John 3:19-36

19 "This is the judgment, that ¹the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for ²their deeds were evil.

20 "³For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear * that his deeds will be exposed.

21 "But he who ⁴practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God."

John's Last Testimony

22 After these things Jesus and His ⁵disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He was spending time with them and ⁶baptizing.

23 John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people were coming and were being baptized -

24 for ⁷John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Therefore there arose a discussion on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about ⁸purification.

26 And they came to John and said to him, "⁹Rabbi, He who was with you ¹⁰beyond the Jordan, to whom you ¹¹have testified, behold, He is baptizing and all are coming to Him."

27 John answered and said, "¹²A man can receive nothing * unless * it ¹³has been given him from heaven.

28 "You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, '¹⁴I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of Him.'

29 "He who has the bride is ¹⁵the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. So this ¹⁶joy of mine has been made full.

30 "He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 "¹⁷He who comes from above is above all, ¹⁸he who is of the earth is from the earth and speaks of the earth. ¹⁹He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 "What He has seen and heard, of that He ²⁰testifies; and ²¹no one receives His testimony.

33 "He who has received His testimony ²²has set his seal to this, that God is true.

34 "For He whom God has ²³sent speaks the words of God; ²⁴for He gives the Spirit without * measure.

35 "²⁵The Father loves the Son and ²⁶has given all things into His hand.

36 "He who ²⁷believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who ²⁸does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

John 3:19-36 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 JOHN 3

In this chapter the apostle exhorts to a holy life and conversation in general, and to the exercise of brotherly love in particular. The former of these is urged from the consideration of the great blessing of adoption, which springs from the free love and favour of God, is unknown to the men of the world, and indeed, in the present state of things, does not appear to the saints themselves in all its fulness and advantages, as it will do in the future state, when the children of God will be like to Christ, and see him as he is; the hope of which should engage them to purity of life and conversation, 1Jo 3:1-3, and this is further enforced from the nature of sin, which is a transgression of the law, 1Jo 3:4, from the end of Christ's manifestation in the flesh, which was to take away sin, and who was without it, 1Jo 3:5, from communion with Christ, expressed by abiding in him, seeing and knowing him, which such must be strangers to that live a sinful course of life, 1Jo 3:6, from this, that only such that do righteousness are righteous persons, and these are righteous as Christ is, 1Jo 3:7, and from a man's being of the devil, that is, of a vicious conversation, who was a sinner from the beginning, and whose works Christ was manifested in the flesh to destroy, 1Jo 3:8, and from the nature of the new man, or that which is born of God, which is not to sin, nor can it, 1Jo 3:9, and from the distinction there is between the children of God and the children of the devil, those not being of God who do not righteousness, nor love their brethren, 1Jo 3:10, from hence the apostle passes to brotherly love, and excites and engages to that, from its being a message which had been heard from the beginning, 1Jo 3:11, which is illustrated by its contrary in the instance of Cain, who by the instigation of Satan slew his brother, because his works were righteous, and his own were evil, 1Jo 3:12, wherefore, it is no wonder that good men should be hated by the world, who, as Cain, are of the same wicked one, 1Jo 3:13, brotherly love is further urged unto, from its being an evidence of passing from death to life, or of regeneration; whereas he that hates his brother openly continues in a state of death, is a murderer, and so has not eternal life abiding in him, 1Jo 3:14,15, and from the great instance of Christ's love, in laying down his life for his people, the saints are incited to lay down their lives for one another; to such a pitch does the apostle carry brotherly love, 1Jo 3:16, wherefore, he that is rich, and is uncompassionate to his brother in distress, cannot be thought to have the love of God dwelling in him, 1Jo 3:17, hence he presses the exhortation to brotherly love, that it be not in profession only, but true, real, and cordial, 1Jo 3:18, and that by observing the advantages of it, as that hereby men know they are of the truth, and can assure their hearts before God; and which is illustrated by the contrary, the condemnation of the heart, 1Jo 3:19,20, the advantages of non-condemnation of the heart are confidence before God, and receiving whatsoever we ask of him; the reason of which is, because his commandments are kept, and things done which are pleasing to him, 1Jo 3:21,22, the commandments are explained of faith in Christ, and love to one another, 1Jo 3:23, and the happiness of them that do them is, that Christ dwells in them, and they in him, the evidence of which is, the Spirit that is given unto them, 1Jo 3:24.

Cross References

• 1. John 1:4; John 8:12; John 9:5; John 12:46
• 2. John 7:7
• 3. John 3:20, 21; Ephesians 5:11, 13
• 4. 1 John 1:6
• 5. John 2:2
• 6. John 4:1, 2
• 7. Matthew 4:12; Matthew 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:20
• 8. John 2:6
• 9. Matthew 23:7; John 3:2
• 10. John 1:28
• 11. John 1:7
• 12. 1 Corinthians 4:7; Hebrews 5:4
• 13. James 1:17
• 14. John 1:20, 23
• 15. Matthew 9:15; Matthew 25:1
• 16. John 15:11; John 16:24; John 17:13; Philippians 2:2; 1 John 1:4; 2 John 12
• 17. Matthew 28:18; John 3:13; John 8:23
• 18. 1 Corinthians 15:47; 1 John 4:5
• 19. Matthew 28:18; John 3:13; John 8:23
• 20. John 3:11
• 21. John 3:11
• 22. John 6:27; Romans 4:11; Romans 15:28; 1 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 7:3-8
• 23. John 3:17
• 24. Matthew 12:18; Luke 4:18; Acts 1:2; Acts 10:38
• 25. Matthew 28:18; John 5:20; John 17:2
• 26. Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22
• 27. John 3:16
• 28. Acts 14:2; Hebrews 3:18

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "testify for me"
• [b]. I.e. Messiah
• [c]. Lit "because He does not give the Spirit by measure"
• [d]. Or "believe"