JMNT(i)
17 "For God does not send forth His [other MSS: the]
Son as an Emissary, or Representative, into the world (or: System; aggregate of humanity)
to the end that He should continuously separate and make decisions about the world (or: would at some point sift and judge the System, or the aggregate of humanity),
but to the contrary, to the end that the world would be delivered (or: that the System could be healed and made whole; that the ordered arrangement should be restored to health; that the aggregate of mankind may be saved – rescued and re-established in its original state):
through Him!
18 "The one habitually believing and progressively placing trust into Him is not being continuously sifted or evaluated (is not habitually being separated for decisions or being judged).
The one not habitually trusting and believing has already been sifted and evaluated (separated for a decision; judged)
and that decision yet exists, because he has not believed so that he trusts into the Name [note: “name” is a Semitism for the person, or his authority, or his qualities]
of the uniquely-born Son of God (or: into God’s Son – the only-begotten One).
19 "Now this continues being the (or: So there continues being the same)
process of the sifting, the separation and the decision (the evaluation; the judging),
because the Light has come (or: has gone)
into the world (the aggregate of humanity; the ordered system and arrangement of religion, culture and government; or: the system of control and regulation),
and yet the humans love the darkness (or: the men [= the leadership] love the dimness of obscurity and gloom; or: mankind loved the shadow-realm)
rather than the Light, for their works (deeds; actions)
were continuing to be bad ones (unsound ones; wicked ones; laborious ones; toilsome ones that created bad news; wrongful ones),
20 "for everyone [
who is]
habitually practicing (or: performing)
worthless things (base, mean, common, careless, cheap, slight, paltry, sorry, vile things or refuse)
is continuously hating (regarding with ill-will)
the light, and is not coming (or: going)
to the light (or: the Light),
so that his works (deeds; actions)
may not be tested and put to the proof (and thus, exposed and perhaps reproved).
21 "Yet the one habitually doing the truth (constantly constructing the real; repeatedly making the genuine)
is constantly coming (or: going; moving)
toward the light (or: the Light),
so that his works (deeds; actions)
may be set in clear light and manifested, because they exist being ones having been worked and accomplished (or: performed as deeds)
within God (or: that it is within God [that they are] ones having been acted out).
"