This is round two of my attempt to determine whether that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light¹ is the judgment/condemnation God did not send his Son into the world to do² and has been done already to the one who does not believe,³ or the basis for judging,⁴ and the rationale or justification for another unspecified judgment/condemnation.  Secondly, assuming that this unspecified judgment/condemnation is to burn in hell for all eternity, I am attempting to discover whether John 3:16-21 offers any scriptural support for the gospel I was socialized into: believe in the Lord Jesus Christ or burn in hell for all eternity.

Jesus certainly taught his disciples about hell (γέεννα).  The note (27) in the NET provides a brief historical sketch: “The word translated hell is ‘Gehenna’ (γέεννα, geenna), a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words ge hinnom (‘Valley of Hinnom’). This was the valley along the south side of Jerusalem. In OT times it was used for human sacrifices to the pagan god Molech (cf. Jer 7:31; 19:5-6; 32:35), and it came to be used as a place where human excrement and rubbish were disposed of and burned. In the intertestamental period, it came to be used symbolically as the place of divine punishment (cf. 1 En. 27:2, 90:26; 4 Ezra 7:36).”

Jesus said, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.⁵  Fear the one who, after the killing, has authority to throw you into hell.  Yes, I tell you, fear him!⁶  Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites!  You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!⁷  You snakes, you offspring of vipers!  How will you escape being condemned to hell?⁸

He made the following comparisons:  It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell [Table].⁹  It is better for you¹⁰ to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire.¹¹  It is better¹² to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.¹³  It is better for you to enter into life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into fiery hell.¹⁴  It is better¹⁵ to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,¹⁶ where their worm never dies and the fire is never quenched.¹⁷  And finally Jesus said, whoever says “Fool” will be sent to fiery hell.¹⁸

That is some strong language.  It lends credence to the NET translation, Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light…¹⁹  After all, this section begins with the statement that God gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.²⁰  The Greek word translated will…perish is ἀπόληται (a form of ἀπόλλυμι).  (The negation is μὴ.)  One of the metaphorical definitions of ἀπόληται according to the NET online Bible is: “1e) metaph. to devote or give over to eternal misery in hell.”  It is translated lose in Matthew 5:29, 30 (NET).

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away!  It is better to lose (ἀπόληται) one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.  If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away!  It is better to lose (ἀπόληται) one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell [Table].

It was translated be lost in the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:10, 12-14 NET).

See that you do not disdain one of these little ones [who believe in me²¹].  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven…What do you think?  If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.  In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing (οὐκ ἔστιν θέλημα) that one of these little ones be lost (ἀπόληται) [Table].

It was translated will perish when Jesus foretold his disciples’ future (Luke 21:10-19 NET):

Nation will rise up in arms against²² nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be great earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.  But before all²³ this, they will seize you and persecute you, handing you over to the²⁴ synagogues and prisons.  You will be brought²⁵ before kings and governors because of my name.  This²⁶ will be a time for you to serve as witnesses.  Therefore be resolved²⁷ not to rehearse ahead of time how to make your defense.  For I will give you the words along with the wisdom that none²⁸ of your adversaries will be able to withstand or²⁹ contradict.  You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will have some of you put to death.  You will be hated by everyone because of my name.  Yet not a hair of your head will perish (ἀπόληται).  By your endurance you will gain your lives.

When they were all satisfied, after Jesus fed 5,000 or more people with five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted (ἀπόληται).”³⁰  But ἀπόληται was translated to perish once again in John’s Gospel when Caiaphas prophesied (John 11:49-53 NET).

Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, “You know nothing at all!  You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish (ἀπόληται).”  (Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation [Table], and not for the Jewish nation only, but to gather together into one the children of God who are scattered.)  So from that day they planned together to kill him [Table].

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.  In humiliation justice (κρίσις) was taken from him.  Who can describe his posterity?  For his life was taken away from the earth.”³¹  This was the passage from Isaiah that the Ethiopian eunuch read (aloud presumably) when Philip was led by the Holy Spirit to accompany his chariot on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza.  Then the eunuch said to Philip, “Please tell me, who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?”  So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.³²

This translation of κρίσις as justice leads me back to the translation of κρίσις as the basis for judging, for what is justice if not a basis for judging?  Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.³³  Viewed this way people were not condemned to be given over to eternal misery in hell because they loved the darkness rather than the light, but because loving the darkness rather than the light demonstrated that their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.  But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.³⁴

One of the definitions of πονηρὰ (a form of πονηρός), the word translated evil in verse 19, is “evil wicked, bad.”  And one of the definitions of φαῦλα (a form of φαῦλος), the word translated evil deeds in verse 20, is “bad, base, wicked.”

 

Addendum: December 14, 2025
According to a note (85) in the NET Acts 8:32b, 33 was a quotation from Isaiah 53:7, 8. The following tables compare the Greek of that quotation with the Septuagint.

Acts 8:32b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 53:7b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 53:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ |κείραντος| αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα
Acts 8:32b (NET)	Isaiah 53:7b (NETS)	Isaiah 53:7b (English Elpenor)
“He was led like a sheep to slaughter, and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.	like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before the one shearing it, so he does not open his mouth.	he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.

Acts 8:33 (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 53:8a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 53:8a (Septuagint Elpenor)
Ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ	ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ	ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ
Acts 8:33 (NET)	Isaiah 53:8a (NETS)	Isaiah 53:8a (English Elpenor)
In humiliation justice was taken from him. Who can describe his posterity? For his life was taken away from the earth.”	In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. Who will describe his generation? Because his life is being taken from the earth,	In [his] humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth:

Tables comparing Isaiah 53:7 and 53:8 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Isaiah 53:7 and 53:8 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and comparing Mark 9:43; 9:45; 9:47; Luke 21:10 and 21:12-15 in the KJV and NET follow.

Isaiah 53:7 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 53:7 (KJV)	Isaiah 53:7 (NET)
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.	He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.	He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth.

Isaiah 53:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 53:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ	καὶ αὐτὸς διὰ τὸ κεκακῶσθαι οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα
Isaiah 53:7 (NETS)	Isaiah 53:7 (English Elpenor)
And he, because he has been ill-treated, does not open his mouth; like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent before the one shearing it, so he does not open his mouth.	And he, because of his affliction, opens not his mouth: he was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.

Isaiah 53:8 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 53:8 (KJV)	Isaiah 53:8 (NET)
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.	He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.	He was led away after an unjust trial—but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.

Isaiah 53:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 53:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον	ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνομιῶν τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἤχθη εἰς θάνατον
Isaiah 53:8 (NETS)	Isaiah 53:8 (English Elpenor)
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. Who will describe his generation? Because his life is being taken from the earth, he was led to death on account of the acts of lawlessness of my people.	In [his] humiliation his judgment was taken away: who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken away from the earth: because of the iniquities of my people he was led to death.

Mark 9:43 (NET)	Mark 9:43 (KJV)
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than to have two hands and go into hell, to the unquenchable fire.	And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:43 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 9:43 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 9:43 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἐὰν |σκανδαλίζῃ| σε ἡ χείρ σου, ἀπόκοψον αὐτήν· καλόν ἐστίν σε κυλλὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν ἢ τὰς δύο χεῖρας ἔχοντα ἀπελθεῖν εἰς τὴν γέενναν, εἰς τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἄσβεστον	και εαν σκανδαλιζη σε η χειρ σου αποκοψον αυτην καλον σοι εστιν κυλλον εις την ζωην εισελθειν η τας δυο χειρας εχοντα απελθειν εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον	και εαν σκανδαλιζη σε η χειρ σου αποκοψον αυτην καλον σοι εστιν κυλλον εις την ζωην εισελθειν η τας δυο χειρας εχοντα απελθειν εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον

Mark 9:45 (NET)	Mark 9:45 (KJV)
If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! It is better to enter life lame than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.	And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched:

Mark 9:45 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 9:45 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 9:45 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἐὰν ὁ πούς σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἀπόκοψον αὐτόν· καλόν ἐστίν σε εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν ζωὴν χωλὸν ἢ τοὺς δύο πόδας ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς τὴν γέενναν	και εαν ο πους σου σκανδαλιζη σε αποκοψον αυτον καλον εστιν σοι εισελθειν εις την ζωην χωλον η τους δυο ποδας εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον	και εαν ο πους σου σκανδαλιζη σε αποκοψον αυτον καλον εστιν σοι εισελθειν εις την ζωην χωλον η τους δυο ποδας εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν εις το πυρ το ασβεστον

Mark 9:47 (NET)	Mark 9:47 (KJV)
If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,	And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire:

Mark 9:47 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 9:47 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 9:47 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἐὰν ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔκβαλε αὐτόν· καλόν σέ ἐστιν μονόφθαλμον εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ δύο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα βληθῆναι εἰς |τὴν| γέενναν	και εαν ο οφθαλμος σου σκανδαλιζη σε εκβαλε αυτον καλον σοι εστιν μονοφθαλμον εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου η δυο οφθαλμους εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν του πυρος	και εαν ο οφθαλμος σου σκανδαλιζη σε εκβαλε αυτον καλον σοι εστιν μονοφθαλμον εισελθειν εις την βασιλειαν του θεου η δυο οφθαλμους εχοντα βληθηναι εις την γεενναν του πυρος

Luke 21:10 (NET)	Luke 21:10 (KJV)
Then he said to them, “Nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.	Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

Luke 21:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 21:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 21:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Τότε ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· ἐγερθήσεται ἔθνος ἐπ᾿ ἔθνος καὶ βασιλεία ἐπὶ βασιλείαν	τοτε ελεγεν αυτοις εγερθησεται εθνος επι εθνος και βασιλεια επι βασιλειαν	τοτε ελεγεν αυτοις εγερθησεται εθνος επι εθνος και βασιλεια επι βασιλειαν

Luke 21:12-15 (NET)	Luke 21:12-15 (KJV)
But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you, handing you over to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.	But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.

Luke 21:12 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 21:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 21:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Πρὸ δὲ τούτων πάντων ἐπιβαλοῦσιν ἐφ᾿ ὑμᾶς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν καὶ διώξουσιν, παραδιδόντες εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς καὶ φυλακάς, ἀπαγομένους ἐπὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ ἡγεμόνας ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος μου	προ δε τουτων απαντων επιβαλουσιν εφ υμας τας χειρας αυτων και διωξουσιν παραδιδοντες εις συναγωγας και φυλακας αγομενους επι βασιλεις και ηγεμονας ενεκεν του ονοματος μου	προ δε τουτων παντων επιβαλουσιν εφ υμας τας χειρας αυτων και διωξουσιν παραδιδοντες εις συναγωγας και φυλακας αγομενους επι βασιλεις και ηγεμονας ενεκεν του ονοματος μου

This will be a time for you to serve as witnesses.

And it shall turn to you for a testimony.

Luke 21:13 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 21:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 21:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν εἰς μαρτύριον	αποβησεται δε υμιν εις μαρτυριον	αποβησεται δε υμιν εις μαρτυριον

Therefore be resolved not to rehearse ahead of time how to make your defense.

Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer:

Luke 21:14 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 21:14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 21:14 (Byzantine Majority Text)
θέτε οὖν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν μὴ προμελετᾶν ἀπολογηθῆναι	θεσθε ουν εις τας καρδιας υμων μη προμελεταν απολογηθηναι	θεσθε ουν εις τας καρδιας υμων μη προμελεταν απολογηθηναι

For I will give you the words along with the wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Luke 21:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 21:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 21:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐγὼ γὰρ δώσω ὑμῖν στόμα καὶ σοφίαν ᾗ οὐ δυνήσονται ἀντιστῆναι ἢ ἀντειπεῖν ἅπαντες οἱ ἀντικείμενοι ὑμῖν	εγω γαρ δωσω υμιν στομα και σοφιαν η ου δυνησονται αντειπειν ουδε αντιστηναι παντες οι αντικειμενοι υμιν	εγω γαρ δωσω υμιν στομα και σοφιαν η ου δυνησονται αντειπειν ουδε αντιστηναι παντες οι αντικειμενοι υμιν