# 3:16 what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 15, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660 "2001-02-15T23:29:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/1 "2001-02-15T23:29:45Z")

</div>

I gather its from the bible, but you see the 3:16 verse being used in quite a few places now, and not just **Austin 3:16**. What in the heck does it mean? Which book of the bible in particular is it refering too?

Sorry if its a dumb question, but this has been bugging me for a little while now!

Thanks

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Shiva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Shiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shiva)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/2 "2001-02-15T23:34:51Z")

</div>

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that  
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![deb2world](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@deb2world](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deb2world)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/3 "2001-02-15T23:36:08Z")

</div>

That would be John 3:16 “For God so love the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [February 15, 2001, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/4 "2001-02-15T23:47:50Z")

</div>

Cecil wrote about the guy who holds that sign up all the time, last I read he is in jail. Find his column.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/5 "2001-02-16T00:23:54Z")

</div>

Here they are:

[What’s with those " John 3:16" signs that people hold up at football games?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_186.html)

[Is the guy who held up those ‘John 3:16’ signs at sports events in jail for life?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a971107.html)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![RAWisSYDNEY](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4491bb/32.png) [@RAWisSYDNEY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RAWisSYDNEY)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/3-16-what/54660/6 "2001-02-16T05:17:09Z")

</div>

the reason so many people are turning to 3:16 now is because of this…

At a WWF Pay Per View entitled ‘King of the Ring 1996’

the finals of the tournament was a guy called Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts, and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.  
Jake was known for saying John 3:16 here and there.  
And when austin beat him in the match he said something along these lines…

“You talk about your psalms and your John 3:16, well AUSTIn 3:16 says i just kicked you ass”

then it clicked with him and now its on T-Shirts all over the world.