Changing One Word Makes A BIG Difference

John 3:16 may in fact be the best known and most quoted passage in all the Bible. In the verse, Jesus says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." Ask someone who is at least roughly familiar with Christianity to quote this and you'll likely be in luck.

One common error that shows up, however, is where one word in verse 16 is changed and that's the word "should." Oftentimes, this simple word is replaced with an equally simple word, "shall." And, while some might look at a discussion over this "minor" detail as being trivial, we must appreciate the significant difference in what is truthfully taught with the incorrect word.

We first establish that indeed, believing in God's only Son does lead to salvation. The Bible stresses such a fact in a number of other places (Mark 16:16; Acts 16:31). What must be observed initially, however, is that such faith in God and His Son isn't all that is required in order to be called one of God's children. One must also repent of his sins or else perish (Luke 13:3). And, one must submit to God by being baptized for the remission of his sins (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16).

Secondly, once a person believes in Jesus and chooses to become a Christian through baptism, the Bible stresses time and again that the new child of God has the duty to remain faithful throughout life. In fact, Jesus tells us that we are to remain faithful until death in Revelation 2:10. And, He reminds us that, in order to be saved, we have to "endure" to the end (Matthew 10:22).

If one quotes John 3:16 incorrectly (with the word shall) it teaches a false doctrine. That new, incorrect doctrine stresses belief which is good, but it states that with a person's belief alone, his salvation is guaranteed, regardless of the person's future course of action. God's power to save and Jesus' love for us is not diminished by the world "should." Rather, the correct wording stresses the necessity of a faithful life in service to God.

Paul wrote that he too had to make sure he was careful about the decisions he would make and actions he would take so as to not to become "disqualified" from the spiritual race in which we compete (I Corinthians 9:25-27). This same apostle, who we esteem as a great servant of the Cause, also warned first century Christians about being "estranged from Christ" and having "fallen from grace" (Galatians 5:4).

John 3:16 is a powerful verse that testifies to so much -- God's love, Jesus' willingness to die for us, and the great option we have to have faith in the One who can save us. Yet, as with all scripture, we must be diligent to "rightly divide" the truth and make sure that what we quote and teach is indeed the truth (II Timothy 2:15). One word does matter and God has done everything so that we "should" be saved. It is for us to begin this new week and the rest of our lives with a determined mindset to serve that great, wonderful, and merciful God.