John 3:21

John 3:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
• New International Version (NIV)But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
• English Standard Version (ESV)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."
• New King James Version (NKJV)But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”

Context of John 3:21

19And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil. 20For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are; but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God. 22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised. 23And John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to [him] and were baptised:

John 3:21 word by word

ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸ φῶς ἵνα φανερωθῇ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένα.¶Read the interlinear

• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• comesἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• worksἔργονergon · workG2041
• beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• manifestedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for John 3:21

• John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Behold [one] truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile.
• John 5:39Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me;
• Psalms 1:1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, and standeth not in the way of sinners, and sitteth not in the seat of scorners;
• Psalms 119:80Let my heart be perfect in thy statutes, that I be not ashamed.
• Psalms 139:23Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts;
• Isaiah 8:20To the law and the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, for them there is no daybreak.
• Acts 17:11And these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, receiving the word with all readiness of mind, daily searching the scriptures if these things were so.
• 1 John 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not practise the truth.
• John 15:4Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine, thus neither [can] ye unless ye abide in me.
• Isaiah 26:12Jehovah, thou wilt ordain peace for us; for thou also hast wrought all our works for us.
• Hosea 14:8Ephraim [shall say], What have I to do any more with idols? (I answer [him], and I will observe him.) I am like a green fir-tree. — From me is thy fruit found.
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by God's grace I am what I am; and his grace, which [was] towards me, has not been vain; but I have laboured more abundantly than they all, but not I, but the grace of God which [was] with me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our boasting is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and sincerity before God, (not in fleshly wisdom but in God's grace,) we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly towards you.
• Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity,
• Galatians 6:8For he that sows to his own flesh, shall reap corruption from the flesh; but he that sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit shall reap eternal life:
• Ephesians 5:9(for the fruit of the light [is] in all goodness and righteousness and truth,)

Commentaries on John 3:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Wrought in God - In his presence, and through his assistance. This is the end of our Lord's discourse to Nicodemus; and though we are not informed here of any good effects produced by it, yet we learn from other scriptures that it had produced the most blessed effects in his mind, and that from this time he became a disciple of Christ. He publicly defended our Lord in the Sanhedrin, of which he was probably a member, John 7:50, and, with Joseph of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Are that doeth truth - He who does right, or he that obeys the truth. Truth here is opposed to error and to evil. The sinner acts from falsehood and error. The good man acts according to truth. The sinner believes a lie - that God will not punish, or that there is no God, or that there is no eternity and no hell. The Christian believes all these, and acts as if they were true. This is the difference between a Christian and a sinner. Cometh to the light…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-21The original Greek text does not include quotation marks. Because of this, translators must decide where the words of Jesus end and where John's explanation begins. John 3:16–21 might be John’s explanation of what Jesus said.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2117-21. not to condemn, &c.--A statement of vast importance. Though "condemnation" is to many the issue of Christ's mission (Joh 3:19), it is not the object of His mission, which is purely a saving one.Read the comment

Topics related to John 3:21

• Darkness
• Jesus, the Christ
• Light
• Righteous
• Righteousness
• Works

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Born
• Condemn
• Condemnation
• Darkness
• Decrease
• Faith
• Increase
• Love

Commentaries on John 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings