The Shocking Truth About John 3

8/14/2019 The Shocking Truth About John 3

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THE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT JOHN 3:16By: Ave D. Matriano

I read something like this: Truth is stranger than fiction

I also read something like this: It is easy to believe a lie

Believe it or not the Holy Scripture declares without hesitation that human beings is eviland has a lying and deceitful heart in so far as God is concern (Jeremiah 17:9 : Romans

8:7). That is why he is prone to believe a lie and refuse to accept the truth.

And do you know that God does not love everybody? And anybody who insist that this isa biblical truth will experience condemnation & harsh criticism. The author of this article

is ready for this.

Let us go to John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Sonthat whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Many thoughtful Christians and theologians have done their God-ordained assignments

by doing an exegesis of this most popular scripture in the world and have found out that

this scripture instead of showing that God loves every single human beings on earth istelling us that God only loves a specific group of people. Therefore harmonizing with the

most offensive doctrinal truth in the Bible which is about election. Election is a teaching

that God is only saving His church or His elect who is the bride of Christ in the Bible.

You go to Google search or yahoo search engine and you will not find any single

exegesis article on John 3:16 that shows that the WORLD in that specific verse is aboutall human beings. This is a short article and I encouraged all who will be reading this todo their own research on the internet on John 3:16 which has a billion entries in search

engine if I am not mistaken.

The Bible interpret itself. The Bible also never contradict itself because it is the Word of

God Who is Jesus Christ Himself Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

If John 3:16 is a plain declaration that God loves everybody it must be affirmed byother scriptures and it must not conflict with the doctrine of election which has volume

upon volume of support through hundreds of scriptural verses like Ephesians 2:4 telling

us (Christian) that God chose us before the creation of the world. No! God or Jesus istelling us in John 3:16 that the only people who will be save are the believers or the

Christian church. Careful Biblical research will show us that the word world there is

about the church or the elect (world of believers).

If you are a followers of Jesus Christ who violently disagree with this article and

sincerely believe the author is wrong please pray for the author of this writing that Godwill open his eye to Biblical truth. I am also praying that more and more Christian will


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be corrected in their false understanding of John 3:16 and the doctrine of election. By the

way, I also encouraged those who will be led by God to read this article to exert effort

and do their own research on the most offensive (to the proud human heart) doctrine inthe Bible which is The Doctrine of Election. I recommend the writing of Arthur S.

Pink.

There is nothing we can do against the truth.

Disagreeing with this article does not make you a false Christian or second class one. It ispossible that you are much more spiritually mature than the author of this piece of

writing. It is possible that you have a much more intimate relationship with Jesus than

me. But please pray and ask the Holy Spirit of God to show you if this is really a sound

teaching back by sound hermeneutical principle of Bible interpretation.

Prove all things. Be like the Bereans in the book of Acts 17:10-11 And the brethren

immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went intothe synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in thatthey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily,

whether those things were so. I would like to imitate the Bereans and search the Bible

and the writings of the godly men of God whether Gods love that never fails in John3:16 is indeed focus only on the believers (world of believers).

God loves never fails (1 Cor. 13:8). If God loves every single human being that ever

exist on earth everybody will be going to heaven when they die including Hitler, Esau,

Cain and perhaps even Satan himself. Because if God loves everybody and desireeveryone to be saved no one will perish because God loves never fails. But not everybody

is save! Does that that means that God loves fails and that God experiencesdisappointment because many people rejected His offer of love or forgiveness?

No! God does not offer His love or forgiveness to sinful human being like us! God

simply gave to us His love and forgiveness when we heard the gospel of salvation.

No! We are a slaves of Satan and a slave of unrighteousness. We are not free to accept

Gods offer of forgiveness (which in reality is not an offer because a spiritually blind or

dead person cannot even see what forgiveness or salvation is all about because he isdead).

The Bible is written specifically for all followers of Jesus Christ and its spiritual messageof redemption can only be understood by those whom God has given His Holy Spirit. If

God indeed love all humans He must give them His Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is

the evidence of those whom God really love. Let me add here that the love I am referringhere is that kind of love that lead to salvation which is experience only by the elect or

those who receive the Spirit of the Living God. All humans being has experience God;s

common love because even this physical life is a gift from the Lord but not all humanshas experience Gods grace or Gods special love.


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John 3:16 is all about Gods sacrificial love which is not given to all otherwise all will be

save because Gods love (sacrificial love) will never fails. Please read my other Scribdarticle entitled Gods Love That Never Fails.

In John 17 Jesus said I do not pray for the world. This is another evidence in the Biblethat the object of Gods love is indeed His flock of or the church.

If God loves everybody it will not appear also in the Bible that God hated Esau.

Gods love is holy love. It cannot love evil because one of the character of God is that

He hates evil. Apart from Gods Holy Spirit in us God will never ever see anything good

in us even our human righteousness which to God is like filthy rags as mentionedsomewhere in Isaiah. Also somewhere in Romans Apostle Paul said: For I know that in

my flesh dwells no good things. The Bible never told us that Gods love His enemies.

What we are told in the Holy Book is that God reconciled us His enemies through the

blood of Jesus. While we are yet sinners Christ died for us. We only become lovely inGods sight when He makes us beautiful through the precious blood of Jesus Christ and

because of the Holy Spirit that He gave us.

If we accept the teaching on election we will see that John 3:16 is about those people who

were the recipient of Gods love. And those people were chosen by God not because they

are worthy to be chosen but simply it is Gods plan. God has the right to do anything orGod is doing anything according to the good pleasure of His will.

The parallel or similar passage of John 3:16 is in 1 John 4:1-2. It reads In this the love ofGod is manifest toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that

we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us

and sent His Son to be the propitiation of our sins.

Like John 3:16, what we have just quoted verses of 1 John 4:1-2 is address primarily to

the believers and it is talking about Gods sacrificial love that never fails. That letter waswritten by Apostle John to the believers or Gods elect during his time. Jesus purchased

all who will be saved (elect of God) by His precious blood. Logic will show us that if

Jesus died for everyone it means that He purchased and paid the sin of everybody and

therefore all will be saved because His sacrificial love on the cross will never fails. Godhas never been a failure in all of His plan.

Here is part of the article about John 3:16 by Pastor John Samson and I quote The most

famous verse in the entire Bible is John 3:16. Here Jesus says, "For God so loved the

world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not

perish, but have eternal life."

When hearing the biblical teaching on the subject of Divine election, some seekimmediate refuge in a traditional and may I say, unbiblical understanding of this verse.


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They say this: "God can't elect certain ones to salvation because John 3:16 says that God

so loved the world that gave His Son so that WHOEVERbelieves in Christ would have

eternal life. Therefore, God has done His part in offering the gift of salvation in His Sonand just leaves it up to us to receive the gift through faith. Amen. Case closed!"

(emphasis theirs)

Or so it might seem... Though this is a very common tradition, and one I held to myself

for many a year, it needs to be pointed out that in spite of the emphasis made by manypeople here on the word "whoever", the text does not actually discuss who does or who

does not have the ability to believe. Someone might just as well be quoting John 3:16 to

suggest that all churches need to have red carpets in their sanctuaries! Why? Because thatalso is not a topic addressed in the text. The verse is often quoted, but actually it has no

relevance to the subject.

For the understanding of a text in the New Testament, we need to check the original

language in which it was written, namely koine Greek. It may come as a big surprise to

learn that in the original Greek of John 3:16, there is no word "whoever." The word"whoever" is expressing a phrase in Greek which is difficult to express smoothly in

English.

Literally, the text reads "in order that every the one believing in Him, not to perish,

but have everlasting life." It says "every" or "all the one believing..." That's hard to

express in English, but in essence, it is saying "all the believing ones." That's what is

being communicated. It is saying that there is no such thing as a believing one who doesnot receive eternal life, but who perishes. Though our English translation says "whoever

believes" the literal rendering is accurately translated as "every believing one" and the

emphasis is NOT AT ALL on the "whosoever" but on the belief. The ones BELIEVING

will not have one consequence but will have another. They will not perish but will haveeverlasting life.

Why? Because of the main verb - because God GAVE His Son. God gave His Son for the

purpose (Greek: hina) that every believing one should not perish, but that every believingone should have everlasting life.

The text (John 3:16) actually speaks of a limitation of a particular rather than a universal

redemption, for clearly, not everyone will be saved, but only those who believe in Christ.

The Father gave His Son for the purpose of those who believe. The Son is given so thatthe believing ones will not perish, but opposite to that, have eternal life. That is the

purpose of the giving.

So, what John 3:16 teaches is:

ALL who do A (believe in Him)

will not B (perish)

but will have C (everlasting life)


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What does this text tell us about who WILL believe or who CAN believe?

The answer is: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! The text does not address the issue of who

WILL believe or who CAN believe.

However, if you do want to know John's view on who CAN exercise faith, he does dealwith that question - just not in this text. If you go back a few verses in the chapter to John

3:3, John quotes Jesus as saying "unless a man is born again he CANNOT enter the

kingdom of God." That's clear isn't it?

Jesus said that a pre-requisite, a necessary condition, that must be met before someonecan enter the kingdom of God is that they are born again. We enter the kingdom of God

through faith, but in order to enter the kingdom, we must first be born again, or made

spiritually alive. If we are not FIRST born again, we CANNOT enter the kingdom ofGod.

This same issue is certainly addressed by Jesus 3 chapters further on in John 6:44, whenHe said, "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I

will raise him up on the last day." (we should note that the one drawn by the Father tothe Son is also raised up on the last day to eternal life). (John 6:39, 40). In John 6:65,

Jesus said, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless ithas been granted him from the Father."

Of course, all who exercise true faith will certainly be saved. John 3:16 clearly teachesthat anyone believing in Christ will not perish but have everlasting life. But what we need

to ask is "who WILL have faith?"

The Augustinian, and I believe biblical view, is that only the elect will be brought to faith.No one can come to Christ unless God does something to enable that person to come.

So why do people miss what John 3:16 teaches or read into it (eisegesis) what is not

actually in the text?

That's easy. It is because of how they have heard John 3:16 used over and over and over

again. They have an ingrained, preconceived notion of what the verse says, and fail toquestion that assumption and read the text for what it actually says.

It's a TRADITION and if you dare question it, you might be accused of questioning the

very word of God, rather than their traditional interpretation of the word of God, and thatcan create a whole lot of emotion.

This text, of course, is just one example of many that could be quoted, but it does showus how powerful our traditions can be. We need to continuously expose our traditions to

the light of God's Word. If they can be confirmed by detailed study of the text of

Scripture, we can be sure that the traditions are valid. If not, then we need to dispense


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with them. Let God be true and every man a liar... even if the "man" here refers to our

own firmly held beliefs, but not the testimony of Scripture itself.

Here is the article of Arthur Pink on the word world which is kosmos in Greek.It may

appear to some of our readers that the exposition we have given of John 3:16 in the

chapter on "Difficulties and Objections" is a forced and unnatural one, inasmuch as ourdefinition of the term "world" seems to be out of harmony with the meaning and scope of

this word in other passages, where, to supply the world of believers (Gods elect) as a

definition of "world" would make no sense. Many have said to us, "Surely, world means

world, that is, you, me, and everybody." In reply we would say: We know fromexperience how difficult it is to set aside the "traditions of men" and come to a passage

which we have heard explained in a certain way scores of times, and study it carefully for

ourselves without bias Nevertheless, this is essential if we would learn the mind of God.

Many people suppose they already know the simple meaning of John 3:16, and therefore

they conclude that no diligent study is required of them to discover the precise teaching

of this verse. Needless to say, such an attitude shuts out any further light which they

otherwise might obtain on the passage. Yet, if anyone will take a Concordance and readcarefully the various passages in which the term "world" (as a translation of "kosmos")

occurs, he will quickly perceive that to ascertain the precise meaning of, the word

"world" in any given passage is not nearly so easy as is popularly supposed. The word"kosmos," and its English equivalent "world," is not used with a uniform significance in

the New Testament. Very far from it. It is used in quite a number of different ways. Below

we will refer to a few passages where this term occurs, suggesting a tentative definition in

each case:

"Kosmos" is used of the Universe as a whole: Acts 17:24 - "God that made the worldand all things therein seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth."

"Kosmos" is used of the earth: John 13:1; Ephesians 1:4, etc., etc.- "When Jesus knew

that his hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, havingloved His own which were in the world He loved them unto the end." "Depart out of this

world" signifies, leave this earth. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the

foundation of the world." This expression signifies, before the earth was foundedcompare Job 38:4 etc.

"Kosmos" is used of the world-system: John 12:31 etc. "Now is the judgment of this

world: now shall the Prince of this world be cast out" compare Matthew 4:8 and 1

John 5:19, R. V.

"Kosmos" is used of the whole human race: Romans 3:19, etc."Now we know that

what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth

may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God."


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2 Peter 3:1-9 - This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In bothof them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should

remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord

and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in

the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where

is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things arecontinuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately

overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out

of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the

world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word

the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day

of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact,

beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as

one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is

patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach

repentance.

The first thing we notice is that the subject of the passage is not salvation but the secondcoming of Christ. Peter is explaining the reason for the delay in Christs second coming

He is still coming, and will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night (v. 10).

The second thing to notice is the clear identity of the people he is addressing. He speaksof the mockers as they, but everywhere else he speaks to his audience as you and the

beloved. This is very important because the assumption that is usually made is that the

you the any and the all of 2 Peter 3:9 refers to everyone on the planet.

But surely "all" means all, right? Well usually, yes, but not always. This has to be

determined by the context in which the words are found. For example, when a teacher isgetting ready to start a class and asks his students, "Are all here?" he is not asking if

every last living person on planet earth is present in the room. Rather he is referring to all

the students enrolled in the class. It is context that provides the basis for a soundinterpretation.

So, the question in 2 Peter 3:9 is whether "all" refers to all human beings without

distinction, or whether it refers to everyone within a certain group. The context indicatesthat Peter is writing to a specific group and not to all of mankind to those who have

obtained a faith of equal standing with ours 2 Peter 1:1. The audience is confirmed

when Peter writes, This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.

(2 Peter 3:1)

Can we be even more specific? Yes, because if this is the second letter addressed to them,

the first makes it clear who he is writing to. 1 Peter 1:1 - Peter, an apostle of JesusChrist, To those who are elect So Peter is writing to the elect in 2 Peter 3, saying:

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.... But do not

overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years,


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and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some

count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but

that all should reach repentance. (v. 1, 8, 9 - emphasis mine)

If the "any" or all here refers to everyone in human history, the verse would prove far

more than Arminians would want to prove - it would prove universalism rather thanChristianity. (Universalism is the false doctrine that teaches that everyone will ultimately

be saved, with no one going to hell). If God is not willing that any person perish, thenwhat? No one would ever perish! Yet, in context, the "any" that God wills not to perish

must be limited to the same group he is writing to, the elect, and the "all" that are to come

to repentance is the very same group. Christs second coming has been delayed so that allthe elect can be gathered in. God is not willing that any of the elect should perish, but that

all of them come to repentance.

Rather than denying election, understood in its biblical context, it is one of the strongest

verses in favor of it.

But is God not fair for not loving everybody? Is the doctrine of election unfair or is it

Biblical? Le us see the response of John McArthur. And I copy and paste: Among themost hotly contested and persistent debates in the history of the confessing church, the doctrineof election is perhaps the greatest of all. The question goes like this: Does God choose sinners tobe saved and then provide for their salvation? Or, Does God provide the way of salvation thatsinners must choose for themselves?

Wheres the evidence?

This question ofchoice is called election because of the Greek word for those who are chosenthe Bible calls them eklektos. There are many such uses in the Bible (cf. Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 5:21;Tit. 1:1; 2 John 1), but one of my favorites is in Romans 8:33: Who will bring a charge againstGods elect? The answer is, no one, but why? Is it because I chose God, or is it because God

chose me?

One passage that is critical to the discussion is in the opening chapter of Pauls letter to theEphesians. Immediately after his customary greeting, Paul launches in Ephesians 1:3-14 with agreat song of praise. Its only one sentencebut, with 200 words in the Greek, it may be thelongest single sentence in religious literature.

Paul touches on all the great biblical themes in that hyper-complex sentencesanctification,adoption, redemption, and glorificationand all of them rest on one foundational doctrine, thedoctrine of election. The most superlative spiritual blessings stand on Ephesians 1:4He choseus [elected us] in Him before the foundation of the world.

So the doctrine of election is biblical, but what does that passage really teach? I want to help youget a better grasp of that by pointing out what Paul teaches about election. If you are a believer,you can equip yourself for your next conversation on this topic. But more important, as one of Hiselect you can rejoice in the astonishing kindness God showed you before the world began.

What does it mean?

Pauls song is essentially his reflection on the amazing truth that God blessed us with everyspiritual blessing in Christ (v. 3). And how did He bless us? He chose us in Him before thefoundation of the world (Eph. 1:4).


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God didnt draw straws; He didnt look down the corridor of time to see who would choose Himbefore He decided. Rather, by His sovereign will He chose who would be in the Body of Christ.The construction of the Greek verb for chose indicates God chose us for Himself. That meansGod acted totally independent of any outside influence. He made His choice totally apart fromhuman will and purely on the basis of His sovereignty.

Jesus said to His disciples, You did not choose Me, but I chose you (John 15:16). And in thesame Gospel, John wrote, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to becomechildren of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of thewill of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God(1:12-13, italics mine). And Paul said, But weshould always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God haschosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in thetruth (2 Thess. 2:13).

Those statements defining Gods sovereign choice of believers are not in the Bible to causecontroversy, as if Gods election means sinners dont make decisions. Election does not excludehuman responsibility or the necessity of each person to respond to the gospel by faith. Jesussaid, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainlynot cast out (John 6:37).

Admittedly the two concepts dont seem to go together. However, both are true separately, andwe must accept them both by faith. You may not understand it, but rest assuredits fullyreconciled in the mind of God.

You must understand that your faith and salvation rest entirely on Gods election (cf. Acts 13:48).And yet the day you came to Jesus Christ, you did so because of an internal desireyou didnothing against your will. But even that desire is God-givenHe supplies the necessary faith sowe can believe (Eph. 2:8).

Think about itif your salvation depends on you, then praise to God is ridiculous. But, in truth,your praise to God is completely appropriate, because in forming the Body before the worldbegan, He chose you by His sovereign decree apart from any of your works. The doctrine of

election demonstrates God being God, exercising divine prerogatives. For that we must praiseHim.

But thats not fair!

Some are shocked to find that God didnt choose everyone to salvation. Jesus said, And this isthe will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on thelast day (John 6:39, italics mine). God the Father chose certain individuals to form a Body as agift to Jesus Christ. Every believer is part of that love gift to Christa gift of the Fathers love toHis Son.

To those who say that is unjust, Paul answers: What shall we say then? There is no injustice withGod, is there? May it never be! For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion (Rom. 9:14-15).

So why does God still find fault in unrepentant sinners when He didnt choose them? Doesnt thisdeny human responsibility? Is it fair for God to still hold them accountable?

Paul answers all such questions with a rebukewho are you, O man, who answers back toGod? The thing molded will not say to the molder, Why did you make me like this, will it? (v. 20).Does the clay jump up and ask the potter why it looks the way it does? Not at all.


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Some believe that is terribly cold and calculating. But that is only one side of Gods sovereignelection. Paul continues in the next chapter by saying, If you confess with your mouth Jesus asLord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved forwhoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved (10:9, 13).

How these two sides of Gods truthHis sovereignty in choosing us (Rom. 9) and our

responsibility to confess and believe (Rom. 10)reconcile is impossible for us to understand fully.But Scripture declares both perspectives of salvation to be true (John 1:12-13). Its our duty toacknowledge both and joyfully accept them by faith.

Is this article truly shocking? Perhaps not, because it is a Biblical truth. And I do not thinkBiblical truth should shock Gods children like us. All of us are in a spiritual journey andthis includes the discovery of the truth in the Bible that we have not yet discover or truththat God has not yet shown to us. This article is a bold move and I know many of mybrothers and sister in Christ will have struggles internalizing this truth that has long beenignore or rejected. If you are convince that what is presented in this writing is wrong and

does not please God please pray right now. Go on your knees pray for yourself and theauthor. Perhaps if it will please the Lord Jesus He will speak to you clearly and directly.To Almighty God belongs only all the praise and all the glory in the name of Jesus Amen!

Notes: If it will please the Lord this article will be revise again and edited and hopefully became abook for publishing for Gods glory. 9/20/09


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Sept. 15, 2009

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The Shocking Truth About John 3