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Selected Verse: John 3:15 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Joh 3:15 |
King James |
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
That whosoever - This shows the fulness and freeness of the gospel. All may come and be saved.Believeth in him - Whosoever puts confidence in him as able and willing to save. All who feel that they are sinners, that they have no righteousness of their own, and are willing to look to him as their only Saviour.
Should not perish - They are in danger, by nature, of perishing - that is, of sinking down to the pains of hell; of being "punished with everlasting destruction" from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, Th2 1:9. All who believe on Jesus shall be saved from this condemnation and be raised up to eternal life. And from this we learn:
1. that there is salvation in no other.
2. that salvation is here full and free for all who will come.
3. that it is easy. What was more easy for a poor, wounded, dying Israelite, bitten by a poisonous serpent, than to look up to a brass serpent? So with the poor, lost, dying sinner. And what more foolish than for such a wounded, dying man to refuse to look on a remedy so easy and effectual? So nothing is more foolish man for a lost and dying sinner to "refuse" to look on God's only Son, exalted on a cross to die for the sins of men, and able to save to the uttermost "all" who come to God by him. |
| Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Believeth in Him (πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν)
The best texts read ἐν αὐτῷ, construing with have eternal life, and rendering may in Him have eternal life. So Rev.
Should not perish, but
The best texts omit.
Have eternal life
A characteristic phrase of John for live forever. See Joh 3:16, Joh 3:36; Joh 5:24; Joh 6:40, Joh 6:47, Joh 6:54; Jo1 3:15; Jo1 5:12.
The interview with Nicodemus closes with Joh 3:15; and the succeeding words are John's. This appears from the following facts: 1. The past tenses loved and gave, in Joh 3:16, better suit the later point of view from which John writes, after the atoning death of Christ was an accomplished historic fact, than the drift of the present discourse of Jesus before the full revelation of that work. 2. It is in John's manner to throw in explanatory comments of his own (Joh 1:16-18; Joh 12:37-41), and to do so abruptly. See Joh 1:15, Joh 1:16, and on and, Joh 1:16. 3. Joh 3:19 is in the same line of thought with Joh 1:9-11 in the Prologue; and the tone of that verse is historic, carrying the sense of past rejection, as loved darkness; were evil. 4. The phrase believe on the name is not used elsewhere by our Lord, but by John (Joh 1:12; Joh 2:23; Jo1 5:13). 5. The phrase only-begotten son is not elsewhere used by Jesus of himself, but in every case by the Evangelist (Joh 1:14, Joh 1:18; Jo1 4:9). 6. The phrase to do truth (Joh 3:21) occurs elsewhere only in Jo1 1:6. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| That whosoever - He must be lifted up, that hereby he may purchase salvation for all believers: all those who look to him by faith recover spiritual health, even as all that looked at that serpent recovered bodily health. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
| That whosoever believeth - Bp. Pearce supposes that this verse is only the conclusion of the 16th, and that it has been inserted in this place by mistake. The words contain the reason of the subject in the following verse, and seem to break in upon our Lord's argument before he had fully stated it. The words, μη αποληται αλλα, may not perish but, are omitted by some very ancient MSS. and versions. |
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:
38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.
16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
16 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.
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
36 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.
16 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.