by Bobby L. Graham
I have noticed that John 3:36 is translated with “obeys” in the second part of the verse in some versions in the place of “believes.” Please explain why this was done.
It is true that some versions like the American Standard Version (ASV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB) render the word as “obeys,” while the King James Version (KJV) and the New King James Version (NKJV) render it as “believes.” The English Standard Version (ESV) also does as the ASV and the NASB. Note their renderings below:
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 (KJV).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 (NKJV).
He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him (ASV).
He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him (NASB).
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (ESV).
Why was this done?
First, the words pisteuo (believes) and apeitheo (disobeys/obeys not) are here used in contrast to each other, as the sentence obviously reveals. To believe is to show one’s faith by his deeds (the only way to show it), according to James 2:14-26. In numerous references, Vine’s Expository Dictionary and Arndt and Gingrich’s Greek-English Lexicon show that the positive (peitheo)and negative (apeitheo) forms of both the noun, verb, and adjective in this family of words mean permitting/not permitting oneself to be persuaded, being obedient/disobedient.
Second, John clearly uses the word “faith” as both a noun (pistis) and a verb (pisteuo) in a comprehensive sense throughout his writings to mean both (1) to believe and (2) to perform what one believes. In John 3:36, there is the same meaning of full faith that obeys.
Articles have been written by some who cling to the KJV only to demonstrate that the other translations that render this verse as “does not obey” or “obeys not” are wrong. Of course, they do this because they are wed to the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. They are wrong both in their doctrine, as clearly demonstrated from the Bible, and in their translation, as clearly shown in scholarly works dealing with biblical words, in how they define the terms “belief” or “believe.”
Author Bio: Bobby actively participates in fill-in preaching, Belize trips, teaching an hour each day at Athens Bible School, and in gospel meeting work. He and his wife, Karen, have three children. He can be reached at bobbylgraham@pclnet.net.
