The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:16-21
(3) Divine love and judgment. read more
John 3:11-17 Web
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:17
For —notwithstanding your vain and selfish interpretation of the older revelation— God sent not his Son to judge the world. Observe that the word "sent" replaces the word "gave" of the previous statement ( ἀποστέλλω , not πέυπω ). The word carries with it "the sending on a special mission" (see notes on John 20:21 ), and arrests attention by denoting the immediate function of the Son of God's mission into the world. He was sent, not to judge the world. This judgment is not the... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:17
The great purpose of God in the mission of his Son. Consider it— I. IN ITS NEGATIVE ASPECT . "For God sent not his Son," etc. This implies: 1 . That God might have sent him for purposes of judgment. 2 . God did not do what he might have justly done. "For God sent not," etc. 3 . Much of God ' s goodness to the world consists in not doing what he might justly and easily do. II. IN ITS AFFIRMATIVE ASPECT . "But that the world through him might he... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:17-21
The Incarnation regarded respectively in its design and in its actual result. I. THE DESIGN OF THE INCARNATION . "For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world through him might be saved." 1 . It was for the salvation of the world. (a) from the guilt of sin, (b) from the power of sin, (c) and to give him an eternal inheritance in glory. 2 . It was not for the judgment of the world. The Jews expected the kingdom for the... read more
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:11
We speak - Jesus here speaks in the plural number, including himself and those engaged with him in preaching the gospel. Nicodemus had said John 3:2, “we know that thou art,” etc., including himself and those with whom he acted. Jesus in reply said, we, who are engaged in spreading the new doctrines about which you have come to inquire, speak what we know. We do not deliver doctrines which we do not practically understand. This is a positive affirmation of Jesus, which he had a right to make... read more
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:12
If I have told you earthly things - Things which occur on earth. Not sensual or worldly things, for Jesus had said nothing of these; but he had told him of operations of the Spirit which had occurred “on earth,” whose effects were visible, and which “might” be, therefore, believed. These were the plainest and most obvious of the doctrines of religion.How shall ye believe - How will you believe. Is there any probability that you will understand them?Heavenly things - Things pertaining to the... read more
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:13
And no man hath ascended into heavens - No man, therefore, is qualified to speak of heavenly things, John 3:12. To speak of those things requires intimate acquaintance with them - demands that we have seen them; and as no one has ascended into heaven and returned, so no one is qualified to speak of them but He who came down from heaven. This does not mean that no one had Gone to heaven or had been saved, for Enoch and Elijah had been borne there (Genesis 5:24; compare Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings... read more
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:14
And as Moses - Jesus proceeds in this and the following verses to state the reason why he came into the world and, in order to this, he illustrates His design, and the efficacy of his coming, by a reference to the case of the brass serpent, recorded in Numbers 21:8-9. The people were bitten by flying fiery serpents. There was no cure for the bite. Moses was directed to make an image of the serpent, and place it in sight of the people, that they might look on it and be healed. There is no... read more
Albert Barnes
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - John 3:15
That whosoever - This shows the fulness and freeness of the gospel. All may come and be saved.Believeth in him - Whosoever puts confidence in him as able and willing to save. All who feel that they are sinners, that they have no righteousness of their own, and are willing to look to him as their only Saviour.Should not perish - They are in danger, by nature, of perishing - that is, of sinking down to the pains of hell; of being “punished with everlasting destruction” from the presence of the... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - John 3:16-17
"The gift of God." This is the language either of our Lord himself or of the evangelist. If these are Christ's words, they contain his authoritative testimony to his own declaration. If they are the words of John, we have in them the inspired judgment of one who was in most intimate fellowship with Jesus, and who was peculiarly competent to represent his Master's work in accordance with that Master's own mind. Familiar as this comprehensive and sublime utterance is to all Christians, there... read more