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<h3>Recommendations</h3>
<p><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book/401-music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jwoogm-20?node=1&amp;page=2">What Did Jesus Say?</a> (2012) - 7 topics&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
<p>None above affiliated with me</p> </div>
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<h1>Chapter 26 John 3:16 Obeying Unto Christ Saves? &nbsp;(Part One)</h1>
<h2><strong>Introduction</strong></h2>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">When the English translations of the Greek New Testament were made in the 1526-1611 period, the “difficult Greek in which the New Testament is written...still held mysteries for” English scholars. (Nicolson: 224.) One of those mysteries was the Greek word <em>pisteuo</em> in John 3:16. In over 200 instances of <em>pisteuo</em> in the New Testament, not once did the King James Bible render it as <em>obey</em>. (See <em>Strong’s Concordance</em>.) However, scholars now realize<em> obey</em> was a common meaning of <em>pisteuo</em> in ancient Greek. <em>Obe</em>y certainly was the meaning of <em>pisteuo</em> in John 3:36 (See Part 2, JWOS: <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA448">448</a>). Yet, this obedience-salvation formula is identically repeated in John 3:16.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Besides John 3:36 helping, one can more easily accept <em>pisteuo</em> means <em>obeys</em> in John 3:16 when one looks at Apostle John’s many quotes of Jesus about obedience. Jesus in John&nbsp;8:51 says “whoever keeps on obeying (<em>tereo</em>) My Teaching&nbsp;should never ever die.”<sup><strong>1</strong></sup> In John 15:1-10, Jesus says a “branch in me” that does not “bear fruit” is “taken away,” “cut off from the vine,” thrown “outside and burned.”<sup><strong> 2</strong></sup></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">John likewise quoted Jesus saying in total accord:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good [things], unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil [things], unto the resurrection of damnation. (John&nbsp;5:28-29 KJV).<sup><strong>3</strong></sup></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">See also &nbsp;“John 8:51: Obedience Should Save” on page 367 et seq.&nbsp;See “Metaphor Of The Vine” on page 343 et seq.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">We saw again that Apostle John was told that those who obey the commandments (plural) have the right to the tree of life. (Rev. 22:14.) John writes:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Happy [are] the ones doing His commandments, so that their right will be to the tree of life, and they shall enter by the gates into the&nbsp;city. (Rev 22:14)(ALT)<sup><strong>4</strong></sup></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">We also saw Apostle John writing Jesus’ words to the Sardisian Christians. They are dead due to having “incomplete works.” They can prevent the Spirit leaving by repenting and obeying. Through John’s pen, Jesus tells them:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: ‘These [things] says the One having the seven spirits of God and the seven stars [i.e., Jesus is speaking]: I know your<em><strong> works</strong></em>, that you have a name that you live, and<strong><em> you are dead</em></strong>.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">(2) ‘Become watching [fig., Wake up], and strengthen the rest which you were about to be throwing out, for I have <em><strong>not found your works having been completed</strong></em> before My God. (3) Therefore, be remembering how you have received, and be keeping [tereo, obey] it, and repent. Therefore, if you will not watch, I will come upon you like a thief, and you shall by no means know what hour I will come upon you.”&nbsp;(Rev 3:1-3 ALT.)<sup><strong>5</strong></sup></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">John another time relays Jesus as saying that lukewarm works by Christians at Laodicea will cause Jesus to spew them out of His mouth.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">I know thy <strong><em>works, that thou art neither cold nor hot</em></strong>: I would thou wert cold or hot. (16) So&nbsp;then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, <strong><em>I will spue thee out of my mouth</em></strong>. (Rev 3:15-16 KJV.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Finally, we saw among the many verses that tied eternal life (zoe ainon) to obedience and works was the following words of Jesus recorded by Apostle John:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">He that loveth his life loseth it; and he that<strong><em> hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal</em></strong>. (26) If any man serve me, let him <strong><em>follow me</em></strong>; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will the Father honor. (John 12:25-26 ASV.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">These passages from the writings of John quoting Jesus are but echoes of what we find in Matthew, Luke and Mark. John is repeatedly emphasizing themes of obedience.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Hence, besides John 3:36, these passages from John make the proposed translation of John 3:16 as about <em>obedience</em> appear far more sensible than translation tradition would suggest. This change, incidentally, will unite what scholars call the Synoptic-Jesus with the Johannine Jesus. It turns out there are no separate portrayals of Jesus in the mind of Matthew-Mark-Luke versus the mind of John. Rather, the translators have<strong><em> improperly given Jesus two doctrines and two personalities</em></strong> by erroneously translating John 3:16 in a manner which suits cheap grace doctrine to leave uncorrected.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">However, we shall see that the leading evangelical scholars who dared write on this question begrudgingly admit <strong><em>pisteuo</em></strong> means<strong><em> obey</em></strong> in John 3:16. It is only the translators who, for some inexplicable reason, continue to hesitate to make this now compellingly-obvious correction.</span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #000080;">Three Interpretive Issues</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">John 3:16 is the most commonly cited passage from Jesus to prove one is saved by faith alone. This faith is usually described as believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior. Or sometimes it is said that you must simply believe that Jesus died for your sins. (Stanley, Spurgeon.) Sometimes it is said you must also believe that Jesus resurrected.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Whatever is the belief one must hold to be saved, typically it is also claimed John 3:16 conveys the idea of a onetime belief. In fact, Charles Stanley in <em>Eternal Security</em> (1995) at 95 says the verb believes in the standard translation implies a one-time belief (that Christ died for your sins, <em>id</em>., at 33-34). Hence, such a one-time belief is supposedly all that you need to be saved. Therefore, it is allegedly irrelevant whether one repents from sin or not. Stanley says it is a good idea to change, but it only improves your fellowship with God. The Lord will supposedly save the disobedient believer anyway based on faith alone.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">In fact, Stanley says your salvation is such a foregone conclusion once you sincerely believe Christ died for your sins that even if you for all practical purposes were later an unbeliever in thought and deed, your salvation is never in jeopardy: “Even if a believer for all practical purposes <strong><em>becomes an unbeliever</em></strong>, his <strong><em>salvation is not in jeopardy</em></strong>.” (Stanley, <em>Eternal Security, supra</em>, at 93.) Salvation is supposedly by faith alone, from start to finish.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">However, there are three defects in the popular English translation of the original Greek which in turn feed these interpretations of the verse. (These defects also appear in the German Luther Bible of 1522.) The correction of these defects turn on answering these three questions:</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Does the verb <em>pisteuo</em> translated in English as <em>believes</em> in the KJV mean<em> believe</em> or instead <em><strong>obey</strong></em>, comply, trust, etc.?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Is it <em>pisteuo</em> “in” Jesus or “for (unto)” Jesus” in the original Greek?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Is the verb form taken for <em>pisteousin </em>translated in the KJV as <em>believes</em> (the English simple present tense) instead in Greek a continuous tense meaning? In other words, is the meaning<em> keeps on</em> or <em>continues to </em>in front of whatever the verb means for<em> pisteuo</em>,<em> i.e</em>., <em>keeps on obeying</em>, etc., or<em> keeps on believing</em>?</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Two of these three issues are readily apparent if you compare common translations of John 3:16, in particular the bolded portions below, on the left with those on the right.</span></p>
<p><img src="/images/stories/Salvation/table1john316.jpg" /></p>
<h3><span style="color: #000080;"><strong>Does It Matter If John 3:16 Is About Obedience Not Belief?</strong></span></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">There is a huge difference theologically between obey, comply, trust on one side and belief on the other.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Jesus discussed once this distinction. Jesus said it is incongruous to think you can say you believe in Him as Lord but feel free to disobey Him. Jesus said: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46.) Jesus therefore declares it is unfathomable that one thinks it is enough to believe in Him but not obey Him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Another proof of a large chasm of difference between mere belief and obedience comes from the gospel accounts about demons.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Demons believe Jesus is Lord and Savior. (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34. See also, James 2:19.) The demons, however, do not obey Jesus as Lord. They do not act in compliance with their acknowledgment of the fact of who Jesus is. They do not trust Him. They do not obey Him.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Pastor Stedman, an evangelical scholar who believes in ‘faith alone,’ unwittingly admits this distinction:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Remember that back in the Gospel accounts there were demons that acknowledged the deity of the Lord Jesus? When he appeared before them they said, ‘We know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ (cf, Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34.) They acknowledged what the Jews were too blind to see, the full deity of Jesus Christ, as well as his humanity. But, though demons acknowledged this, they never confessed it. They never trusted him. <em><strong>They did not commit&nbsp;themselves to him</strong></em>, they did not live by this truth.<sup><strong>6</strong></sup></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Yet, we are told that John 3:16 proves that if you believe Jesus is Lord, Messiah, died for your sins, etc., then you shall have eternal life. If this were true, then the<em><strong> demons should be saved</strong></em> because they believe and know these things are true. (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34.) James made a similar point in James 2:19. He says the demons believe the facts about God, but they are not saved thereby.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Hence, when we consider Jesus’ dismay that people think they can call Him Lord but that obedience is optional, we are justified questioning John 3:16 in standard translation because it licenses that doctrine for so many.</span></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000080;">Reliable Dictionary Meanings Of Pisteuo In John 3:16 As Obey</span></strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The most exhaustive dictionary of ancient Greek is Liddell-Scott’s Lexicon. It is by far the most reliable.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">There are six meanings offered in Liddell-Scott’s Lexicon of the Greek verb <em>pisteuo</em> at issue in John 3:16.7</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">One meaning in Liddell-Scott for the verb <em>pisteuo</em> is<strong><em> comply</em></strong>. A synonym is <strong><em>obey</em></strong>. (See Footnote 7, page <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA423">423</a>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The <em>NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words</em> (Zondervan: 2000) has this likewise to say of <em>pisteuo</em>:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Similarly, <em>pisteuo</em> means to trust something or someone; it can refer to and confirm legendary tales and mythical ideas. With<strong><em> reference to people</em></strong>, <strong><em>pisteuo means to obey</em></strong>; the pass[ive] Means to enjoy trust...</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">This is likewise mentioned in the highly authoritative <em>Theological Dictionary of the New Testament</em> (TDNT) 6 (1968): 4-7, in an entry by Bultmann (1884-1976) — the eminent Lutheran scholar — in which he says the verb “pisteuo means” (among other things) “‘to trust’” and “also ‘to obey.’” (It is both enlightening and disturbing to watch how ‘cheap grace adherents cope with this dictionary entry despite the TDNT being one of the most authoritative and scholarly dictionary references within Protestantism.)<sup><strong>8</strong></sup></span></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000080;">What If It Only Looks Like A Dictionary? It Still Is Not One</span></strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Yet, do not be surprised when you go to the evangelical bookstore, and you open up a Greek word study on <em>pisteuo</em>, and you find “obey” and “comply” are not even identified as possible meanings. For example, in Spiros Zodhiates, <em>The Complete Word Study — New Testament</em> (Chatanooga, TN: AMG, 1993) at 1160-62 — on my local Christian bookstore shelf in 2007 — you will see what appears to be a comprehensive entry on<em> pisteuo</em>. Yet, not once does it&nbsp;mention “obey” or “comply” as a definition. It is obvious what is happening. Zodhiates never calls his word study a dictionary, and thus you cannot accuse him of misleading anyone. He called it a word study, not a dictionary. Unfortunately, the average Christian does not know the fine distinction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The same problem holds true of the <em>Strong’s Concordance</em>. Its title — a concordance — means it is only a reference to how the King James Bible translated every Greek word listed. It does not purport to be a dictionary. However, most Christians think because it is laid out as a dictionary, that in fact it is a dictionary. However, Strong’s is not a dictionary, and never purports to be one. Yet, if you rely upon its ‘entries’ under <em>pisteuo</em>, you never once see the meaning <em>obey</em> or <em>comply</em>. Don’t be fooled. If it does not say it is a dictionary, it is not purporting to be one.</span></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000080;">How Negative Prefixes Aid Translation</span></strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">One can further confirm <em>pisteuo</em>’s meaning by adding a negative prefix in front of <em>pisteuo</em> — the letter <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">a</span></em>, and then see what are the word meanings of the Greek word formed thereby — <em>apisteo</em>. Liddell-Scott points out that <em>apisteo</em> means, among other things, “to<em><strong> disobey...refuse to comply</strong></em>.” (Liddell-Scott, <em>Greek Lexicon</em>.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><em>Apisteo</em> is clearly used in this way in 1 Peter 2:7. See KJV-Geneva “disobey.” See also 2 Tim 2:13 (“if we are <em>apisteo</em> disobeying” is antithesis to God’s <em>pistos</em> or<em> faithfulness</em>). In the Septuagint of 247 B.C., <em>apisteo</em> “several times answers to the Hebrew [word for] rebellious.” (Parkhurst, 1829:71.)</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Of course, <em>apisteo</em> can still mean <em>disbelieve</em>, just as <em>pisteuo</em> can still mean<em> believe in a fact or truth</em>. Nevertheless, the point is that to a Greek the idea of a belief alone is not necessarily the correct meaning. A competing and valid meaning of <em>pisteuo</em> is <em>obey</em> or <em>comply</em>. This is demonstrable not only from the dictionary meaning of pisteuo, but also from the definition of its opposite — <em>apisteo</em>.</span></p>
<p><strong><span style="color: #000080;"><a href="/books/hownottosudythebible/download-e-book/162-chapter-26-2jwos.html"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000080;">Continue to Part 2.</span></a></span></strong></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #000080;">FOOTNOTES TO PART 1.</span></strong></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">1. See John 8:51, Obedience Saves at&nbsp;<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA367">367</a> et seq.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">2. See Metaphor of the Vine at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA343">363</a> et seq.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">3. See Those who have Done Good things are Resurrected at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA395">395</a> et seq .</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">4. See Right to the Tree of Life at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA373">373</a> et seq.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">5. See Incomplete &amp; Lukewarm Works at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&amp;lpg=PP1&amp;dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&amp;pg=PA401">401</a> et seq.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">6. Ray C. Stedman, When Unbelief is Right (1967), reprinted at <a href="http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/1john/0161.html">http://www.pbc.org/dp/stedman/1john/0161.html</a> (last visited 2005).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">7. Liddel Scott defines<em> pisteuo</em> as:</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">"1. trust, put faith in, rely on a person, thing, or statement,</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">2. Pass[ive], to be trusted or believed</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">3. comply.</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">4. c. infinitive., believe that, feel confident that a thing is, will be, has been</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">5. c. dat. and inf., toisi episteue sigan to whom he trusted that they would keep silence</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">6. have faith II. (1) p. tini ti entrust something to another (2) Pass., pisteuesthai ti to be entrusted with a thing, have it committed to one." This is available online or in a library in the Liddell &amp; Scott <em>Greek Lexicon</em> (Oxford: 1869) at 1273.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">8. Bing is critical of translating<em> pisteuo</em> as <em>obey</em>. Rather than deal properly with the issue, he barely mentions the authoritative sources that directly define <em>pisteuo</em> as sometimes meaning<em> obey</em>. When he discusses Bultmann's entry in the TDNT, Bing claims <em>obey</em> is merely a "suggestion." Bing then says Bultmann's theology is driving this "suggestion" rather than Greek. Bing then makes it sound like Bultmann is relying on weak lexical aids. What Bing never does is explore what Greek dictionaries (not concordances or word studies) include among the definitions of <em>pisteuo</em>. On that score, Bultmann would have been a poor scholar had he omitted <em>obey</em> as one definition. See Charles C. Bing,<em> Lordship Salvation -- A Biblical Evaluation and Response</em> (Ph.D. Dissertation) (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1991), reprinted at <a href="http://www.forerunner.org/bing/LS-chap2.htm">http://www.forerunner.org/bing/LS-chap2.htm</a> (accessed 7-21-07).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">&nbsp;</span></p>
<hr />
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Response to This Issue</span></strong></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: medium; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Mishna's YouTube "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2gsCxa_obM">Silver Bullett for a BenjamiteWolf</a>" - takes the thesis of this part of JWOS, and makes a 3 Minute Video with stirring music to make the point.</span></p>
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