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NASB | John 3:18 "He 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:18 "Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him]. |
Subject: Heresy or true? |
Bible Note: Thanks for your quick reply, Lionstrong. We definitely have a difference of opinion on some underlying ideas, no doubt based upon differences in priority given to speicific passages and interpretations underlying those views. However, I don't think they're necessarily relevant to this passage, since I don't think it either defends or discourages either view. Please recognize that I offer the following as only my opinions, which continue to be tested over time. Disagreement is fine, no matter how firm I may seem to be in my statements. I appreciate your response and your concern about the tendency for people to gravitate toward such a reading (active disbelief) of this text simply from a desire to defend God (or their-our own views of God) from accusations of being unfair and-or to remove the consequences of sin. People may, at times, try to use just about anything that doesn't directly contradict their point of view, but it would be a very big reach in this case. I'm reasonably confident that (a focus on defending my previous view of God) is not part of my motivation. In these particular verses, the context itself refers to unbelief, not sin, as the reason for judgment: "because he has not believed..." From other passages, we can indeed conclude that condemnation is based on sinfulness and not on unbelief. However, in this particular passage, it is unbelief in the face of truth that leaves these specific people still in their ongoing state of condemnation for sin. I'm confident that there are very good reasons for your views regarding your understanding (and similar understandings of many others whom I deeply respect) regarding God's sovereign exercise of pre-selection of some for salvation and others for destruction. That view should certainly not be turned aside or modified lightly, and my previous response was not intended to challenge that view in any way. However, it sounds like your reasoning for rejecting the idea that this particular passage refers to active disbelief stems from a concern about the apparent availability of that interpretation to be used to falsely support a doctrine that you disagree with -- rather than based on the context itself. I respect your views regarding how God chooses to exercise His sovereignty (so far as I know them at least). I do believe this particular passage doesn't work as a proof text for application to those who have not heard because the context seems to apply specifically to active disbelievers. However, it certainly doesn't work as a proof text for anyone suggesting that ignorant unbelievers are not answerable to God either; as you point out, that is clearly dealt with elsewhere, and this passage says nothing of the sort. I believe this passage simply doesn't focus at all on those who haven't had the opportunity to hear. In John 3:18, Jesus is giving a message to Nicodemus for himself and other Pharisees who have come to Him for clarification; in John 3:31, John the Baptist is speaking to his own followers after a discussion with another Jew regarding their questions about Jesus, whose teaching they were familiar with. Both were addressed to those who had the opportunity, through exposure to Christ, to believe. Some believed, and some disbelieved. Members of these groups who didn't believe remained under God's judgment for their sins. Those who believed, in contrast, were saved through their belief. The question of what would have happened to them if they had not come into contact with Christ at all is not dealt with in this passage but elsewhere in the Scriptures. Peace, Brent |