The meaning of the verb believes (see 2.24-25) and the concept of eternal life (see 1.4 and 3.15) have been discussed. It is important to notice in the present verse that the possession of eternal life is looked upon as a present experience of the believer (has eternal life).

Disobeys occurs only here in John’s Gospel; it is obviously the opposite of believes, and so Jerusalem Bible and Phillips translate “refuses to believe.” It is possible to argue that the meaning of disobeys throws some light on the meaning of believes, that is, this kind of belief is the belief which leads to obedience. Therefore one may translate “Whoever obeys the Son has eternal life, and whoever disobeys the Son will never have life.” However, it is better to retain the terms “believes” and “disobeys,” since the very lack of clear opposition tends to reinforce the meaning of the respective terms.

Will not have is literally “will not see.” However, the verb “to see” is used here in the sense of “to experience” (Goodspeed “will not experience life”), as it is used in 3.3. The second time that life occurs in 3.36 it means eternal life. Will not have life may be so translated as to refer to the distinctive quality of life implied in “eternal life,” for example, “will not have real life” or “will not really live.”

But will remain under God’s punishment is literally “but the wrath of God remains on him.” The force of the present tense, “remains,” indicates not only that God’s wrath is presently upon the person who disobeys the Son, but also that the punishment will continue. This fact is emphasized in the Good News Translation rendering will remain under.

The traditional rendering, “God’s wrath,” does not refer primarily to God’s feelings (as might be suggested by such a translation as “God’s anger”). Rather, it refers to God’s action in judging and punishing men for their sins. A literal translation of “wrath” too often suggests that God is attempting to get even with those who oppose him. The shift from the traditional term “wrath” to “God’s punishment” is not intended to eliminate reference to God’s stern opposition to sin but rather to focus upon the primary component in the meaning of “wrath.” namely, the fact of judgement. However, it is extremely difficult to translate such a phrase as will remain under God’s punishment. This expression is commonly rendered “will continue to be punished by God” or “God will continue to punish him.” The use of such an auxiliary as “continue” suggests both a present activity and a future continuation of an event.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .