John 3:20

φαῦλα. Whereas πονηρός (John 3:19) expresses the malignity of evil, its power to cause suffering (πόνος), φαῦλος (perhaps akin to paulus) expresses the worthlessness of it. The one is positive, the other negative. Satan is ὁ πονηρός, the great author of mischief (John 17:15; 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:12; 1 John 5:18-19): πνεύματα πονηρά (Luke 7:21), ὀφθαλμὸς πον. (Mark 7:22), γενεὰ πον. (Matthew 12:39), are mischief-working spirits, eye and generation. Φαῦλος is the exact opposite of σπουδαῖος: the one is ‘frivolous, good-for-nothing, naughty;’ the other is ‘serious, earnest, good.’

πράσσων. Is there any difference between πράσσειν and ποῖειν in these two verses? John 3:29 inclines one to think so, and the distinction drawn is that πράσσειν (agere) expresses mere activity, while ποιεῖν (facere) implies a permanent result. But in Romans 7:15-20; Romans 13:4 the two words are interchanged indifferently, each being used both of doing good and of doing evil. He that practiseth worthless things (the aimless trifler) hateth the light, which would shew the true value of the inanities which fill his existence. 1 Kings 22:8.

οὐκ. ἔρχ. The hatred is instinctive, the not coming is deliberate.

ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ. In order that his works may not be convicted of worthlessness, proved to be what they really are. The A.V. translates ἐλέγχειν here and John 16:8 ‘reprove,’ John 8:9 ‘convict,’ John 8:46, ‘convince;’ and here the margin has ‘discovered.’ see on John 16:8; Matthew 18:15.