John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
KJV
οὕτως γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὥστε τὸν υἱὸν τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν μὴ ἀπόληται ἀλλ’ ἔχῃ ζωὴν αἰώνιον.
Greek NT
Sic enim Deus dilexit mundum, ut Filium suum unigenitum daret : ut omnis qui credit in eum, non pereat, sed habeat vitam æternam.
Vulgate
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
ASV
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son: that whosoever believeth in him may not perish, but may have life everlasting.
Douay-Rheims
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In the original Greek
21 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.
αἰώνιος
aionios
adjective · 70×
αὐτός
autos
pronoun · 5564×
γάρ
gar
conjunction · 1036×
δίδωμι
didomi
verb · 414×
εἰς
eis
preposition · 1769×
ζωή
zoe
noun · 135×
θεός
theos
noun · 1311×
κόσμος
kosmos
noun · 184×
μή
me
particle · 1033×
μονογενής
monogenes
adjective · 9×
οὕτω
outo
adverb · 208×
πιστεύω
pisteuo
verb · 241×
πᾶς
pas
adjective · 1226×
υἱός
uios
noun · 375×
ἀγαπάω
agapao
verb · 143×
ἀλλά
alla
conjunction · 636×
ἀπόλλυμι
apollumi
verb · 90×
ἔχω
echo
verb · 707×
ἵνα
ina
conjunction · 665×
ὁ
o
article · 19778×
ὥστε
oste
conjunction · 85×
Textual variants
1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.
notable
SBLGNT: υἱὸν | WH/NIV: υἱὸν | Treg/RP: + αὐτοῦ
- υἱὸν — SBLGNT
- υἱὸν — Westcott-Hort, Reader's GNT (NA27)
- + αὐτοῦ — Tregelles, Robinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus
Themes
Doctrines that cite this verse
Historic Christian voices
28 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.
Catechism of the Catholic Church · 4 passages
§219God's love for Israel is compared to a father's love for his son. His love for his people is stronger than a mother's for her children. God loves his people more than a bridegroom his beloved; his love will be victorious over even the worst infidelities and will extend to his most precious gift: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son."40
§444The Gospels report that at two solemn moments, the Baptism and the Transfiguration of Christ, the voice of the Father designates Jesus his "beloved Son".53 Jesus calls himself the "only Son of God", and by this title affirms his eternal pre-existence.54 He asks for faith in "the name of the only Son of God".55 In the centurion's exclamation before the crucified Christ, "Truly t…
§458The Word became flesh so that thus we might know God's love: "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him."72 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."73
…and 1 more from this source.
§12When one reflects on the origin of this doctrine, there come to mind at once the words of the Apostle: "Where sin abounded, grace did more abound."[6] All know that the father of the whole human race was constituted by God in so exalted a state that he was to hand on to his posterity, together with earthly existence, the heavenly life of divine grace. But after the unhappy fall…
1. "Pange, lingua, gloriosi / Corporis mysterium / Sanguinisque pretiosi..." (St Thom., Hymn at the I Vesp. of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ). The day is now approaching, and has already practically begun, on which the Church will speak, through her solemn liturgy, in veneration of this mystery, by which she lives every day: the Eucharist. Gloriosi Co…
Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.
Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Calvin shows that regeneration is absolutely necessary — not merely an improvement of nature but an entirely new birth. This new birth is from above, by the Spirit, and is as mysterious and sovereign as the wind. The lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness is a type of Christ's crucifixion: as Moses lifted up the…
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. …
Summa Theologica · 2 passages
Is it fitting for God to become incarnate? Was it necessary for the restoration of the human race? If there had been no sin, would God have become incarnate? Did He become incarnate to take away original sin rather than actual? Was it fitting for God to become incarnate from the beginning of the world? Should His Incarnation have been deferred to the end of the world? Article 1…
Were we freed from sin by Christ's Passion? Were we thereby delivered from the power of the devil? Were we freed thereby from our debt of punishment? Were we thereby reconciled with God? Was heaven's gate opened to us thereby? Did Christ derive exaltation from it? Article 1. Whether we were delivered from sin through Christ's Passion? Objection 1. It would seem that we were not…
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
All who say that the Gospel is nothing without the approbation of the Church err and slander God. The sum of the Gospel is that our Lord Jesus Christ, the true Son of God, has made known to us the will of His heavenly Father, and has with His innocence released us from death and reconciled God. Christ is the only way to salvation for all who ever were, are, and shall be.
Heidelberg Catechism · 4 passages
Q. Why must the mediator also be true God? A. So that, by the power of his divinity, he might bear the weight of God's anger in his humanity and earn for us and restore to us righteousness and life.
Q. Are all people then saved through Christ just as they were lost through Adam? A. No. Only those are saved who by true faith are grafted into Christ and accept all his blessings.
Q. Why is he called God's only begotten Son when we also are children of God? A. Because Christ alone is the eternal, natural Son of God. We, however, are adopted children of God — adopted by grace through Christ.
…and 1 more from this source.
Canons of Dort · 3 passages
But this is how God showed his love: he sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).
Since, however, we ourselves cannot give this satisfaction or deliver ourselves from God's wrath, God in his boundless mercy has given us as a guarantee his only begotten Son, who was made to be sin and a curse for us, in our place, on the cross, in order that he might give satisfaction for us.
Moreover, it is the promise of the gospel that whoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish but have eternal life. This promise, together with the command to repent and believe, ought to be announced and declared without differentiation or discrimination to all nations and people, to whom God in his good pleasure sends the gospel.
We believe that God—who is perfectly merciful and also very just—sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the punishment of sin by his most bitter passion and death. So God made known his justice toward his Son, who was charged with our sin, and he poured out his goodness and mercy on us, who are guilty and worthy of…
From eternity God has freely, and of his mere grace, without any respect to men, predestinated or elected the saints whom he wills to save in Christ, according to the words of the apostle: "He chose us in him before the foundation of the world." And again: "Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace …
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be the one Mediator between God and men; the eternal High Priest, who by the sacrifice of Himself upon the Cross reconciled the Father to us, and offered Himself a ransom for all, not for the elect only, as the abominable heresy of Calvin teaches. For Christ tasted death for every man. He hath achieved the redemption of all mankind, and His d…
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God; who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven; and uniting i…
Cross-references
- 1Cor 2:9 — But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
- 1John 3:1 — Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- 1John 3:16 — Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
- 1John 4:9 — In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- 1John 4:9 — In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- 1John 4:10 — Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
- 1John 4:14 — And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
- 1John 4:19 — We love him, because he first loved us.
- 1John 4:19 — We love him, because he first loved us.
- 1Tim 1:15 — This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
- 1Tim 1:15 — This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
- 2Cor 5:18 — And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
- 2Cor 5:19 — To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
- 2Cor 9:15 — Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
- 2Thess 2:16 — Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
- 2Thess 2:16 — Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
- Col 1:15 — Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
- Col 3:3 — For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
- Deut 30:15 — See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
- Eph 2:4 — But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
- Ezek 47:9 — And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall co
- Gal 2:20 — I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself fo
- Gal 4:4 — But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
- Gen 22:2 — And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee o
- Gen 22:12 — And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
- Gen 22:12 — And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
- Heb 1:2 — Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
- Heb 2:3 — How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
- Heb 2:9 — But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
- Heb 5:5 — So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
- Isa 9:6 — For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prin
- John 1:14 — And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- John 1:14 — And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- John 1:18 — No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
- John 1:18 — No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
- John 1:29 — The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- John 1:29 — The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
- John 1:34 — And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
- John 3:15 — That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
- John 3:15 — That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.