A Study of John's Gospel

John 3:19-21: The Judgment: People Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

The Judgment: People Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

A study of John 3:19-21

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.""

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:

-Judgment: "krisis", "κρίσις"; feminine noun - that judgment which Christ occasioned, in that wicked men rejected the salvation he offered, and so of their own accord brought upon themselves misery and punishment: αὕτη ἐστιν ἡ κρίσις, ὅτι etc; judgment takes place by the entrance of the light into the world and the contempt which men have for this light.

-Light: "phōs", "φῶς"; neuter noun - is used to denote truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual purity congruous with it; especially the saving truth embodied in Christ and by his love and effort imparted to mankind.

-Men: "anthrōpos", "ἄνθρωπος"; a human being, whether male or female; in the plural, people.

-Loved: "agapaō", "ἀγαπάω"; verb - denotes to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it.

-Darkness: "skotos", "σκότος"; neuter noun - darkness; metaphorically: of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell.

-Works (Deeds): "ergon", "ἔργον"; neuter noun - an act, deed, thing done; works devoid of that life which has its source in God.

-Evil (v.19): "ponēros", "πονηρός"; adjective - in an ethical sense, evil, wicked, bad, etc.

-Evil (v.20): "phaulos", "φαῦλος"; adjective - bad, wicked; to do ill.

-Hates: "miseō", "μισέω"; verb - to hate, pursue with hatred, detest; passive, to be hated, detested.

-Should Be Exposed: "elegchō", "ἐλέγχω"; verb - by conviction to bring to light, to expose.

-Whoever Does (He Who Practices): "poieō", " - to act rightly, do well, to act uprightly; to designate performance.

-Truth: "alētheia", "ἀλήθεια"; feminine noun - the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of His purposes in Christ, and respecting the duties of man; to exemplify truth in the life, to express the form of truth in one's habits of thought and modes of living.

-May Be Clearly Seen (Manifested): "phaneroō", "φανερόω"; verb - to make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way.

-Carried Out (Wrought): "ergazomai", "ἐργάζομαι"; verb - to work, to do, work out.

Observation/Summary (short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):

After explaining to Nicodemus that He, Jesus, the Son of God, did not come to judge and condemn the world in His first coming, but instead, He came to save the world; Jesus explains judgment will come upon those who reject Him. The judgment which those who reject Him will face is as follows: the Light (Jesus) came into the world to bring hope, life and salvation, but by and large mankind rejected the Light and loved darkness because mankind's deeds were evil. Humanity, overall, hates the Light and does not come to the Light, because they do not want their evil deeds and hearts exposed. However, whoever does what is true does come to the Light so that it can be clearly seen by everyone that their good deeds have been "carried out in God."