John 3:16 (DBY)

Passage

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.

Nearby Context

John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up,

John 3:15 that every one who believes on him may [not perish, but] have life eternal.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.

John 3:17 For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.

John 3:18 He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "world", "only begotten Son", "loved", "gave", "whosoever", "believes", "perish", and "life". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "world" and "only begotten Son", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "that every one who believes on him..." into verse 17's "For God has not sent his Son...", so "world" and "only begotten Son" belong inside that flow. In Jesus Explains God's Saving Love, the local focus is new birth, eternal life, belief and unbelief, and God's saving love.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "world" and "only begotten Son" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.