John 3:33 Meaning and Explanation
“He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Whoever receives his testimony certifies that God is true.
What Does John 3:33 Mean?
Against the no man of the previous verse stands the receiver. To receive the testimony of the One from heaven is to set to his seal — the image is of a signet pressed into wax, certifying a document — declaring before all: God is true.
Faith, in this picture, is the countersigning of God's word. The verse quietly joins the Son's voice to the Father's truthfulness: to trust Jesus is to vouch for God, and to refuse him, John later writes, is to make God a liar (1 John 5:10). Believing is therefore an act of honoring — giving God the glory of being truthful. Every soul that takes Christ at his word adds its small seal to heaven's document, and finds in time that the document holds.
John 3:33 in the Original Language
sphragizo (σφραγίζω), 'set to his seal' -- to stamp with a seal, certifying a thing as genuine.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 3:33
What does John 3:33 mean?
Whoever receives his testimony certifies that God is true.