Tag Archives: John 3:18

The verse ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν οὐ κρίνεται· ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων ἤδη κέκριται, ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ (John 3:18) sits within a climactic theological discourse that follows Jesus’ midnight conversation with Nicodemus. It flows directly after the universally cherished Ἰωάννης 3:16, where divine love is declared as the motive for sending the Son. Verse 18, by contrast, starkly confronts the consequences of disbelief. Together with vv. 17–21, it forms a meditative expansion of the mission of the Son and the ethical weight of human response.

The verse divides into two parallel clauses, each introduced by a nominal subject clause:

ὁ πιστεύων εἰς αὐτὸν → οὐ κρίνεται ὁ δὲ μὴ πιστεύων → ἤδη κέκριται (ὅτι μὴ πεπίστευκεν εἰς…)

This parallelism establishes a sharp contrast: belief leads to the absence of judgment; unbelief, by contrast, results in judgment already rendered.… Learn Koine Greek