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.
What does John 3:36 mean?
John was fully satisfied with the place and work assigned him; but Jesus came on a more important work.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside John 3:35-36 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on John 3:36
Hath everlasting life - Has or is in possession of that which is a recovery from spiritual death, and which will result in eternal life in heaven. Piety here is the same that it will be there, except that it will be expanded, matured, purified, made more glorious. It is here life begun the first breathings and pantings of the soul for immortality; yet it is life, though at first feeble and faint, which is eternal in its nature, and which shall be matured in the full and perfect bliss of heaven. The Christian here has a foretaste of the world of glory, and enjoys the same kind of felicity, though not the same degree, that he will there.
Key words
- believeth
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He that believeth on the Son,.
- believeth
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He that believeth on the Son,.
Context in John 3
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John 3 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as prologue and book of signs. John presents Jesus in contemplative, symbolic, and theological richness as the Word, Lamb, Light, Bread, Shepherd, Resurrection, Way, Vine, and Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of incarnation, life, and light in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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