WHAT IT MEANS
God’s Love and the Gospel
God’s love is shown in giving His Son so that believing in Christ leads to eternal life, not condemnation.
VERSE STUDY • WEB
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
CONTEXT
What is happening here?
Jesus is speaking with Nicodemus about the new birth. The verse sits inside a conversation about humanity’s need for spiritual rebirth and God’s saving initiative.
APPLY IT
For today
Receive the verse as an invitation to trust Christ, not merely as a slogan. Let God’s love reshape how you view Him and how you love others.
Read it in 5 translations
KJV King James Version
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.
BSB Berean Standard Bible
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
WEB World English Bible
For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
ASV American Standard Version
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.
YLT Young’s Literal Translation
for God did so love the world, that His Son—the only begotten—He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.
Surrounding context — John 3
13 No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
Topics connected to this verse
Original-language word links
These Hebrew/Greek tokens are linked by Strong's number. Click one for its lexicon definition and other occurrences.
οὕτωςG3779 · ohutō, ohutōsthus(-ly)γὰρG1063 · garforἠγάπησενG25 · agapaōto loveὁG3588 · hothe/this/whoθεὸςG2316 · theosGodτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoκόσμον,G2889 · kosmosworldὥστεG5620 · hōstesoτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoυἱὸνG5207 · uhiossonτὸνG3588 · hothe/this/whoμονογενῆG3439 · monogenēsuniqueἔδωκεν,G1325 · didōmito giveἵναG2443 · hinain order that/toπᾶςG3956 · pasallὁG3588 · hothe/this/whoπιστεύωνG4100 · pisteuōto trust (in)εἰςG1519 · eistowardαὐτὸνG846 · autosit/s/heμὴG3361 · mēnotἀπόληταιG622 · apolluōto destroyἀλλ᾽G235 · allabutἔχῃG2192 · echōto have/beζωὴνG2222 · zōēlifeαἰώνιον.G166 · aiōnioseternal
Cross-references
Romans 5:8But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.1 John 4:9-10By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.Romans 8:32He who didn’t spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things?John 3:15that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.John 11:25-26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.John 6:40This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”John 3:36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”1 John 4:19We love him, because he first loved us.John 10:28I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.1 Timothy 1:15-16The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.Romans 5:10For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.John 1:29The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!2 Thessalonians 2:16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,2 Corinthians 5:19-21namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation.Ephesians 2:4But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us,Matthew 9:13But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”Revelation 1:5and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;John 1:14The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
CLASSIC COMMENTARY & PREACHING
Spurgeon on John 3:16
Read Charles H. Spurgeon material whose primary Scripture is this verse or passage.