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

19Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. 22After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 23John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming to him 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Butδέde · thenG1161
• he that doethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• truthἀλήθειαalētheia · truthG225
• comethἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• toπρόςpros · to/withG4314
• the lightφῶςphōs · lightG5457
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• deedsἔργονergon · workG2041
• may be made manifestφανερόωphaneroō · to revealG5319
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• they areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• wroughtἐργάζομαιergazomai · to workG2038
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316

Cross-references for John 3:21

• John 1:47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”
• John 5:39You study the scriptures thoroughly because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me,
• Psalms 1:1How blessed is the one who does not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand in the pathway with sinners, or sit in the assembly of scoffers!
• Psalms 119:80May I be fully committed to your statutes, so that I might not be ashamed. כ (Kaf)
• Psalms 139:23Examine me, and probe my thoughts! Test me, and know my concerns!
• Isaiah 8:20Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened.
• Acts 17:11These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.
• 1 John 1:6If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.
• John 15:4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.
• Isaiah 26:12O Lord, you make us secure, for even all we have accomplished, you have done for us.
• Hosea 14:8O Ephraim, I do not want to have anything to do with idols anymore! I will answer him and care for him. I am like a luxuriant cypress tree; your fruitfulness comes from me!
• 1 Corinthians 15:10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been in vain. In fact, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God with me.
• 2 Corinthians 1:12For our reason for confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that with pure motives and sincerity which are from God – not by human wisdom but by the grace of God – we conducted ourselves in the world, and all the more toward you.
• Galatians 5:22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
• Galatians 6:8because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.
• Ephesians 5:9for 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