John 3:17

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:17 in Other Translations

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

17 God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

17 God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world.

17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

17 "God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.

John 3:17 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:17

For God sent not his Son into the world
God did send his Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, being made of a woman, and made under the law; and which is an instance of his great love, and not of any disrespect to his Son, or of any inequality between them: but then this was not

to condemn the world;
even any part of it, or any in it: not the Gentiles, as the Jews thought he would; for though God had suffered them to walk in their own ways, and had winked at, or overlooked the times of their ignorance, and had sent no prophet unto them, nor made any revelation of his will, or any discovery of his special grace unto them; yet he sent his Son now, not to destroy them for their idolatry, and wickedness, but to be the Saviour of them: nor the Jews; for as impenitent and unbelieving, and as wicked as they were, he did not accuse them to the Father, nor judge and condemn them; he was to come again in power and great glory, when he would take vengeance on them, and cause wrath to come upon them to the uttermost, for their disbelief and rejection of him; but this was not his business now: nor the wicked of the world in general; to judge, and condemn them, will be his work, when he comes a second time, in the day God has appointed to judge the world in righteousness.

But
the end of his mission, and first coming is,

that the world through him might be saved;
even the world of the elect in general, whom God determined to save, and has chosen, to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, and has appointed Christ to be the salvation of; and who being sent, came into the world to seek and save them; and his chosen people among the Gentiles in particular: wherefore he is said to be God's salvation to the ends of the earth: and all the ends of the earth are called upon to look unto him, and be saved by him, ( Isaiah 49:6 ) ( 45:22 ) .

John 3:17 In-Context

15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

16 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.

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Cross References

• 1. John 6:29,57; John 10:36; John 11:42; John 17:8,21; John 20:21
• 2. Isaiah 53:11; S Matthew 1:21; S Luke 2:11; Luke 19:10; John 1:29; John 12:47; S Romans 11:14; 1 Timothy 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5,6; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:5; 1 John 4:14