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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: Hello Mr. Douglas, To test a definition of a word one substitutes the word with the definition. The wordiness of the sentence may be cumbersome, but it should make sense in the context of the sentence. Well, Mr. Douglas, I'm almost persuaded by your argument that 3:18 is talking about active disbelief only, except when I try to read this verse with that meaning. While I agree with your summary of the context, I can't fit your particular meaning into the general statements of the Lord and John. The general statement reads: 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. If I'm correct you think it means (in context): He who believes in Him is not judged; he who [has heard the gospel and still] does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [even though he has been told the truth about the Son]. I agree with the maxim, "a verse without a context is a pretext," but I still don't see that even in their context that these general statements apply to the active disbeliever only. Your reply was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it. May the Lord bless this sharpening of swords. Peace, |