John 3:16
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John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John) is one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible. It has been called the "Bible in a nutshell" because it is considered a summary of some of the most important doctrines of Christianity:
- For God so loved the world... - God is a God of love and this love motivates his action in the rest of the verse
- ...that he gave... - there was God giving something, his son as a sacrifice
- ...his only begotten Son... - the human Jesus of Nazareth is also the Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity
- ...that whosoever... - that the salvation is open to all
- ...believeth... - being saved is based on belief or faith, rather than based on human works.
- ...in him... - the belief being in Jesus, the Saviour
- ...should not perish... - implies the fate of those who do not believe, that is the doctrine of hell
- ...but have everlasting life. - shows the reward of those who believe, that is the doctrine of heaven
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Translations
The verse in the original Greek is as follows:
Which could be translated literally as:
- For in this way God loved the world: that he gave the unique son, so that all the ones trusting in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.
The more familiar King James Version renders it as:
- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
| Translation | John 3:16 |
|---|---|
| Greek | Template:Polytonic |
| American Standard Version | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| Amplified Bible | For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. |
| Contemporary English Version | God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. |
| Douai-Rheims Bible, Challoner Revision | For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. |
| English Standard Version | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. |
| Geneva Bible | For God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have euerlasting life. |
| GOD'S WORD | God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. |
| Good News Translation | For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible | For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life. |
| International Standard Version | For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. |
| Jerusalem Bible | Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life. |
| King James Version | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
| HSV | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
| The Living Bible | For God loved the world so much that He gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| The Message | This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. |
| New American Bible | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. |
| New American Standard Bible | For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| New American Standard Bible Update | For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
| New English Bible | God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, that everyone who has faith in him may not die but have eternal life. |
| New English Translation | For this is the way God loved the world: he gave his one and only Son that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. |
| New International Version | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| New Jerusalem Bible | For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. |
| New King James Version | For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. |
| New Living Translation | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. |
| New Revised Standard Version | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. |
| New Simplified Bible | For God loved the world so much, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever has an active faith (believes) in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
| New World Translation | For God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life. |
| Revised English Bible | God so loved the world that he gave he gave his only son that everyone who has faith in him may not perish buy have eternal life |
| Revised Standard Version | For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. |
| Revised Version | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| Today's New International Version | For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| William Tyndale | For God so loveth the world, that he hath given his only son, that none that believe in him, should perish: but should have everlasting life. |
| World English Bible | For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
| The Word on the Street | Cos God's so passionate about the planet that he donates his one and only Son. Whoever invests their life in his Son doesn't die, but gets given this limitless life word. |
See also
For a comparison with Old Testament verses, see Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:2 and Genesis 1:3.
Other information
Translations of this verse into various language are a familiar part of the front matter of Gideon Bibles.
The text of the verse is also incorporated into the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, as part of a prayer said by the celebrant. This Divine Liturgy is commonly used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Byzantine rite of the Roman Catholic Church.
The various translations differ on whether this is a direct quote of Jesus or a comment of the narrator of the Gospel.
Use and abuse in society
The phrase "John 3:16" is very short and can be written in large letters on small signs. As a result, some evangelicals occasionally display the reference at sporting events (such as American football games) so it might be televised (such as in the case of the Rainbow Man Rollen Stewart). Because of the seemingly unconnected nature of the verse to sports, it has led to some confusion. The TV show Family Guy, set in Rhode Island, parodies this by Brian looking the verse up before a Red Sox baseball game and announcing that it reads And the Lord said "Go Sox". "Stone Cold Steve Austin" also parodies this use with the phrase "Austin 3:16", which says "Stone Cold just kicked your ass" according to Austin.fi:Pienoisevankeliumi