The context is Jesus talking with a Samaritan woman at a well.
John 4:13,14
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
v.13 forms the backdrop for v.14. Those who take a drink of water will be thirsty again. But v.14 indicates that those who take a drink from the water Jesus was speaking about will NEVER THIRST AGAIN.
The key is found in the verb tense for "drinks". In v.13 Jesus used the present participle, meaning "drinking". Obviously a present condition. So He was saying that those who presently drink literal water will STILL get thirsty again. This proves that the present tense does NOT mean, much less suggest, that the present tense means that the action must continue on into the future for results to continue into the future.
However, in v.14, Jesus used the aorist tense for "drinks" in reference to drinking the water that He gives. Hm. The aorist tense is generally understood as a past tense action, or a point in time, usually past action.
Yet, v.14 is clear about NEVER THIRSTING again from one act of drinking.
In fact, Jesus was clear about this past action of taking a drink: the drink "will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life".
This agrees completely with Jesus' statement in John 10:28 that those He gives eternal life shall never perish.
If that isn't enough, consider John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
The Greek word for "eats" is also an aorist tense. And the promise is clear: those who "eat this bread", a reference to believing in Jesus Christ as Messiah, will live forever.
To "live forever" is saying the EXACT SAME THING as SHALL NEVER PERISH.
John 4:13,14
13Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
v.13 forms the backdrop for v.14. Those who take a drink of water will be thirsty again. But v.14 indicates that those who take a drink from the water Jesus was speaking about will NEVER THIRST AGAIN.
The key is found in the verb tense for "drinks". In v.13 Jesus used the present participle, meaning "drinking". Obviously a present condition. So He was saying that those who presently drink literal water will STILL get thirsty again. This proves that the present tense does NOT mean, much less suggest, that the present tense means that the action must continue on into the future for results to continue into the future.
However, in v.14, Jesus used the aorist tense for "drinks" in reference to drinking the water that He gives. Hm. The aorist tense is generally understood as a past tense action, or a point in time, usually past action.
Yet, v.14 is clear about NEVER THIRSTING again from one act of drinking.
In fact, Jesus was clear about this past action of taking a drink: the drink "will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life".
This agrees completely with Jesus' statement in John 10:28 that those He gives eternal life shall never perish.
If that isn't enough, consider John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”
The Greek word for "eats" is also an aorist tense. And the promise is clear: those who "eat this bread", a reference to believing in Jesus Christ as Messiah, will live forever.
To "live forever" is saying the EXACT SAME THING as SHALL NEVER PERISH.
