John 3 33

John 3:33 kjv

He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

John 3:33 nkjv

He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.

John 3:33 niv

Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.

John 3:33 esv

Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

John 3:33 nlt

Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.

John 3 verses

John 3 33 Meaning

John 3:33 declares that anyone who genuinely accepts the witness or testimony of Jesus Christ thereby affirms and attests to the fundamental truthfulness of God Himself. It implies that to embrace Jesus' message, which comes from heaven, is to validate God's unchanging nature as true, reliable, and authentic. The believer's act of receiving His word becomes a seal of approval, not making God true, but personally confirming His inherent veracity.

John 3 33 Context

John 3:33 is part of a larger discourse where Jesus distinguishes between earthly and heavenly realities and testimony. It follows Jesus' explanation to Nicodemus about the necessity of being "born again" and believing in Him for eternal life. The immediate context, particularly verses 31-36, shifts from the dialogue with Nicodemus to John the Baptist's witness to Jesus. John the Baptist, whose disciples were concerned about Jesus baptizing, humbly exalts Jesus, stating that Jesus "comes from heaven and is above all" (Jn 3:31) and "He whom God has sent speaks the words of God" (Jn 3:34). Verse 33 underscores that receiving Jesus' heavenly testimony—a message uniquely given by God—is an act that validates God's inherent veracity. In a world accustomed to human testimonies, often fallible, Jesus' testimony is divine, and accepting it signifies one's acknowledgment that the God who sent Him is supremely true.

John 3 33 Word analysis

• He who has received:
  • He: Refers to any individual, emphasizing the personal nature of faith.
  • who has received: From the Greek lambanō (λαμβάνω), which means to take, accept, grasp, or welcome. It denotes an active, volitional appropriation and embrace of something, not merely passive hearing. It signifies belief and commitment to the truth being offered.
• His testimony:
  • His: Refers specifically to Jesus, whose unique authority comes from being "He who comes from heaven" (Jn 3:31).
  • testimony: From the Greek martyria (μαρτυρία), meaning a witness, evidence, or confirmation. It is the message, the word, the divine witness that Jesus brings and embodies concerning God and His will for humanity. This testimony is distinct because its origin is divine, unlike human testimony (Jn 3:11-12).
• has certified:
  • From the Greek sphragizō (σφραγίζω). This is a crucial word. It means to seal, to mark with a seal, to authenticate, or to stamp with approval. In ancient contexts, a seal (e.g., on a document or container) guaranteed genuineness, confirmed authenticity, indicated ownership, or validated a decree. Here, it implies that the believer, by receiving Jesus' testimony, publicly and privately sets their stamp of approval on God's truth. It's an act of affirming God's trustworthiness and His revealed reality through Christ.
• that God is true:
  • God: Refers to God the Father, the ultimate source of all truth.
  • is true: From the Greek alēthēs (ἀληθής), which means true, trustworthy, genuine, dependable, without falsehood or deceit. It speaks to God's intrinsic nature and character. This is the ultimate ground of reality. The believer's act is not making God true (for He already is), but acknowledging, declaring, and staking their life upon this foundational truth about God.

• "He who has received His testimony": This phrase encapsulates the act of faith, highlighting a personal embrace of Jesus' divine message. It emphasizes active acceptance, which contrasts with passive hearing or intellectual acknowledgement without commitment.
• "has certified that God is true": This powerful assertion connects personal faith directly to God's inherent character. By sealing or authenticating God's truth, the believer's faith becomes a direct affirmation of God's veracity and reliability in all that He has revealed through Christ. It is a profound declaration that one has found God, as revealed in Jesus, to be completely trustworthy.

John 3 33 Bonus section

The act of "certifying" (sphragizō) signifies not only personal affirmation but also implies a public witness, similar to a signature on a document. While primarily an internal act of belief, it inherently leads to an outward confession or living in alignment with that believed truth. The background of Jesus' previous discourse about things "from above" versus "from the earth" (Jn 3:31) gives further weight to His testimony; accepting it means affirming the supremacy of divine revelation over human reasoning or tradition. The consequence of this sealing is peace and eternal life, contrasting with the judgment for those who do not believe (Jn 3:36).

John 3 33 Commentary

John 3:33 is a profound statement on the nature of faith and the character of God. It presents faith in Jesus' testimony not merely as an intellectual assent, but as a validating act. When an individual genuinely accepts the words of Jesus—which come from a divine source and are infused with the very essence of God—they are, by that reception, stamping their agreement with and allegiance to God’s absolute truthfulness. This "certification" or "sealing" is the human heart's affirmation that God is who He says He is: fundamentally and unfailingly true, unable to deceive, and utterly reliable. It signifies that the believer's spiritual experience aligns with and confirms God’s revealed nature. In essence, it implies that if one rejects Jesus’ testimony, one implicitly makes God out to be untrue, a stark contrast highlighted later in 1 Jn 5:10. Thus, the verse calls for a personal, validating response to divine revelation.