THE KING’S BUSINESS
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nal life. The vilest sinner on earth, the moment he believes “in Christ,” or “on Christ,” that moment obtains eternal life ( See v. 36). It was in order that (this is the exact force of the “that” with which v. 15 begins) whosoever believeth might have eter nal life that the Son of man was lifted up on the cross, i. e. the life was obtained by His lifting u p : the beliew er obtains life only by His crucifixion (cf. Gal. 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:21). His atoning death procured the eternal life for all believers and simple faith in Him appropriates the eternal life which was thus procured. Every one that believes obtains eternal life the moment he believes. The Greek word translated “eternal” is primarily a time word. Its first meaning is “without beginning or end, that which always has been and always will be.” The secondary meaning is “without end, never to cease, everlasting.” It means literally age lasting and de scribes things as enduring, not merely through years or centuries but through ages. It is conceivable that the word should be used of that which should last through many ages and yet finally have an end, but there is not a case in the New Testament where it is so used. In every passage that is clear it is used of things that have no end. It is most frequently used of eternal life; it is also used of God and of the Holy Spirit and of re demption and the everlasting King dom, and in similar connections. As used in connection with life, while it is primarily a time word, it has also to do with the quality as well as the duration of the life. The phrase “eter nal life” is of frequent occurrence in the Gospel of John. It is found sev enteen times, but this is the first place where it occurs. Its meaning is de fined by our Saviour Himself in chap ter 17:3, and by John 1 John 1 :2. From the latter passage we see that
22:17) may look at Christ and whoso ever will look will be saved. (22). If any one died in the camp of Israel from the bite of the serpent, it was simply because he would not look, and if any one perishes among men it will be simply because he will not come to Christ and get life (John 5:40). The three words “not perish but” are not found in most of the best mss. and it is generally agreed by the best textual critics that they should not occur here. They do, however, occur in the next verse. The Revised Ver sion and many others would translate the words that remain “that whoso ever believeth may in Him have eter nal life,” connecting the “in Him” with having eternal life and not with the “believeth.” This would doubt less be a true thought, for it is in Christ that we have eternal life (Rom. 6:23, R. V.), but it is more in har mony with the verse that follows to connect the “in Him” with “believ- eth”as is done in the Authorized Ver sion than with the “have eternal life” as is done in the Revised Ver sion. It also seems to be necessi tated by the fact that in some of the best MSS. including the Sinaitic, the preposition preceding the pronoun does not mean “in” but “into” or “upon,” the same preposition that is used in v. 16 and translated in the Authorized Version “in” but in the Revised Version “on.” If this is the true reading, the rendering of the Revised Version is impossible. How ever, it does not greatly matter. Like the overwhelming majority of textual variations, no truth is affected, for whether we connect the “In Him” with the believing or with the having eternal life, it is believing in Him that brings eternal life and it is also in Him that we have the eternal life that believing brings. ' Whosoever” believes obtains eter
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