Reference

John 3:15

Annihilation / Destruction Destruction / Perishing Language

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Why This Verse Was Tagged

Annihilation / Destruction

Keyword Match

50% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Destruction / Perishing Language

Keyword Match

30% relevance

This verse contains specific terms directly associated with this theme.

Counter-Arguments

The strongest case that this verse does not belong in this theme.

Annihilation / Destruction

The verse does not explicitly describe the wicked being destroyed or ceasing to exist. Instead, it focuses on the positive outcome for believers ("not perish, but have eternal life"), implying that "perishing" is the alternative for non-believers without detailing the nature of that perishing.

Destruction / Perishing Language

While the verse uses "perish," it does so in a conditional negative, emphasizing the *avoidance* of perishing through belief rather than actively describing the destruction of the wicked. The focus is on the positive outcome of eternal life, not the destructive fate itself.

Annihilation / Destruction

Related Verses

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 3:17

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

1 John 5:11

“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

1 John 5:12

“He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

1 John 2:25

“And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”

Thematic Connections

Annihilation / Destruction Destruction / Perishing Language

Private Study Note

Add your own reflections or cross-references for this verse.