John 3:17
For God sent not the Son ( ου γαρ απεστειλεν ο θεος τον υιον ). Explanation ( γαρ ) of God's sending the Son into the world. First aorist active indicative of αποστελλω. John uses both αποστελλω from which comes αποστολος (3:34; 5:36, 38, etc.) and πεμπω (4:34; 5:23, 24, 30, etc.) for God's sending the Son and πεμπω more frequently, but with no real difference in meaning. All the Gospels use ο υιος in the absolute sense in contrast with the Father (Mr 13:32; Mt 11:27; Lu 10:22).To judge ( ινα κρινη ). Final clause with ινα and the present (or aorist) active subjunctive of κρινω. The Messiah does judge the world as Jesus taught (Mt 25:31f.; Joh 5:27), but this was not the primary or the only purpose of his coming. See on Mt 7:1 for κρινω, to pick out, select, approve, condemn, used so often and in so many varying contexts in the N.T.
But that the world should be saved through him ( αλλ ινα σωθη ο κοσμος δι' αυτου ). First aorist passive subjunctive of σωζω, the common verb to save (from σως, safe and sound), from which σωτηρ (Saviour) comes (the Saviour of the world, 4:42; 1Jo 4:14) and σωτηρια (salvation, 4:22 here only in John). The verb σωζω is often used for physical health (Mr 5:28), but here of the spiritual salvation as in 5:34.
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