John 3.16 the heart of the Gospel

[pescador]

In my bible John 3:16 is the lead sentence in a paragraph...

"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 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. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God."

There are some important points here beyond believing in Christ. 1) Jesus was not sent to condemn the world. 2) All people are condemned to begin with; they don't need to be told that over and over. 3) People are trapped by sin and need to be freed. 4) Sinners are afraid to come into the light on their own; they need to be told that God loves them and there is total forgiveness in Christ. I wish that every Christian would understand these things and not condemn others but love them.

 

[faroukfarouk]

It's good to look at verses in context, including John 3.16.

 

[SkyWriting]

John is my favorite book in the NT......

http://www.christianforums.com/t7669567-3/
The Gospel according to John 3:16

3:16
for God did so love the world, that His Son -- the only begotten -- He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during.

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I loved this:

 

[faroukfarouk]

I loved this:

I guess having a really durable cover for a Gospel really worth reading over and over, is a good idea!

 

[Baby Cottontail]

For me, John 3.16 contains the heart of the Gospel. So many essential elements are there, and it affirms the great love of the Savior and the living hope of those who trust in Him!

Very true.

It is amazing how people have twisted its meaning in order to justify their own beliefs. Some who cannot stomach the verse (or much in John) have voted the passage out of the Bible. (Some even want to do away with all of John).

 

[faroukfarouk]

Very true.

It is amazing how people have twisted its meaning in order to justify their own beliefs. Some who cannot stomach the verse (or much in John) have voted the passage out of the Bible. (Some even want to do away with all of John).

It's truly a heartwarming verse which can be enjoyed in a life-changing way by the least educated of people. While it's also a pithy summary of the most weighty and sublime Biblical doctrines about the revelation of God through His beloved Son and assurance found through faith in Him.

 

[faroukfarouk]

While it's possible to take John 3.16 out of context; yet the verse can certainly stand on its own also.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

For me, John 3.16 contains the heart of the Gospel. So many essential elements are there, and it affirms the great love of the Savior and the living hope of those who trust in Him!

I believe that, "whosoever," in John 3:15-16 is not a reference to "Christians," but a reference to Jesus Christ; and the word, "him," is a reference to the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the only one having enough faith to obtain eternal life.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I believe that, "whosoever," in John 3:15-16 is not a reference to "Christians," but a reference to Jesus Christ; and the word, "him," is a reference to the Word of God. Jesus Christ is the only one having enough faith to obtain eternal life.

I don't believe the grammar would bear this out. In any case, the Lord Jesus already has and is the life; there was never any possibility that He would perish eternally.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

I don't believe the grammar would bear this out. In any case, the Lord Jesus already has and is the life; there was never any possibility that He would perish eternally.

Yes, but he had to die on the cross first, and remain dead for three days. The point being to remain dead throughout an entire day, the second day.
Actually, the grammar works beautifully. But look at it! A loving Father, who must kill His only begotten son would say that His son would not perish, before; in John 3:15, and that he would have everlasting life, after "he gave His only begotten son," in John 3:16. And here again scripture uses verse 16, which is four square, as a reference to Genesis 1:16, as a reference to the stars, or "blood" in 1 John 5:6.
And is it a coincidence that 1 John 5:6, begins with a, "1", and ends with a "6"; 16?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Actually, the grammar works beautifully. But look at it, a loving Father, who must kill His only begotten son, would say that His son would not perish before, in John 3:15, and that he would have everlasting life, after "he gave His only begotten son," in John 3:16.

[Jhn 3:15-16 KJV] 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I don't understand, sorry.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

I don't understand, sorry.

Let's try this:

Okay, picture this. I am a father and have only one son, which I must kill. But, as a loving father, knowing my son believeth in the Word (the Word of the LORD because of Psalms 33:6), I would establish that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life, which is done in John 3:15. Therefore now, whosoever believeth in the Word will not parish, and knowing that my son believeth in the Word; he will not parish.
Now, I can say that I gave my only begotten son, and, that believeth in the Word and will have everlasting life, in John 3:16.
The word, "whosoever" must refer to Jesus because not anybody even has the faith of a mustard seed, Matthew 17:20, much less the faith to obtain eternal life! This faith may be mentioned in Ephesians 2:8; this is Christ's faith, the only faith having power enough to know eternal life.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Let's try this:

Okay, picture this. I am a father and have only one son, which I must kill. But, as a loving father, knowing my son believeth in the Word, I would establish that whosoever believeth in him (the Word of God) should not perish, but have eternal life, which is done in John 3:15. Therefore now, whosoever believeth in the Word will not parish, and knowing that my son believeth in the Word; he will not parish.
Now, I can say that I gave my only begotten son, and, that believeth in the Word and will have everlasting life, in John 3:16.

Well, thanks for your reply and comment.

The Lord Jesus is the Word, so there was never any question of Him perishing.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

And John 3:15 raises issues with, "him", as the Word of the LORD.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

Well, thanks for your reply and comment.

The Lord Jesus is the Word, so there was never any question of Him perishing.

Yes, of course not; however, knowing Jesus when he went to the cross at Calvary and knowing the Word of the LORD from the beginning of the creation, or from the third day of the creation is not the same thing. Yes, I believe that Jesus Christ is the physical manifestation of the Word of the LORD and our only doctrine.

 

[Kenneth Redden]

This is the Living Word of the LORD, which can't be seen from the archaic, hermeneutical perspective; the Christian Church has adopted today. It is much more personable than that, and can speak directly to you.

 

[faroukfarouk]

and Favorite verse John 3:16!

It's so many ppl's favorite verse of Scripture!

 

[faroukfarouk]

PS: Krissy Cakes: Thanks for the 'like'. It's certainly a verse that motivates so many ppl.

 

[DamianWarS]

For me, John 3.16 contains the heart of the Gospel. So many essential elements are there, and it affirms the great love of the Savior and the living hope of those who trust in Him!

John 3:16 is a verse for someone who already knows the gospel and are able to grasp abstracts very well. It packages the gospel with high emphasis on faith but no emphasis on good works. Following Jesus is a harmony of faith and good works (read Romans then read James) and the two describe each other yet this is absent in John 3:16. It also is a gospel without hell. believers inherit everlasting life and non-believers inherited destruction which is what the greek of "perish" means, thus it values annihilation (when it stands alone).

Westerners love abstracts so they love this verse but not all cultures work this way some are very concrete minded and have very concrete languages. It is hard for them to figure this Son of God thing out. A concrete minded person would look at this sonship relationship as a result of a physical relationship through sex the result being Jesus. Polytheists would have no problem embracing him as a physical son of God and muslims would be offended by this sonship, both would miss the point.

The sonship is a metaphor because it is not literally speaking of a physical son of God which would be a pagan mindset but rather a spiritual relationship. Westerns don't think about it but if questioned, did God have sex? Did God marry? Did God's sperm produce an offspring? All of these are categorically no, so unawaringly we affirm the spiritual relationship of the son and reject the physical relationship which would be the product of a physical contact.

To a muslim this is a big deal. The spiritual relationship of Father/son is easy and there is no issue with this but the physical biological relationship of Father/son is a problem to which they reject. They usually interpret this with the latter and think Christians worship is heretical as they worship 3 gods.

I would much rather use the words that Jesus said we should value the most to define the heart of the Gospel.

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”​

There's no ambiguity here that polytheists and muslims cannot confuse. It ties the torah in to the new covenant and puts a focus of obedience and love at the same time. This is the heart of the gospel.

 

[faroukfarouk]

John 3:16 is a verse for someone who already knows the gospel and are able to grasp abstracts very well. It packages the gospel with high emphasis on faith but no emphasis on good works. Following Jesus is a harmony of faith and good works (read Romans then read James) and the two describe each other yet this is absent in John 3:16. It also is a gospel without hell. believers inherit everlasting life and non-believers inherited destruction which is what the greek of "perish" means, thus it values annihilation (when it stands alone).

Westerners love abstracts so they love this verse but not all cultures work this way some are very concrete minded and have very concrete languages. It is hard for them to figure this Son of God thing out. A concrete minded person would look at this sonship relationship as a result of a physical relationship through sex the result being Jesus. Polytheists would have no problem embracing him as a physical son of God and muslims would be offended by this sonship, both would miss the point.

The sonship is a metaphor because it is not literally speaking of a physical son of God which would be a pagan mindset but rather a spiritual relationship. Westerns don't think about it but if questioned, did God have sex? Did God marry? Did God's sperm produce an offspring? All of these are categorically no, so unawaringly we affirm the spiritual relationship of the son and reject the physical relationship which would be the product of a physical contact.

To a muslim this is a big deal. The spiritual relationship of Father/son is easy and there is no issue with this but the physical biological relationship of Father/son is a problem to which they reject. They usually interpret this with the latter and think Christians worship is heretical as they worship 3 gods.

I would much rather use the words that Jesus said we should value the most to define the heart of the Gospel.

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”​

There's no ambiguity here that polytheists and muslims cannot confuse. It ties the torah in to the new covenant and puts a focus of obedience and love at the same time. This is the heart of the gospel.

Thank-you for your comment. Certainly I take the point about different people worldwide approaching various aspects of truth from different mindsets.

I shall have to re-read very carefully some of your points; I don't think I would agree with everything you have written as a matter of emphasis, but I would have to re-read your comments carefully.