JN
3:16
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
A)
INTRODUCTION
B)
GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION = MAIN & SUBORDINATE CLAUSES OF JN 3:16
C)
MAIN CLAUSE OF JN 3:16 = "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE
HIS ONE AND ONLY SON..."
1)
PHRASE #1 = "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD"
a)
"FOR"
i)
[Jn 3:3]:
ii)
[Jn 3:5-6]:
iii)
[Jn 3:14-16]:
b)
"GOD" = The Triune God as presented throughout the Bible, more
specifically, God the Father as the verse has God Who gave His one and
only Son in view
c)"SO
LOVED THE WORLD"
i)
"SO"
ii)
"LOVED"
iii)
"THE WORLD"
d)
SUMMARY: "FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD"
2)
PHRASE #2 = "THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON"
a)
"THAT"
b)
"HE GAVE"
i)
[Eph 2:6-7]:
ii)
[Compare Jn 3:14-15]:
iii)
[Compare 1 Jn 2:2]:
iv)
[Heb 9:27-28]:
c)
"HIS ONE AND ONLY SON"
i)
"The Son of God"
ii)
"monogEne" = "unique" = "one and only"
d)
THE
INCARNATION OF OUR LORD IS NOT IN VIEW
i)
THE INCARNATION OF OUR LORD BEGAN IN THE PAST BUT IS EVERLASTING AND
WOULD NOT BE PORTRAYED ONLY AS AN ACTION THAT WAS COMPLETED IN THE PAST
ii)
SCRIPTURE NEVER PORTRAYS BELIEVING IN THE INCARNATION AS SUFFICIENT IN
ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
iii)
SCRIPTURE NEVER PORTRAYS THE INCARNATION AS GOD GIVING UP HIS SON
iv)
THE INCARNATION COULD NOT BE IN VIEW IN JN 3:14-16 BECAUSE IT IS NEVER
REFERRED TO IN SCRIPTURE AS "THE SON OF MAN SHALL BE LIFTED UP"
e)
SUMMARY: "THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON"
D)
SUBORDINATE PURPOSE CLAUSE OF JN 3:16 = "THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN
HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE."
1)
PHRASE #1 = "THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM
a)
"THAT"
b)
"WHOEVER BELIEVES"
i)
"WHOEVER BELIEVES" IS A NOMINATIVE PRESENT PARTICIPLE = A
SINGLE MOMENT OF BELIEVING AND NOT A CONTINUOUS ONE
i_a)
"PAS HO PISTEUON" = "WHOEVER BELIEVES" IS A
NOMINATIVE PRESENT PARTICIPLE
i_a_mk6v14)
[Compare Mk 6:14]:
i_b)
"PAS HO PISTEUON" = "WHOEVER BELIEVES" DOES NOT
CONVEY CONTINUOUS ACTION
[Compare
Hebrews 13:15]:
ii)
A CONTINUOUS STATE OF BELIEVING IN CHRIST IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH MAN
ii_a)
[1 Jn 1:8, 10]:
ii_b)
[Compare 1 Jn 4:7-12]:
iii)
IF THE PHRASE "WHOEVER BELIEVES" WERE PRESENT TENSE, (AND IT
IS NOT - IT IS A NOUN), THE CONTEXT WOULD DEMAND THAT IT BE IN THE
AORISTIC PRESENT IN VIEW OF THE AORIST TENSES OF "GOD SO LOVED THE
WORLD", "THAT HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON", AND "SHOULD
NOT PERISH"
iv)
BELIEF, FAITH & TRUST DEFINED AS MENTAL ASSENT
iv_a)
ENGLISH DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF FAITH
iv_b)
NT GREEK DICTIONARY DEFINITION OF FAITH
2)
PHRASE #2 OF THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE = "SHOULD NOT PERISH"
a)
THE AORIST TENSE AND THE SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD
i)
SYNTAX OF NEW TESTAMENT GREEK
ii)
THE LANGUAGE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
ii_a)
[Compare Phil 2:27]:
iii)
WUEST'S WORD STUDIES
b)
COMPLETED ACTION OF NEVER PERISHING = POSSESSION OF ETERNAL LIFE
THE
AORIST TENSE "SHOULD NOT PERISH" PROVIDES AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A
STATE OF NEVER PERISHING AT THE MOMENT HE BECOMES A BELIEVER. IT IS NOT
AFFECTED BY WHETHER OR NOT THE BELIEVING CONTINUES ON AFTER THAT
c)
SUMMARY OF PHRASE #2 = "SHOULD NOT PERISH"
3)
PHRASE #3 OF THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE = "BUT SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE
a)
"BUT"
b)
"SHOULD HAVE"
i)
THE BELIEVER WILL ASSUREDLY RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER
i_a)
[Compare Jn 3:14-15]:
ii)
AN UNCERTAIN OUTCOME CANNOT BE IN VIEW UNLESS ONE CHANGES THE ORIGINAL
TEXT
iii)
SINCE A MOMENT OF FAITH IS THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IN VIEW, OTHER
REQUIREMENTS CANNOT BE ADDED INTO THIS VERSE TO MAKE ETERNAL LIFE
DEPENDENT UPON OTHER THINGS BESIDES A MOMENT OF FAITH
iv)
THE AORIST SUBJUNCTIVE VERB "SHOULD NOT PERISH" IN THE
PREVIOUS PHRASE CONVEYS CERTAINTY SINCE GOD, THE PROVIDER OF THE ACTION,
IS ABSOLUTELY TRUSTWORTHY AND CAPABLE OF DELIVERING ON HIS PROMISES
v)
THE PRESENT TENSE VERB "SHOULD HAVE ETERNAL LIFE" CONVEYS
CERTAIN PRESENT POSSESSION OF ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER SINCE GOD THE
PROVIDER OF THE ACTION IS RELIABLE, AND ETERNAL LIFE IS FOREVER
vi)
GOD MUST BE PORTRAYED AS UNFAITHFUL AND UNJUST IF THE CONTEXT IS TO FIT
UNCERTAINTY IN JN 3:16
c)
"ETERNAL LIFE" ONCE RECEIVED IS FOREVER
d)
ETERNAL LIFE ONCE RECEIVED IS AN INTRINSIC PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHICH
CAN NEVER BE LOST
i)
LIFE IS AN INTRINSIC PART OF AN INDIVIDUAL
ii)
ETERNAL LIFE CANNOT EXIST SEPARATELY FROM THE INDIVIDUAL - BEING
ETERNAL, ONE THUS WILL NEVER LOSE IT
e)
OTHER PASSAGES STIPULATE A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE UNTO
ETERNAL LIFE FOREVER IN VERB FORMS THAT CORROBORATE A MOMENT OF FAITH IN
JN 3:16
i)
[Mk 16:16]:
ii)
[Jn 3:18]:
iii)
[Acts 16:29-31]:
4)
SUMMARY = PHRASE #3 OF THE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE = "BUT SHOULD HAVE
ETERNAL LIFE"
