A Discourse About The Word "World" in John 3:16 (John 3:14-16)
The first word of
John 3:16 is a conjunction that inextricably ties
John 3:14-15 to
John 3:16, and here are the Lord Jesus' words as recorded by the Apostle John:
"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that every believing will in Him have eternal life, for God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that every believing in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life
"
Lord Jesus brings in history by way of mentioning "
the serpent in the wilderness"
John 3:14), so here is the contextually linked passage about history:
Then YHWH said to Moses, "Make a fiery [serpent], and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived. (
Numbers 21:8-9).
Based on God's command about "
the serpent in the wilderness" (
John 3:14) and the results of the "
bronze serpent" that Moses set on the standard (
Numbers 21:9), the population of persons that certainly were affected by God's command about "the serpent in the wilderness" in order to live were ONLY each bitten person that looked at "
the serpent in the wilderness".
Furthermore, there is a different population of persons which includes persons that DID NOT LOOK AT "the serpent in the wilderness".
Therefore, there are separate populations of persons identified in Jesus' words as recorded by the Apostle John (
John 3:14-16) with the first "population of bitten look to live" and there was the second "population of everyone else".
In the next four paragraphs, we see the Word of God speaking to Moses (
Numbers 21:8) in relation to the Word of God speaking to Nicodemus (
John 3:16).
- Notice how "everyone who is bitten" (Numbers 21:8) relates to "world" (John 3:16).
- Notice how "when he" (Numbers 21:8) relates to "that every one" (John 3:16, note that the singular (not plural) Greek word pas [Strong's 3956] translates accurately as "every one" not so much as the unfettered promiscuous connotation of "whosoever" [KJV] or "whoever" [NASB]).
- Notice how "look" (Numbers 21:8) relates to "believing" (John 3:16).
- Notice how "live" (Numbers 21:8) relates to "eternal life" (John 3:16).
Jesus sets the relation between differing populations of persons by way of Him including "
the serpent in the wilderness" (
John 3:14,
Numbers 21:9), so the "population of bitten look to live" directly corresponds with the word "
world" as per Jesus' usage (
John 3:16).
The Word of God conclusively proves that the context establishes the word "
world" as used by Jesus in
John 3:16 includes ONLY the population of persons that currently believe in Jesus or will in the future believe in Jesus.
In Truth (John 14:6), the Almighty God is Sovereign (Genesis 1:1) in man's salvation and affairs of man (Daniel 4:34-35)! PRAISE MASTER JESUS!!!
Jesus taught provisional atonement
John 3:14-18
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Above we see those who looked upon the brass serpent in the wilderness were healed/ saved. Moses provided a way for those bit by the poisonous snakes to be healed and not die by looking upon the brass serpent. Jesus compares Himself in the same way to be saved by His provision for their sins through His atonement to be received by faith. In both cases faith saved them in the OT wilderness as is the case with Jesus in the NT.
Jesus died for all
Romans 5:18
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
1 Timothy 2:4–6
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Hebrews 2:9
But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
Isaiah 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
1 Timothy 4:10
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.
John 6:51
I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
2 Corinthians 5:14–15
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: 15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
John 11:51
And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
1 John 2:2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
2 Corinthians 5:19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
We see those who looked upon the brass serpent in the wilderness were healed/ saved. Moses provided a way for those bit by the poisonous snakes to be healed and not die by looking upon the brass serpent. Jesus compares Himself in the same way to be saved by His provision for their sins through His atonement to be received by faith. In both cases faith saved them in the OT wilderness as is the case with Jesus in the NT.
John 3:14-15
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15
that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him
Numbers 21:8-9
The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;
anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then
when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
Multiple Choice Question below :
Numbers 21:9: So Moses made a bronze serpent and put it on the flag pole; and it came about, that if a serpent bit _________, and he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
1. Everyone
2. An Elect Person
3. A Lucky Lottery Winner
Biblical Answer is #1 above as taught in scripture !
John Chapter 3:14-15
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes will have eternal life in Him.
Faith does precede life, regeneration , salvation but its not Gods faith, its the faith that man places in Christ to save them.
See below from Jesus own teaching. After-all He is the Savior in whom salvific faith is placed in right ? He should know.
Jesus never once taught that faith was given , granted or a gift .He said " YOUR FAITH " has saved and healed you. Not the faith I gave you healed you.
Luke 7:50
And he said to the woman,
Thy faith ( not the faith I have given you )
hath saved thee; go in peace.
Luke 8:48
"Daughter," said Jesus, "
your faith (not the faith I have given you )
has healed you. Go in peace."
Luke 17:19
Then Jesus said to him, "Rise and go;
your faith( not the faith I have given you )
has made you well!"
Luke 18:42
"Receive your sight!" Jesus replied. "
Your faith(not the faith I have give you )
has healed you."
Matthew 8:10
When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those following Him, "Truly I tell you,
I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.
Matthew 8:13
Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! As
you have believed, so will it be done for you." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
Matthew 9:2
Just then some men brought to Him a paralytic lying on a mat. When Jesus saw
their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. "Take courage, daughter," He said, "
your faith has healed you." And the woman was cured from that very hour.
Matthew 9:29
Then He touched their eyes and said, "According to
your faith will it be done to you."
Matthew 15:28
"O woman," Jesus answered, "
your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Mark 5:34
"Daughter," said Jesus, "
your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be free of your affliction."
Mark 10:52
"Go," said Jesus, "
your faith has healed you." And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
John 4:53
So the father knew that
it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and
himself believed, and his whole house.
Gods universal love below :
See Barnes the calvinist below :
The world - All mankind. It does not mean any particular part of the world, but man as man - the race that had rebelled and that deserved to die. See
John 6:33;
John 17:21. His love for the world, or
for all mankind, in giving his Son, was shown by these circumstances:
1. All the world was in ruin, and exposed to the wrath of God.
2. All people were in a hopeless condition.
3. God gave his Son. Man had no claim on him; it was a gift - an undeserved gift.
4. He gave him up to extreme sufferings, even the bitter pains of death on the cross.
5.
It was for all the world. He tasted "death for every man,"
Hebrews 2:9.
He "died for all,"
2 Corinthians 5:15. "
He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world," 1 John 2:2.
That he gave - It was a free and unmerited gift. Man had no claim: and when there was no eye to pity or arm to save, it pleased God to give his Son into the hands of men to die in their stead,
Galatians 1:4;
Romans 8:32;
Luke 22:19. It was the mere movement of love; the expression of eternal compassion, and of a desire,
that sinners should not perish forever.
See Calvin on John 3:16
For God so loved the world. Christ opens up the first cause, and, as it were, the source of our salvation, and he does so, that no doubt may remain; for our minds cannot find calm repose, until we arrive at the unmerited love of God. As the whole matter of our salvation must not be sought any where else than in Christ, so we must see whence Christ came to us, and why he was offered to be our Savior. Both points are distinctly stated to us: namely, that faith in Christ brings life to all, and that Christ brought life,
because the Heavenly Father loves the human race, and wishes that they should not perish.
@Kermos you teach a false gospel,a false atonement and another jesus as per Paul in Galatians 1:6-9.
hope this helps !!!