John 3:17–18

Context

The first part of chapter 3 of the Gospel of John records a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, a Jewish leader who came to him by night. Jesus opens the conversation by saying that a person must be "born again." He then likens his own coming "lifting up" to Moses' lifting up of the bronze serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21), and in verse 16 speaks of the love with which God gave his only begotten Son. Verses 17–18 make clear that the purpose of this love is salvation rather than condemnation, and they explain how belief and unbelief relate to judgment.

Because ancient manuscripts contain no quotation marks, it is unclear where the conversation ends. Some scholars therefore read verses 16–21 as a continuation of Jesus' words, while others read them as commentary added by the Gospel writer.

Interpretation

• On the purpose of the sending: Verse 17 states that the Son was not sent to condemn the world. John 12:47 expresses the same idea. In John 9:39, however, Jesus says, "For judgment I am come into this world." Many commentators reconcile these statements by distinguishing purpose from result: the purpose of his coming is salvation, but the way people respond when the light has come itself becomes judgment (verse 19).
• On "condemned already": Some interpreters read this expression to mean that the future Last Judgment has already begun in the present. This reading is often associated with the "realized eschatology" of the British New Testament scholar C. H. Dodd (the view that the events of the end have already been accomplished in the present). Other scholars point out that John also speaks of a judgment on the last day (John 5:28–29) and argue that the "already" and the "not yet" must be held together. This discussion connects to eschatology.
• Reformed reading: Human beings are already under condemnation because of sin, and those who do not believe in Christ remain in that condition. Verse 36 of the same chapter is also cited in support.
• Arminian and Wesleyan reading: The "world" in verse 17 is read as indicating that God desires the salvation of all people, and verse 18 is taken to emphasize human responsibility to respond in faith.

Questions of Application

• Translation: The Greek verb krinō can mean both "to judge" and "to condemn." Some English translations render it "condemn." The Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok) renders it "judge."
• Those who have not heard the gospel: Verse 18 names unbelief as the ground of judgment. The question of what becomes of those who have never had the opportunity to hear the gospel is therefore discussed in connection with this passage. Views include the position that faith in Christ is the only way of salvation and the position that Christ's salvation may also reach people in other ways. Evangelical denominations in Korea have generally taken a position critical of religious pluralism.
• Reading the two verses together: Some observe that isolating verse 17 to claim that God does not judge, or isolating verse 18 to condemn others, amounts to quoting the text out of context.

In the Korean Church

John 3:16 is one of the most widely memorized verses in the Korean church. Verses 17–18, which follow it, are often read aloud or preached together with it.

Related Passages

• John 3:16
• John 3:36
• John 5:24
• John 12:47–48
• Romans 8:1