BTECH F8HP Pro and John 3:16
I am reviewing a radio sold by BTECH, the BF-F8HP Pro. The box for the radio has two scripture references; John 3:16 and John 14:6. My favorite of the two is John 14:6 - Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.”
John 3:16 is an excellent verse, but it is often misinterpreted as an invitation. There are verses in the Bible that invite you to believe, so I’m not opposed to the good intentions of people who say this verse is an invitation. But strictly speaking, the verse is not an invitation but an identification.
Here’s the verse: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Many interpret that to mean, “God so loved the world that if you believe in Him, you shall not perish, but have eternal life.” For the most part, that is true. But it is not a faithful translation of the verse.
Young’s Literal Translation comes closest to the original Greek: “for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.”
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What’s the difference? It’s not “if you believe”. It’s “Every one who is believing”. “Every one who is believing” identifies those who are in a continual state of believing, i.e., a continual state of faith. These are the ones who shall not perish but have eternal life.
Why is that difference significant? Take, for example, Matthew 13:20-21, the parable of the sower. The parable describes some people as “20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” This person is not “one who is believing”, but one who believed, or had faith, for a while and then falls away. So John 3:16 does not apply to this person.
Having said all that, I praise God that BTECH placed these Scripture references on their packaging.