John 3:16 - summarizes a central theme in Christianity, “the Gospel in a nutshell”
What does “being saved” mean? Having eternal life; salvation means receiving from God this gift of unending life after death.
Nearly every translation of John 3:16 says something similar to “not perish, but” without adding “instead” for emphasis. However, some translators have added “instead” as an assumed context to clarify the original meaning of the apostle’s words. One example is the CJB version from 1998 by Dr. David H. Stern who based his translation on ancient Greek documents. Dr. Stern’s purpose was “to restore God’s Word to its original Jewish context and culture.” The Complete Jewish Bible is a translation for Jews and non-Jews alike.
What happens to those who reject salvation and don’t receive eternal life after death? Although the vast majority of English translations use “perish,” some say “die” (GNT, NIRV, NOG) while others are more specific. For example, the Message Bible by Eugene H. Peterson uses “destroyed,” the CJB says “utterly destroyed,” and the Voice Bible (2012, published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.) reads “everlasting destruction” in John 3:16. Most translations have used "destroyed" for those "who don't heed the prophet" in Acts 3:23 which quoted the apostle Peter's use of a statement by Moses in his sermon.
If you were to rethink the nature of hell, based on all of the NT, and not just on a little of Scripture, and also based on translations that may be closer to a first-century writer’s original meaning, then hell could mean actual death, rather than eternal conscious torment. “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16) and “God is love” (from 1 John 4:8) must be considered when deciding whether it’s loving to either allow, or to inflict, non-stop torture on a person.
What was originally meant by this alternative scenario of people perishing? It seems the most common way Christians read the end of John 3:16 is to see it either as (1) heaven versus hell, or (2) just heaven. Regarding the hell route, many Christians seem to re-define "death, perish, or destruction" as meaning separation from God or eternal torment. Another option, though, is to rethink the nature of hell as consisting of an actual and complete death of body and soul. This "rethinking hell" is appropriate regarding several other parts of the Bible.
However, there's another way of looking at this particular scriptural passage.
This other way of understanding the original meaning of this Bible verse takes the focus off other people (that may go to hell, or "perish") and puts the focus on us, that is, all of us human beings. Rather than seeing 'perish in hell,' and then perhaps wondering whether hell consists of 'eternal torment and no real death' or alternatively, 'some torment that ends in real death,' there's another way to read the end of John 3:16.
The reason for saying this is because this verse does not actually say "perish in hell." All of the Bible versions at BibleGateway.com (and there's over 50 there) have refused to insert anything similar to "in hell" next to "perish" at John 3:16. The reason none of them added it could have been based on the fact that the context in chapter three (verses 4-21) does not specifically require it or even explicitly suggest it.
Therefore, it's possible the end of John 3:16 is not about these two scenarios: (1) having eternal life, versus (2) being in hell instead. Sure, that's the consequence for both groups, but that's probably not the point being made, especially in the first century. Rather than it being 'heaven vs. hell' in the discussion between Jesus and the inquiring Pharisee leader, it's original meaning was probably based on the following two real situations at that time: (1) potentially having eternal life, versus (2) all humans having previously been subject to eternal death (in its OT sense) prior to the Good News of the Gospel with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The claim can be made, and defended using Scripture, that Jesus referred to people perishing in this passage because that was how things normally went (the old way), in contrast to a new way, that is, the possibility of eternal life. The meaning of John 3:16 for Jesus, for the original writer, and for how John's original audience understood it, relates to their first-century conception of death consisting of an everlasting, total death of body and soul. The grounds for this assertion can be based on the Old Testament itself, generally, and on academic studies of specific Hebrew writings of the OT that had not assimilated Greek views of innate soul immortality.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah to the ancient Jewish people and later to all the world’s people, demonstrated the power of God the Father. It also fulfilled OT prophecy as Peter pointed out in his sermon in Acts 2:30-32 which quoted King David in Psalm 16. He said at Pentecost that David long ago prophesied that “because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay” (Acts 2:27, NIV). The vast majority of English translations of this passage of Scripture use "my soul" instead of "me" in "will not abandon me," but I like the NIV's translation of this particular passage.
So, what was the mindset in the early first century, and of David 1,000 years before Christ, regarding the realm of the dead? In David's Psalm 68, at verse 20, we read (in the GNT): "Our God is a God who saves; he is the Lord, our Lord, who rescues us from death." Peter and David have shown us that everyone who passes away (except "the holy one") was believed to have been abandoned there in gravedom. This divine "abandonment" was clarified somewhat by various OT prophets and again later, by the NT apostles, as actually being similar to natural sleep when they repeatedly described, or referred to, death.
The end of John 3:16 is about the divine Son of God declaring the Good News that everything has changed -- from a literal, eternal death for all to eternal life for "whoever." Perhaps it would be helpful to check out other translations of John 3:16 (see the link above). And maybe you could become interested in the link below which will attempt, through comprehensive analysis on the website, to answer the question, What really happens to the soul when people die according to all of Scripture? Check out WhenPeopleDie.com.
What happens when people die? That is the title of chapter 1 in a book seen by clicking this photo.
In this section of my ‘John-3-16.org’ website, I hope to point you to another Christian website directly affiliated with this one here. It’s related to John 3:16 and the discussion above on why the “shall not perish” part was mentioned by Jesus, and why it matters today. What did Christ mean by it, how did his disciples see death and its related topics (from the NT), and what was the general understanding then among Jews regarding these issues (from the OT).
If you’re instead more interested in the “have eternal life” part of John 3:16, the main focus of this other website is still on this divine promise of immortality. The distinction, though, is on a systematic study that, in effect, creates much more of an emphasis on the importance of our resurrection from the dead. This other Bible-study website, WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com, intends to closely examine a plethora of hints in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, book by book, that results in a greater appreciation for being resurrected into eternal life. It’s overall goal is to expand out from this one verse (John 3:16) to cover all of Scripture, in depth, regarding the timing of literally obtaining immortality. Does everyone get “soul immortality” around their birth, or instead, is it granted later to “whoever believes in him”?
Also, if you’re more interested in rethinking hell, and this reference in John 3:16 to people perishing, then my other website can also be indirectly helpful because its central focus is on answering this question above on ‘innate immortality of the soul/mind’ versus ‘conditional immortality of the soul/mind.’ Logic has long-ago dictated that if a person’s conscious mind, or spirit-soul, never actually dies, then the torments of hell must continue forever for them.
On the other hand, though, many Christian theologians have opposed this mostly-fourth-century incorporation of this Greek philosophical idea into Christianity. If the soul/mind within a person actually perishes, or is destroyed, when the body dies, they say, then the torments of hell would not continue forever. That’s because, in the context of the entire NT, particular biblical descriptions of hell are better interpreted as referring to the judgment of destruction, rather than the process of destruction, as what is actually eternal.
However, at WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com, the focus is not on hell (but that subject is one of the implications of looking at the mortality question that makes it relevant). Instead, it shows why our resurrection back to life is much more than just 'getting toes and a nose' by studying the nature of the soul and the nature of death using Scripture primarily. The main question at WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com is, What really happens to the soul when people die, and prior to our resurrection, according to all of Scripture?
That is, what have various expert commentators recently said about those many biblical texts that seem to support the idea that both the body and the soul/mind were originally created, and continue to be created, in a naturally mortal state? When Jesus was quoted by his disciple at John 3:16, was he referring to this new possibility of "having eternal life for whoever that believes" for becoming immortal in both body and soul?
I encourage any follower of Christ to think about the meaning of Christianity's most famous Bible verse. But also for those who are particularly curious, it would be eventually beneficial, regarding numerous aspects of one's faith, to consider what "perish" means as it relates to all of us now, in addition to some of us later. That is, we should rethink the nature of hell, and also, rethink the nature of death. You may want to check out my other website (WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com). Select the link below.
So what? What does it matter, and how can studying this stuff be relevant to Christianity today? I would claim it is, and that it can be defended as being important to both the Church and individual followers of Christ today. Emphasizing our resurrection within the context of the Gospel of Jesus is relevant and important due to the resurrection of Jesus and the divine promise of gaining eternal life. The interpretation of many passages of Scripture at WhenPeopleDie.com is mainly based on biblical commentaries that are exegetical, academic, and expert in their use of the original biblical languages (Hebrew and Greek).
Understanding the nature of death, as described throughout the Bible, can help you in three main ways. First, confronting the unpleasantness of one’s own death by relying on Scripture can greatly help in removing some or all of our natural fear of death. Knowing how God described it to his prophets, and to his apostles, can be useful today for dealing with the fear.
Second, rethinking a fundamental assumption about death can be helpful regarding the question on whether all humans retain consciousness right after dying (rather than losing it temporarily). If it's true that death is an unconscious sleep until our resurrection, and that Scripture's many references to sleep during death were intended in a metaphorical way, then seeing the divine promise of receiving a literal gift of life not only glorifies God even more, but it greatly aids in one's understanding of other indirectly related passages and doctrines.
Third, re-evaluating (using all of Scripture) the truthfulness of non-stop torture in a place or condition that’s hellish for people as they continue to live on eternally, supposedly, can also be helpful. What if God created a person’s soul such that it’s not immortal on its own? The Bible may be telling us that immortality is not automatic and natural. Instead, this free gift of eternal life is something, as implied in John 3:16, that God grants to a person after showing their life choices (and repenting of their sinful behavior). So, immortality of the soul may be a unique characteristic that is conditional, rather than innate in everyone.
One implication of this assertion is that our perception of the attributes and character of God the Father, the God of Abraham and of Jesus, could change for the better. Should our churches continue the medieval tradition of showing the world, and telling ourselves, that God allows or directly inflicts unending torture in hell? Does that make God appear unloving and monstrous to certain people? There exists much support in the NT for the type of hell that is contrary to eternal conscious torment.
Would a close examination of Holy Scripture nudge some Christians, and eventually most Christians, to interpret its descriptions of hell in the context of divine love? This means that God so loved the entire world so much that:
1) God set up everything in the beginning (from Genesis)
2) in such a way that a literal “second death” (from Revelation)
3) would be similar to our first death, in this world
4) where for the unforgiven, hell eventually ends in a real death, an "eternal death" (to use this phrase as seen in the NLT version of Acts 20:26)
5) and for everyone else who believes, they shall have a life that never ends (from John 3:16).
The perceived character of God as being an exceedingly vindictive and monstrous torturer should be, and can be, adjusted and clarified since there needs to be more debate, respectful and honest debate, on this growing issue within Christianity. Check out RethinkingHell.com since its leaders and fast-growing number of members worldwide have brought the debate to some people in a very persuasive way.
The study of God – called theology – is not just for theologians and academics. Loving God was identified by Christ Jesus as the greatest commandment of all, even higher than loving other people. So, one way to express even more love for our Creator and Savior is to listen to God, to read about God from the best sources (the prophets and apostles in Scripture), and also to study something that several writers in the Bible have specifically discussed, or allowed themselves to secondarily divulge their beliefs on: the nature of death and our resurrection from the dead.
Regarding the main focus of WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com, which is not directly about hell, but is instead on immortality, death, resurrection, and the nature of the soul: check it out if you’re curious. I intend to build a bridge, another more useful bridge online, between the land of the church and the other side of the river, academia. I intend to make it easier for both the leaders in the church, and lay persons (who either sit in church regularly or only occasionally attend church) to access the important work produced within academia on these issues.
WhenPeopleDie.org / WhenPeopleDie.com can help make Bible study even more fruitful on these important topics by:
1) including interpretations of Scripture from a large number of people in various denominations
2) from those within academia (as seminary professors, for example) using biblical commentaries, and to a lesser extent,
3) also from those in the church (i.e., who are not professors, but are still serious students of Scripture)
4) by using a wide variety of different translations and versions of the Bible
5) to read and analyze, in a proper way, everything (hopefully) that every writer in the Bible has suggested
6) either explicitly (as bold statements) or implicitly (as hints) as seen in the Bible
7) that eventually culminates in placing a value on the repetition of certain ideas
8) while systematically reducing the large volume of relevant texts down
9) to the point that one can authoritatively assert that according to all of Scripture
10) “this is what really happens to the invisible part of a person that provides identity and uniqueness (the soul/mind) between the point of death and the point of our resurrection from the dead”
11) and why this subject should be seen as relevant and even important to you to understand
12) “what happens when people die.”
Click this photo to see Death until Resurrection: An Unconscious Sleep According to Luther at Amazon