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 the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.” 22After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea; and there He was spending time with them and baptizing. 23Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and being baptized--

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

• practicesποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• the truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• comesἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• to the Lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• soἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• his deedsἔργονergon · workG2041
• will be revealedφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• as having beenεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• in Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for John 3:21

• John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!”
• John 5:39You examine the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is those very Scriptures that testify about Me;
• Psalms 1:1Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
• Psalms 119:80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, So that I will not be ashamed.
• Psalms 139:23Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
• Isaiah 8:20To the Law and to the testimony! If they do not speak in accordance with this word, it is because they have no dawn.
• Acts 17:11Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.
• 1 John 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;
• John 15:4Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.
• Isaiah 26:12Lord, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works.
• Hosea 14:8Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like a luxuriant juniper; From Me comes your fruit.
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.
• Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• Galatians 6:8For the one who sows to his own flesh will reap destruction from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
• Ephesians 5:9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, 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