John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
And, at last, we’ve arrived. John 3:16 is, quite literally, the most famous verse in the Bible. It has been translated into more languages than any other piece of literature in history and is an ubiquitous feature at all major gatherings from sports events to political rallies. It is also, perhaps, one of the clearest, cleanest statements of the Gospel. As Martin Luther once said, John 3:16 is “the gospel in a nutshell,” which likely accounts for its tremendous popularity.
As Jesus will say later in John’s gospel, there is no greater love than that one person would die for another. And in this verse, we hear of God’s profound love for the world God created, a love so deep and abiding that God would suffer even the loss of God’s own Son in order to communicate that love.
But as profound as that may seem, the verse is actually even more meaningful when you understand a bit more about the language John employs in it. In fact, in some ways the key to this verse is wrapped up in the Greek word “kosmos,” which we translate as “world” and is the root of our word “cosmos.”
Whenever John uses this word, you see, he employs it to describe a world at enmity with God. Therefore, much later in the story, as Jesus prepares his disciples for his impending departure and promises them help, he says, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him” (14:16-17). The world, that is, cannot even perceive the God’s Spirit of truth.
Similarly, Jesus speaks of the contrast, and even confrontation between him and the world: “I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no power over me” (14:30). And again, a little later, “If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world—therefore the world hates you” (15:18-19). And once more, just as starkly, and as Jesus prays to God on behalf of his disciples: “I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world” (17:14-16).
This is actually just a sampling of how kosmos features in John’s gospel, but it is enough, I think, to give us a sense of how he views “the world.” Indeed, every single time John uses this word, he uses it to describe that entity which, though created by God, nevertheless stand in stark opposition and absolute enmity to God.
All of which means that we should probably translate this verse just a little differently: “For God so loved the God-hating world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” Now that’s the Gospel in a nutshell.
Prayer: Dear God, is it nearly impossible for us to understand just how profoundly you love us and how much you were willing to sacrifice for us. Let us therefore, abandon the quest of understanding your love and instead simply surrender to it that we may share it with those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you for expanding the meaning of this most famous verse. In the past few days I have been researching the meaning of “apollumi” translated as “perish” or “destroyed” but also “lost” as in the lost parables. There is conflicting views on the proper translation. Your thoughts help me further down the road of understanding a verse that is such apart of my spiritual DNA that it is sometimes difficult to get a good perspective for preaching or personal devotion. I thoroughly enjoy your blog and am a faithful reader. We often refer to your blog in our weekly eccuminical lectionary group. Thank you for your reflections and constant encouragement to preachers. God bless.
David,
Re this and your commentary on Lent4B: 1) Don’t we risk losing the congregation when we start with 3:16? It is so widely known and interpreted, that it boggles the mind to think how to make it fresh when the parishioners already have a notion of what it means to them. 2) Isn’t the point of the gospel the paradoxical nature of the entire creation story including Christology? What is 3:16 without 3:17? signed: a wondering pilgrim.
These are great questions, Jim. I think the ubiquitous presence of John 3:16 in the popular religious imagination is part of what makes me want to start there. And, yes, the larger context – both 3:17 and following, but also the story of Nicodemus and John’s larger narrative endeavor – are critical to hearing this passage well.
This brings into play the translation of the word “so” which I observe should read:
“This is the way God loves the world’ or “for thus’. I’ve read that no where else in the NT is “outws”‘houtos” used as a term of quantity. On the contrary, each use is translated as does Strong’ Exhaustive Concordance definitions (word #3779)”in this way”, “in this manner”, “thus”. See its’ use in John 3:8, 3:14, 5:21, 8:59 to name a few.
Whereas a term of quantity is a completely different word..as in John 6:9
I’m baffled that this has not been rectified ! It has caused serious misunderstanding of our standing before God. For His Love to be taken for granted or to be taken lightly has enabled serious damage to His Glory and Sovereign Holiness and Justice. It has enabled great dishonor and could even be a factor that has undermined our Judeo -Christian culture!
Recently a Bible translator expressed his frustration, as he was told not to “mess with” a translation of a beloved verse”!
This is more than an irritation..it is an ongoing tragedy.
As you so aptly point out the contrast in John 17. Thus/So, if He “loves the world” why does Jesus pray in John 17:9 “I am not praying for the world, but for those whom You have given Me.”