The Truth about John 3:16
Is there a scripture in the Bible that you avoid, one that makes you feel uneasy, one that you just had rather not hear? Is there a Bible passage that is rarely heard in Church of God messages? Some may instantly think of the Song of Solomon. That’s probably the passage that I might think of first. In 34 years in the Church of God, I have never heard a sermon or Bible study on that book. And I am not going to break that 34 year streak in this post. I’ll leave it to others to give you the truth on that book. It just wouldn’t be appropriate for a single man to speak on the subject.
But what verse am I referring to?
You see references to this verse all over. “The U.S.-based In-N-Out Burger chain prints it on the inside of the bottom rim of their paper cups.” (“John 3:16,” Wikipedia). You see the verse plastered on rooftops. Some sports fans appear at ball games with signs proclaiming it. Others have it emblazoned on their chests.
Yet we seldom hear the verse in the Church of God. Should we avoid this verse just because other religions use it? Have we allowed evangelicals in paganized Christianity rob us of part of the scriptures? What is this verse?
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Other Translations
RSV: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Amplified Bible: For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
(Note: The Wikipedia article on the verse list translations from numerous versions of the Bible.)
Analysis of verses
To understand Bible passages, it is helpful to look at the words in their original languages. Doing so deepens one’s grasp of the intent and meaning of the scriptures. The following is a list of the key words in John 3:16-17 and their meanings.
God: theos – the supreme Divinity (NT: 2316, Strong’s)
So: houto - in this way, manner, or fashion (NT: 3779, Strong’s)
Loved: agapao - to love (in a social or moral sense) or love with the head, with deliberate thought… (NT: 25, Strong’s)
World: kosmos – the world including its inhabitants (NT: 2889, Strong’s)
Gave: didomi - also translated delivered, offered up, bestowed (NT: 1325, Strong’s)
Only begotten: monogenes – His only or sole Son. (NT: 3439, Strong’s).
Greek-English lexicons tell us that “Most modern translations use “unique Son” or “only Son” because the second root-word … is now understood to be … ("kind, type") rather than … ("to beget, to father"); hence "only + kind" rather than "only + begotten"… (“John 3:16,” Wikipedia). The translation “only begotten” appears to be an incorrect translation and leads to doctrinal questions like, “Were Abraham, David, and Moses not begotten with the Holy Spirit?”
Whosoever: pas - all, every, the whole (NT: 3956, Strong’s)
Believes: pisteuo - “… from NT:4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)… ” (NT: 4100, Strong’s)
Perish: apollumi - to destroy fully (NT: 622, Strong’s)
Everlasting: aionios - perpetual, eternal (NT: 166, Strong’s)
Send: apostello - set apart, i.e. (by implication) to send out (… on a mission)… (NT: 649, Strong’s)
Condemned: krino - properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish: (NT: 2919, Strong’s)
Saved: sozo – delivered, protected, made whole (NT: 4982, Strong’s)
When you thoroughly analyze this passage, you begin to see that these two verses summarize the essential truths of the Bible. Here are some basic truths revealed in this passage.
The Truth about God
Christ’s words to Nicodemus tell us the composition of the Godhead. He mentions God and His Son in this passage which indicates the duality of the Godhead – that there are two separate beings. There is no mention of a separate Holy Spirit. Thus, Christ negates the non-Biblical (and pagan) concept of the Trinity. He reveals the Father and that the Father is the Supreme Being. The passage indicates that the Father is in charge. He sent His Son. Christ also tells what His purpose and mission are.
God’s True Nature Revealed
John 3:16-17 informs us what God’s nature is. Christ pointed out that God loves and He loves very deeply. That love led Him to be willing to give up His only Son. Christ’s emphasis on love in this passage is further backed up by John’s statement that “God is love” (I John 4:8, 16). We learn too that God gives. His way of living is to give. When thinking of how God would act in a situation, our first thought should be that His actions are based on giving. His way of life is to love and give. All else flows from that core. Other scriptures reveal that He wants us to acquire His nature – learn to love and give – and become His sons. That is the purpose of human existence – to become full sons of God having the same nature as God and to live with Him throughout eternity.
We also see from this passage that God is NOT the destroyer – in contrast to Satan. Satan wants man to believe that the real God is the destroyer. Many religions are based on a vengeful and wrathful God, not a God of love. God will punish, but only after giving mankind every chance to learn and follow His Ways. Even that punishment is done out of love. The Supreme God knows that living forever apart from the way of loving and giving would be torture. So, He will completely destroy humans who refuse to adopt His way of living.
The Plan of God Revealed
Christ gave Nicodemus the full gospel message in this passage. He showed that God wants man to have eternal (everlasting) life. He wants man to be saved; He does not want man to perish. He informed Nicodemus that God has provided a way for man to be saved – through Christ, the Son, who came to earth as a physical human being after having given up His divinity.
His words indicate the absolute necessity of believing in Christ as the way to life. The Bible reveals that “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). There is salvation in no other savior. Mohammed and his teachings will save no one. Belief in Buddha and Buddhist principles will not bring about eternal life – the gift God desires to give to mankind. All other routes to salvation are bogus. There is only one way, and that way is through Christ, through believing in Him and following what He taught.
He detailed what His mission was – that the Father sent Him that the world through Him might be saved. The beginning of the plan of God revealed in the holy days is the death of the Son of God – the one God sent and offered up – our Passover. The end of the plan of God revealed in the holy days is the salvation of mankind – “that man should not perish, but have eternal life.” A right understanding of the holy days is based on understanding the full message of John 3:16.
Christ further said that God wants all – “whosoever” – to be saved. Other scriptures indicate that God will call each person who ever existed to salvation. The opportunity for eternal life will be given to every human.
Christ here destroys the paganized Christian concept of reprobates being eternally tortured in an ever burning hellfire. The wicked will perish; they will be utterly destroyed.
The Point
Understanding John 3:16 is essential to understanding the Bible. It reveals the truth about God, His Nature, and His Plan. We should never squirm when we hear this verse or see it paraded about by evangelicals. We should never let others rob us of one of the most meaningful passages in the Bible:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only (unique) Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
(Note: I know that Wikipedia should not always be relied on as an authoritative source of information. In the references cited, it appears that the information is correct and is corroborated by other sources.)
But what verse am I referring to?
You see references to this verse all over. “The U.S.-based In-N-Out Burger chain prints it on the inside of the bottom rim of their paper cups.” (“John 3:16,” Wikipedia). You see the verse plastered on rooftops. Some sports fans appear at ball games with signs proclaiming it. Others have it emblazoned on their chests.
Yet we seldom hear the verse in the Church of God. Should we avoid this verse just because other religions use it? Have we allowed evangelicals in paganized Christianity rob us of part of the scriptures? What is this verse?
John 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Other Translations
RSV: For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Amplified Bible: For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
(Note: The Wikipedia article on the verse list translations from numerous versions of the Bible.)
Analysis of verses
To understand Bible passages, it is helpful to look at the words in their original languages. Doing so deepens one’s grasp of the intent and meaning of the scriptures. The following is a list of the key words in John 3:16-17 and their meanings.
God: theos – the supreme Divinity (NT: 2316, Strong’s)
So: houto - in this way, manner, or fashion (NT: 3779, Strong’s)
Loved: agapao - to love (in a social or moral sense) or love with the head, with deliberate thought… (NT: 25, Strong’s)
World: kosmos – the world including its inhabitants (NT: 2889, Strong’s)
Gave: didomi - also translated delivered, offered up, bestowed (NT: 1325, Strong’s)
Only begotten: monogenes – His only or sole Son. (NT: 3439, Strong’s).
Greek-English lexicons tell us that “Most modern translations use “unique Son” or “only Son” because the second root-word … is now understood to be … ("kind, type") rather than … ("to beget, to father"); hence "only + kind" rather than "only + begotten"… (“John 3:16,” Wikipedia). The translation “only begotten” appears to be an incorrect translation and leads to doctrinal questions like, “Were Abraham, David, and Moses not begotten with the Holy Spirit?”
Whosoever: pas - all, every, the whole (NT: 3956, Strong’s)
Believes: pisteuo - “… from NT:4102; to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)… ” (NT: 4100, Strong’s)
Perish: apollumi - to destroy fully (NT: 622, Strong’s)
Everlasting: aionios - perpetual, eternal (NT: 166, Strong’s)
Send: apostello - set apart, i.e. (by implication) to send out (… on a mission)… (NT: 649, Strong’s)
Condemned: krino - properly, to distinguish, i.e. decide (mentally or judicially); by implication, to try, condemn, punish: (NT: 2919, Strong’s)
Saved: sozo – delivered, protected, made whole (NT: 4982, Strong’s)
When you thoroughly analyze this passage, you begin to see that these two verses summarize the essential truths of the Bible. Here are some basic truths revealed in this passage.
The Truth about God
Christ’s words to Nicodemus tell us the composition of the Godhead. He mentions God and His Son in this passage which indicates the duality of the Godhead – that there are two separate beings. There is no mention of a separate Holy Spirit. Thus, Christ negates the non-Biblical (and pagan) concept of the Trinity. He reveals the Father and that the Father is the Supreme Being. The passage indicates that the Father is in charge. He sent His Son. Christ also tells what His purpose and mission are.
God’s True Nature Revealed
John 3:16-17 informs us what God’s nature is. Christ pointed out that God loves and He loves very deeply. That love led Him to be willing to give up His only Son. Christ’s emphasis on love in this passage is further backed up by John’s statement that “God is love” (I John 4:8, 16). We learn too that God gives. His way of living is to give. When thinking of how God would act in a situation, our first thought should be that His actions are based on giving. His way of life is to love and give. All else flows from that core. Other scriptures reveal that He wants us to acquire His nature – learn to love and give – and become His sons. That is the purpose of human existence – to become full sons of God having the same nature as God and to live with Him throughout eternity.
We also see from this passage that God is NOT the destroyer – in contrast to Satan. Satan wants man to believe that the real God is the destroyer. Many religions are based on a vengeful and wrathful God, not a God of love. God will punish, but only after giving mankind every chance to learn and follow His Ways. Even that punishment is done out of love. The Supreme God knows that living forever apart from the way of loving and giving would be torture. So, He will completely destroy humans who refuse to adopt His way of living.
The Plan of God Revealed
Christ gave Nicodemus the full gospel message in this passage. He showed that God wants man to have eternal (everlasting) life. He wants man to be saved; He does not want man to perish. He informed Nicodemus that God has provided a way for man to be saved – through Christ, the Son, who came to earth as a physical human being after having given up His divinity.
His words indicate the absolute necessity of believing in Christ as the way to life. The Bible reveals that “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). There is salvation in no other savior. Mohammed and his teachings will save no one. Belief in Buddha and Buddhist principles will not bring about eternal life – the gift God desires to give to mankind. All other routes to salvation are bogus. There is only one way, and that way is through Christ, through believing in Him and following what He taught.
He detailed what His mission was – that the Father sent Him that the world through Him might be saved. The beginning of the plan of God revealed in the holy days is the death of the Son of God – the one God sent and offered up – our Passover. The end of the plan of God revealed in the holy days is the salvation of mankind – “that man should not perish, but have eternal life.” A right understanding of the holy days is based on understanding the full message of John 3:16.
Christ further said that God wants all – “whosoever” – to be saved. Other scriptures indicate that God will call each person who ever existed to salvation. The opportunity for eternal life will be given to every human.
Christ here destroys the paganized Christian concept of reprobates being eternally tortured in an ever burning hellfire. The wicked will perish; they will be utterly destroyed.
The Point
Understanding John 3:16 is essential to understanding the Bible. It reveals the truth about God, His Nature, and His Plan. We should never squirm when we hear this verse or see it paraded about by evangelicals. We should never let others rob us of one of the most meaningful passages in the Bible:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only (unique) Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
(Note: I know that Wikipedia should not always be relied on as an authoritative source of information. In the references cited, it appears that the information is correct and is corroborated by other sources.)
posted by Manuel at 1:48 PM
2 Comments:
Thanks!
It seems to me that I've heard this somewhere before.....Oh Yea!
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