Bible Strands
John 3:33
Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jesus addresses Nicodemus during a nighttime discourse, speaking immediately after noting in John 3:32 that the world rejected His witness.
The words — The verb ἐσφράγισεν (esphragisen) literally means "has set his seal," denoting a formal act of authentication. The participle λαβὼν (labōn) translates as "having received," describing the active intake of that witness.
The thread — This sealing imagery recurs in Ephesians 1:13 as a mark of divine ownership and in Hebrews 6:17 as God’s guarantee of His purpose. The underlying claim of divine reliability also grounds 2 Corinthians 1:18, where God’s faithful word rules out any "Yes" and "No."
Why it lands — The text requires the reader to actively receive Christ’s witness as a personal confirmation of God’s trustworthiness. Acceptance operates as a decisive act that validates divine truth rather than a passive observation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 1:13 And in Him, having heard and believed the word of truth—the gospel of your salvation—you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
- Hebrews 6:17 So when God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of the promise, He guaranteed it with an oath.
- 2 Corinthians 1:18 But as surely as God is faithful, our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.”
- Titus 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
- John 6:27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”
- Romans 3:3 What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
- Romans 4:18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
- 2 Corinthians 1:22 placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- 1 John 5:9 Even if we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son.
- Revelation 7:3 “Do not harm the land or sea or trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”