3:8

In this verse John told the Pharisees and Sadducees what they should do in response to his rebuke in 3:7c. They should repent and show their repentance by thinking and acting the way God wanted them to.

then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then connects this verse to 3:7. Many English versions do not translate this conjunction here.

Here are some other ways to translate this connection:

Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance (NET Bible)
-or-

⌊In order to escape judgment,⌋ you should…
-or-

⌊If you want to avoid God’s punishment,⌋ you must…

Connect these two verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Produce fruit…in keeping with repentance: The phrase Produce fruit is a metaphor. A person’s good moral conduct is compared to fruit. They are similar in that both are the result and evidence of something. Fruit is the result and evidence of the type of tree it came from. A holy life is the result and evidence of someone who has truly repented.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Translate it literally. For example:

Produce fruit that shows that you have repented.
-or-
Repent and produce the fruit that shows it.

• Translate it as a simile and make the point of comparison explicit. For example:

⌊Just as trees⌋ bear/produce fruit ⌊and show what kind of trees they are⌋, ⌊so you must do the things/acts⌋ that show that you have really repented.

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

Behave in a way that shows that you have repented.
-or-
Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. (New Living Translation (1996))

in keeping with: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as in keeping with is literally “worthy of.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

that will show (Good News Translation)
-or-
that proves (NET Bible)
-or-
that accompanies
-or-
that corresponds to
-or-
that goes together with

repentance: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as repentance means “a change of a person’s mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible it refers specifically to a change of mind and heart about sin and about God. The person who repents is sorry for his past sins. John was saying that these people should quit sinning and instead obey God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

you have left/abandoned your sins
-or-
you have really turned from your sins and turned to God (New Living Translation (1996))

-or-

you really have changed your hearts and lives (New Century Version)

The verb form of this word occurs in 3:2a.

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