): to send
    Greek · Verb, aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G0649 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Sent.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:17, word 3

  • κρίνῃ (krinē): to judge
    Greek · Verb, present, active, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · Strong's G2919 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Judge or condemn.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:17, word 12

  • σωθῇ (sōthēa): to save
    Greek · Verb, aorist, passive, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · Strong's G4982 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Be saved.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:17, word 17

Cross-references
  • John 12:47 · Same theme

    I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

  • 1 John 4:14 · Same theme

    The Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

  • Luke 19:10 · Same theme

    The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

Connected events
  • Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
    This verse is part of it · jerusalem

    This verse is part of the conversation.

    John 3:1-21

Sources

Verse 18

Whoever believes in the Son is not condemned; whoever refuses to believe stands condemned already.

Explanation

Jesus describes two present situations. The one who believes is not under condemnation. The one who does not believe is "already" condemned, because they have turned away from the one way of rescue God has given, His one and only Son.

"The name" stands for the person himself: believing in His name means trusting Him for who He is (1:12).

Theology

Judgment is not only in the future. A person's response to the Son already shows where they stand (compare 5:24).

Original language
  • πιστεύων (pisteuōn): to trust (in)
    Greek · Verb, present, active, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · Strong's G4100 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Believing.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:18, word 2

  • κρίνεται· (krinetai): to judge
    Greek · Verb, present, passive, indicative, 3rd person singular · Strong's G2919 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Judged or condemned.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:18, word 6

  • ἤδη (ēdē): already
    Greek · Adverb · Strong's G2235 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Already.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:18, word 11

  • ὄνομα (onoma): name
    Greek · Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · Strong's G3686 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    Name.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:18, word 18

  • μονογενοῦς (monogenous): unique
    Greek · Adjective, genitive, singular, masculine · Strong's G3439 · text: NA28 (as recorded in TAGNT)

    One and only, or unique (the same word as verse 16).

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAGNT: Translators Amalgamated Greek New Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, John 3:18, word 20

Cross-references
  • John 5:24 · Same theme

    Whoever believes has eternal life and does not come into judgment.

  • John 1:12 · Same theme

    To those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.

  • John 3:36 · Surrounding passage

    The same two outcomes, at the end of the chapter.

Connected events
  • Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
    This verse is part of it · jerusalem

    This verse is part of the conversation.

    John 3:1-21

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 17

Original language (Greek)

οὐ γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν υἱὸν εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα κρίνῃ τὸν κόσμον, ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα σωθῇ ὁ κόσμος δι᾽ αὐτοῦ.

  1. οὐou“Not”
    Particle, negative · “no” · Strong's G3756
  2. γὰρgar“for”
    Conjunction · from γάρ · “for” · Strong's G1063
  3. ἀπέστειλενapesteilen“sent”
    Verb, aorist, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from ἀποστέλλω · “to send” · Strong's G0649
  4. ὁho“<the>”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  5. θεὸςtheos“God”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · from θεός · “God” · Strong's G2316
  6. τὸνton“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  7. υἱὸνhuion“Son”
    Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · from υἱός · “son” · Strong's G5207
  8. εἰςeis“into”
    Preposition · “toward” · Strong's G1519
  9. τὸνton“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  10. κόσμονkosmon“world”
    Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · from κόσμος · “world” · Strong's G2889
  11. ἵναina“that”
    Conjunction · “in order that/to” · Strong's G2443
  12. κρίνῃkrinē“He may judge”
    Verb, present, active, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · from κρίνω · “to judge” · Strong's G2919
  13. τὸνton“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  14. κόσμον,kosmon“world,”
    Noun, accusative, singular, masculine · from κόσμος · “world” · Strong's G2889
  15. ἀλλ᾽all᾽“but”
    Conjunction · from ἀλλά · “but” · Strong's G0235
  16. ἵναina“that”
    Conjunction · “in order that/to” · Strong's G2443
  17. σωθῇsōthēa“may be saved”
    Verb, aorist, passive, subjunctive, 3rd person singular · from σῴζω · “to save” · Strong's G4982
  18. ὁho“the”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  19. κόσμοςkosmos“world”
    Noun, nominative, singular, masculine · “world” · Strong's G2889
  20. δι᾽di᾽“through”
    Preposition · from διά · “through/because of” · Strong's G1223
  21. αὐτοῦ.autou“Him.”
    Personal pronoun, genitive, singular, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846

Verse 18

Original language (Greek)

ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ.

  1. ὁho“The [one]”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  2. πιστεύωνpisteuōn“believing”
    Verb, present, active, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · from πιστεύω · “to trust (in)” · Strong's G4100
  3. εἰςeis“on”
    Preposition · “toward” · Strong's G1519
  4. αὐτὸνauton“Him”
    Personal pronoun, accusative, singular, masculine · from αὐτός · “he/she/it/self” · Strong's G0846
  5. οὐou“not”
    Particle, negative · “no” · Strong's G3756
  6. κρίνεται·krinetai“is judged;”
    Verb, present, passive, indicative, 3rd person singular · from κρίνω · “to judge” · Strong's G2919
  7. ὁho“the [one]”
    Article, nominative, singular, masculine · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  8. δὲde“but”
    Conjunction · from δέ · “but/and” · Strong's G1161
  9. μὴmē“not”
    Particle, negative · from μή · “not” · Strong's G3361
  10. πιστεύωνpisteuōn“believing”
    Verb, present, active, participle, nominative, singular, masculine · from πιστεύω · “to trust (in)” · Strong's G4100
  11. ἤδηēdē“already”
    Adverb · “already” · Strong's G2235
  12. κέκριταιkekritai“has been judged”
    Verb, perfect, passive, indicative, 3rd person singular · from κρίνω · “to judge” · Strong's G2919
  13. ὅτιhoti“because”
    Conjunction · “that/since” · Strong's G3754H
  14. μὴmē“not”
    Particle, negative · from μή · “not” · Strong's G3361
  15. πεπίστευκενpepisteuken“he has believed”
    Verb, perfect, active, indicative, 3rd person singular · from πιστεύω · “to trust (in)” · Strong's G4100
  16. εἰςeis“in”
    Preposition · “toward” · Strong's G1519
  17. τὸto“the”
    Article, accusative, singular, neuter · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  18. ὄνομαonoma“name”
    Noun, accusative, singular, neuter · “name” · Strong's G3686
  19. τοῦtou“of the”
    Article, genitive, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  20. μονογενοῦςmonogenous“only begotten”
    Adjective, genitive, singular, masculine · from μονογενής · “unique” · Strong's G3439
  21. υἱοῦhuiou“Son”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from υἱός · “son” · Strong's G5207
  22. τοῦtou“<the>”
    Article, genitive, singular, masculine · from ὁ · “the/this/who” · Strong's G3588
  23. θεοῦ.theou“of God.”
    Noun, genitive, singular, masculine · from θεός · “God” · Strong's G2316
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Greek words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)