3:33
The term translated “to certify” means to put a seal upon, and refers to the putting of seals on letters or commercial documents. John says that the person who has accepted God’s word (and this verse shows that v32 does not mean that no one at all believed the word) has certified that “God is truthful”. This is the crux of the matter of believing or rejecting the gospel. The gospel is a message from God, not from man. We are choosing whether or not to believe God.
Now there are many people who claim to be Christian or claim to believe the gospel yet do not believe that it is from God. They don’t believe that Jesus is God, or that He rose from the dead. If you do not believe these things then you have not accepted the gospel.
3:34
Again we see the divine nature of Jesus and the gospel. Jesus is the One sent by God and He speaks the words of God. Any view of Jesus that looks at Him as just a man is woefully inadequate. Jesus speaks the words of God, so we must listen to Him.
The Greek word used for “word” here is rhema. Now, particularly in charismatic circles, there is a lot of talk about the “rhema word of God” drawing some sort of distinction between it and the logos word of God. Such teaching is nonsense. The term rhema is used repeatedly in John’s gospel of Jesus’ teaching and is speaking of His general teaching to believers and unbelievers.
“gives the Spirit without limit”. Some see this as referring only to Jesus, others see it as referring to Christ giving the Spirit to the church. In the context the former does seem the more likely. The emphasis here is on Jesus being the word of God and speaking the words of God. Though verse 33 and 36 are talking about believers, so the argument is not conclusive.
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