Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
Parallel translations
- WEB One 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.”
- KJV 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.
- NKJV He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
- NASB The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
- NLT And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life now, but whoever rejects him will not see life and remains under God's wrath. One's relationship to the Son is a matter of life and death.
Overview
This concluding verse sharpens the choice: present possession of eternal life through faith, or abiding wrath through disobedient unbelief. 'Disobeys' shows that unbelief is a refusal to submit to the Son, not mere doubt. It presents the gospel's urgency, that life is found only in trusting and obeying Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 31
- John 5:24Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.
- John 1:12But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
- 1 Th 5:9For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Eph 5:6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- John 3:15–16that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
- 1 Jn 5:10–13Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him; whoever does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given about His Son.
- Rom 1:17–18For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
- Rom 5:9Therefore, since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from wrath through Him!
- John 8:51Truly, truly, I tell you, if anyone keeps My word, he will never see death.”
- John 3:3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
- John 10:28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.
- 1 Th 1:10and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.
- Rev 21:8But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.”
- John 6:47–54Truly, truly, I tell you, he who believes has eternal life.
- 1 Jn 3:14–15We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
- Rev 6:16–17And they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.
- Rom 8:1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
- Ps 106:4–5Remember me, O LORD, in Your favor to Your people; visit me with Your salvation,
- Num 32:11‘Because they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, not one of the men twenty years of age or older who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
- Ps 36:9For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light.
- Rom 8:24–25For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see?
- Gal 3:10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
- Heb 2:3how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
- Luke 3:6And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”
- Job 33:28He redeemed my soul from going down to the Pit, and I will live to see the light.’
- Ps 49:19he will join the generation of his fathers, who will never see the light of day.
- Hab 2:4Look at the proud one; his soul is not upright—but the righteous will live by faith—
- Heb 10:29How much more severely do you think one deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
- Ps 2:12Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your rebellion, when His wrath ignites in an instant. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
- Rom 4:15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
- Luke 2:30For my eyes have seen Your salvation,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 3:36 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.