Understanding John 3:36
by Tom Logan
return to main indexOf the passage John.3:36 -
John 3:36
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. (KJV)Let us first observe eternal (aionios) life is life in the endless age/world to come:
Mark 10:30
30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. (KJV)Mark 10:30
30 but that he shall receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. (NAS)"This age" corresponds to the duration of this earth and "the age to come" speaks of the duration of the new earth which is coming.
2 Pet 3:13
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (KJV)Isa 66:22
22 For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. (KJV)This new earth is endless thus it has a aion (duration) which is endless and since aionios life is life which transpires during and throughout this endless age, it is likewise endless.
Since the wicked do not partake of this life they are punished eternally.
To lose eternal life is to lose it eternally.
Logically speaking the loss of a eternal reality it of itself eternal.
A Universalist source preferring to leave aionios untranslated provided:
The Emphasized Bible (Rotherham) translates the verse, "He that believes on the Son hath life age-abiding; whereas he that yieldeth not unto the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God awaiteth him."
The Emphatic Diaglott (Wilson): "He believing into the Son has aionian life; but he disobeying the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abides on him."
Young's Literal Translation: "He who is believing in the Son hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain on him."
Concordant Version: "He who is believing into the Son has eonian life, yet he who is stubborn as to the Son, shall not be seeing life, but the indignation of God is remaining on him."
...but all we have here is just four verses which show that those who do not believe the Son will not see life
optanomai (op-tan'-om-ahee);
a (middle voice) prolonged form of the primary (middle voice) optomai
(op'-tom-ahee); which is used for it in certain tenses; and both as alternate of
3708; to gaze (i.e. with wide-open eyes, as at something remarkable; and thus
differing from 991, which denotes simply voluntary observation; and from 1492,
which expresses merely mechanical, passive or casual vision; while 2300, and
still more emphatically its intensive 2334, signifies an earnest but more
continued inspection; and 4648 a watching from a distance):KJV-- appear, look, see, shewself.
This is a third person singular future middle voice verb.
There are some who in the future will not see eternal life.
It appears those who who do not obey/believe (present active participle) the son will not see life at the future judgment:
Matt 25:46
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)Since eternal life in its fullest sense proceeds from the judgment and is lived out in the age to come.
These passages tell us some will not see life in the endless age to come.
Since this age is endless those who do not see life in this age will not see life eternally.
i.e. they will receive eternal punishment.
The same universalist source:
"The Greek word menei, a 3 person singular, present active indicative form from meno, means "remaining," or "abiding," and has no meaning of endlessness. Should it have meant so, then our Lord would still be abiding wherever He was when those came to question him, as recorded in John 1:38, for the same word is found in that verse, and was translated "dwellest" in the KJV."
However,Context indicates God's wrath abides upon those disbelieving for the same duration the believers participate in eternal life.
John 3:36
36 He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. (ASV)While the believers are receiving eternal life those who do not obey the Son receive wrath.
Since this eonian life is eternal God wrath remains on the unbelieving/disobedient eternally.
The same universalist source quotes:
Believers in Christ have eonian life, life through the ages. The ones not believing will not see that life, but will be raised, judged at the great white throne judging. The second death of Rev. 20:14 and 21:8 is not endless, for Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 15:26 that death will be destroyed. "Therefore, we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Savior of ALL mankind, specially of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:10). God is the Savior of ALL, but in this eon He is giving a special salvation, that of life throughout the eons, to those who believe. By the end of the eons, the remainder of mankind will also be made alive in Christ. Those who believe that have no difficulty with John 3:36." ---adapted from article by Louis Abbott
However, Louis Abbott needs to form his theology from the bible!The bible never speaks of a special salvation.
The only eschatological salvation the bible speaks of is the salvation which provides forgiveness of sin escape from eternal punishment and provides everlasting life.
The unbeliever does not receive this life:
John 3:36
36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (NAU)The universalist's dilemma here is that salvation in the bible is never pictured as a removal or a resurrection from the lake of fire but an escape from it:
Matt 25:31-34
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit *the kingdom* prepared for you from the foundation of the world: (KJV)Matt 13:39-43
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in *the kingdom of their Father*. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (KJV)Rev 20:11-21:7
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead
were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according totheir works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to
their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.CHAPTER 21
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (KJV)So Jn 3:36 in biblical context mitigates against universal salvation.