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NASB | John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:36 "He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually." [Heb 3:18] |
Bible Question:
To all: Is eternal life a gift from God which is given freely to those who trust Christ as Savior and Lord? I would like to examine the truth of John 3:36. On this forum I have heard some refer to the NASB version which reads: "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36 I would like to compare it to the King James Version which reads: "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." John 3:36 The difference I have noted in interpretation falls on the middle part of the verse: The 12 translations of the Bible which I have access to break down the following way. a) He that believeth and he that believeth not is found. NIV, KJV, NKJV, KJ21, WE, YLT, AMP. b) He that believeth and he that obeys not is found in the NASB, AMP, NLT, ASV, JD, One might ask why is this distinction important? I have found that some use the verse the following way: " He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life. No disagreement here "But he who does not obey the Son shall not see life" This is the section where I see a significant problem at times. I have heard some express that the meaning of this verse is: If we believe on the Son we have everlasting life, however, if we do not obey the son by keeping his commandments than we are in danger of losing our eternal life and coming under the judgement of God. I disagree with this intrepretation for the following reasons: 1. Context. The Lord Jesus began this subject in the early part of John 3 What did he teach? a) His reason for coming into the world. V.17 "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." b) That unbelievers are condemned already. "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" V.18 Thus, in the light of the words of the Lord Jesus we can understand what John the Baptist is saying in Verse 36: That there are those who have trusted Christ and they have eternal life in contrast to those who have not believed on the Son or have not obeyed the Gospel and as such they have not life and the wrath of God hovers over them. Jesus repeats the same truth in John 5:24. John in 1 John 5:12 repeats the same truth "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath no life" I believe the Amplified translation shows us that both renderings mean the same thing. We either have eternal life or we do not have eternal life based on our attitude towards the claims of Christ. I love the words of an old gospel song: "Eternal life's in the question And joy through eternity Oh what will you do with Jesus? What will your answer be. Robert |
Bible Answer: Dear Robert, It seems obvious to me that the correct way of interpreting John 3:36 is "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey (BY BELIEVING)the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." Proof that we are saved "by grace alone through faith alone" may be found throughout the New Testament. One suporting text is: Romans 3:27-31 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one. 31 Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law. Nevertheless unregenarate men, who are determined to have Scripture speak their own thoughts rather than God's, will twist verses to their own destruction. Even regenerate men are loath to cast aside beloved doctrines of men when faced with hard teachings found in the Bible. "First, because boasting is the outward form of the inner condition of pride. And pride has been the root cause of all the evils and miseries of the world, described in Romans 1:18-3:20. Let's go back and see this first-hand for ourselves. In Romans 1:18 Paul says, "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." The truth is available to all people in one way or the other, and instead of humbling ourselves under it, we stand over it and push it down. This is pride. It may take hundreds of different forms - from the most petite and delicate to the most powerful and crude - but the reality is the same: we will stand over the truth and accept what we like and suppress what we don't." (John Piper) May God open the eyes of His church, especialy in these dark times. |