John 3:16 · KJV
John 3:16
For God So Loved the World
John 3:16 sums up the gospel in a single sentence: God loved the world so much that He gave His Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. It is the most famous verse in the Bible.
John 3:16 (KJV)
“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.”
What John 3:16 means
"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." Every clause carries weight — the scope of the love (the world), the cost of it (His only Son), the condition (whosoever believes), and the outcome (everlasting life).
Jesus speaks these words to Nicodemus, a religious leader who came to Him at night. The verse compresses the whole message of Christianity into one line: love that gives, a gift that saves, and an offer open to "whosoever." It is the single most quoted, printed, and memorized verse in the world.
Key verse
“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 3:16 · KJV — The gospel in one verse.
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A prayer from John 3:16
God, thank You for loving the world — and me — so much that You gave Your only Son. I believe in Him; thank You for the gift of everlasting life. Amen.
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Frequently asked
What does John 3:16 mean?
John 3:16 sums up the gospel in a single sentence: God loved the world so much that He gave His Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. It is the most famous verse in the Bible.
What is John 3:16 about?
"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." Every clause carries weight — the scope of the love (the world), the cost of it (His only Son), the condition (whosoever believes), and the outcome (everlasting life).
What is the key verse in John 3:16?
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.”
Is John 3:16 in the King James Version?
Yes. The full text of John 3:16 on this page is the King James Version (KJV), which is in the public domain.