John 3:20

20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure.

John 3:20 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:20

For every one that doth evil, hateth the light
Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, cause they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them:

neither cometh to the light;
to hear Christ preach, or preached; to attend on the Gospel ministration and means of grace:

lest his deeds should be reproved;
or discovered, and made manifest, and he be brought to shame, and laid under blame, and advised to part with them, which he cares not to do; see ( Ephesians 5:11-13 ) .

John 3:20 In-Context

18 Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19 "This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.
20 Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure.
21 But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."
22 After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.