John 3:20

20 ¹For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ²lest his works should be exposed.

John 3:20 Meaning and Commentary

John 3:20

For every one that doth evil, hateth the light
Every man, the series of whose life and conversation is evil, hates Christ and his Gospel, cause they make manifest his evil deeds, convict him of them, and rebuke him for them:

neither cometh to the light;
to hear Christ preach, or preached; to attend on the Gospel ministration and means of grace:

lest his deeds should be reproved;
or discovered, and made manifest, and he be brought to shame, and laid under blame, and advised to part with them, which he cares not to do; see ( Ephesians 5:11-13 ) .

John 3:20 In-Context

18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.

20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God."

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.

Cross References

• 1. [Job 24:13; Romans 13:12; Ephesians 5:13]
• 2. Ephesians 5:11, 13