Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me - that is, 'believeth in Him as having sent Me.'
Hath everlasting life - hath it immediately on his believing: see the note at John 3:18; and compare 1 John 5:12-13;
And shall not come, [ erchetai (G2064 ), rather, 'and cometh not'] into condemnation. So absolved is he from guilt-so released from the sentence of condemnation, which as a sinner the divine law had fastened upon him-that the life which he enjoys is henceforth and forever a life of uncondemned, unrebuked right to stand before a holy God on terms of peace and acceptance.
But is passed from, [ metabebeeken (G3327 ) ek (G1537 ), literally, 'hath passed over out of'] death unto life. What a transition! But though 'freedom from condemnation' is that feature of this new life which our Lord here emphatically dwells on, it is quite evident-both from what goes before and what follows after-that it is life from the dead in the widest sense which our Lord means us to understand as communicated, of His own inherent will, to all who believe in Him. (Compare 1 John 3:14.) It is as if He had said, 'I have spoken of the Son's right not only to heal the sick, but to raise from the dead, and quicken whom He will: And now I say unto you, That life-giving operation has already passed upon all who receive my words as the Sent of the Father on the great errand of mercy.'