What Does Not Obey The Son Mean In John 3:36? - Part Two

Let’s return to John 3:36, which reads,

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. (English Standard Version)

The above quotation is from the English Standard Version.

Below are translations that use: rejects, believeth not, refuse to believe, and not believing rather than not obey.

New International Version
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Berean Standard Bible
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
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.”

Christian Standard Bible
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

Literal Standard Version
“...he who is believing in the Son has continuous life; and he who is not believing the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Majority Standard Bible
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

NET Bible
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God's wrath remains on him.

New Heart English Bible
“Whoever believes in the Son has everlasting life, but whoever refuses to believe in the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."

Webster's Bible Translation
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.

Young's Literal Translation
“...he who is believing in the Son, hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain upon him.'

Based upon these translations, we see that John 3:36 is about disbelief in Jesus as the Son.

Son is a messianic title for the Christ, the one promised in the Jewish Scriptures who would be the world’s Savior-King. As Savior, he would bring peace with God by dying for our sins (Isaiah 53). As King, he would bring peace on earth (Isaiah 9:6-7).

The Jewish people and Samaritans (half Jew/Gentile) were very familiar with this messianic title - (John 4:25; John 7).

Jesus is the Christ, the Son (John 4:26).

The writer of Hebrews wrote in Hebrews 1 and 2 that Jesus is the Son of God (fully God) and Son of Man (fully human).

One of the reasons the writer wrote Hebrews was to convince his unbelieving Jewish reader that Jesus was the Son and salvation from the coming judgment is through faith in him. Yet many persisted in unbelief (apeitheó).

John, in John 20:30-31, stated that the reason he wrote the book of John was so that people would believe that Jesus is the Christ so they would have eternal life.

He wrote,

Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

In John 3:36, John is stating that those who refuse to believe in Jesus as the Son would not enjoy eternal life but would experience wrath.

John 3:36, then, has nothing to do with legalistic, fear-based obedience as taught by some. Rather, it is about not believing in Jesus as the Son, the Christ of the Jewish Scriptures.

The context of John 3:36 is John the Baptist stating that people must no longer listen to him (the one from the earth), but they should listen to Jesus (the one from above). Jesus spoke the words of the Father. The Pharisees rejected the words of Jesus because they rejected him as the Christ.

The context of John 3:36 is not a believer who is not carrying out the words of Jesus in The Great Commission, as toxic disciplers teach. Instead, it is unbelievers who are rejecting the words of Jesus because they reject he is the Son.

John 3:36 contrasts those who believe the words of God (that Jesus is the Christ) with those who do not believe -apeitheó.

After John 3:36, John chapter 4 records the Samaritan woman and the royal official who both believed Jesus was the Christ.

Following their belief, many others believed.

John 4 contrasts the unbelief (apeitheó) of John 3:36 with the belief of the Samaritan woman, royal official, and the others who believed.

John 5:15-47 records Jesus’s conversation with the Jewish leaders who rejected him as the Christ by refusing to believe his testimony that he was the Christ.

Toxic Discipleship ignores the context of a single verse by isolating a verse from its context, as with John 3:36.

The book of John is written to convince people that Jesus is the Christ.

In his book, John reveals the works and words of Jesus so people will believe Jesus is the Christ and by by believing will be saved.

According to the book of John, obeying Jesus is believing in him as the Christ, which many Jewish leaders and many Jewish people refused to do as evidenced in the book of John.

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Brad’s book, Toxic Discipleship is available on Amazon.