All right, as I said, John 3,
14 through 17. Now, you recognize this as our
Lord's meeting with Nicodemus. Our Lord met Nicodemus by night,
had this discourse with him, and here's part of it. And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up. that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish but have everlasting life. 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. For God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him
might be saved. Now, John chapter 316, and looking
again at it. As I said, this may be the most
famous verse in all the Bible. Most people can quote this verse
if they can't quote anything else. And if a poll were to be
taken, we would find that this probably would be listed as the
favorite of many people who call themselves Christian. And if
asked to describe the way of salvation or the glory of the
gospel, they would say that John 3.16 contains in a nutshell all
that we need to know. Not only that, but our minions
would be sure that we are rushing upon a sword to destroy ourselves
in taking John 3.16 as our text and my giggle with delight what
are we going to do when we get here to the word world and to
the word whosoever therefore it is after it is the only weapon
that they desire against us to quote John chapter 3 and verse
16 no matter what text are produced otherwise out of the scripture
in favor of divine sovereignty and They would always want to
return us to John chapter 3 and verse 16. Why? Well, here they
feel that they find universalism by the word, or the use of the
word, world. Free will, they find here, universal
love, and all of those things. This being a text which the universalists,
as John Owen put it, exceedingly do boast, and yet when it is
examined closely, or more closely, will be a sword through the heart
of their own theology. John Owen, an old timer. Now
the typical Arminian view of John 3.16 goes something like
this. God so loved the world, that
is, each and every single individual that has ever lived or that has
ever been born, that he sent Christ that he might die, the
death on the cross, and all of they who use their free will
aright will attain unto eternal life. And furthermore, they say
this verse says that God desires the salvation of everyone. But He desires that salvation
not in a fixed and determined and resolute decree or purpose,
but out of the resolution of the believer, that whosoever
will believe, the record of the gospel will be saved. Now, not
surprisingly, they imagine and they insist that this text, John
3.16, absolutely destroys unconditional election, particular redemption,
irresistible grace, and all of those other things. So the question
now is, what is the Calvinistic view or interpretation and application
of John chapter 3 and verse 16. What are we going to do about
it? How can we defend our position
in the light of John chapter 3 and verse 16? Well, the very
first thing to do, as with almost any text of scripture, is to
consider the context. The context. What is said? When was it said? Why was it
said? And who is it said to? Now, many
miss this point, I think, but the whole context through verse
21 of John chapter 3 is part of the meeting and of the discourse
between our Lord and a Jew, a ruler by the name of Nicodemus. Now, the first part of which
declares the necessity of regeneration. It is here that our Lord declares
that unless one is born again, they cannot see or enter into
the kingdom of God. And our Lord illustrates that
to Nicodemus, who knew and taught the Old Testament. by Moses making
that brazen serpent, putting it upon a pole, and whosoever
looked upon it, not who touched it, not who kissed it, or not
who brought an offering, not who bowed down, but whosoever
looked upon that serpent of brass was cured of the deadly bite
of the viper. Now, this was a thing that Nicodemus
should have been familiar with. He should have known about the
spiritual new birth because it is spoken of by the prophet in
the Old Testament. Now, that brazen serpent was
made in the likeness of the fiery serpent, but without venom in
it. So our Lord Jesus Christ was made in the likeness of men,
but without any sin and without any depravity. Then in the 16th
verse, it's still addressed to Nicodemus, a Jewish ruler, a
teacher who is such believed that the salvation of God was
basically confirmed only to the seed of Abraham or the Jewish
nation. Nicodemus was a man, as A.W. Pink wrote, who believed that
God's mercies were to Abraham's seed only. This is probably evident
by Nicodemus' use of the word we. We know, he said unto our
Lord. He did not say I know, but he
said we know. Myself, my fellow Jew, even some
of the teachers and the rulers of the nation of Israel, we know,"
he said, that thou art a teacher come from God. John Gill was
about as well acquainted with Jewish customs and law and such
like as any man that I have read after. Now, he said that there
are two things that apply here. Number one, nothing was more
common among the Jew that day than when he saw the word world
to understand it as referring under the Gentile. Even the whole
world and all the world, they understood to be the nations
of the world, in other words, non-Jew and Gentile. Now, I'll
prove that. In this sense, the word is used
by Paul in Romans 11, if you want to put this down, and verse
12 and verse 15, as he distinguishes the Gentile from the Jew by the
use of the word world. And it's the same word in the
Greek that we have here in John chapter 3, And verse 16, he uses
the description world to distinguish between the Gentile and the Jew. Here's Romans 11 and verse 12,
where he uses a word world and Gentiles interchangeably saying
this. Quote, now if the fall of them,
that is the Jew, be the riches of the world, and the diminishing
of them, that is the Jew, be the riches of the Gentile, how
much more there, that is the Jew, fullness. again in verse
15 Romans 11 now if the casting away of them that is the Jew
be the Reconciling of the world and there again it is referenced
under the Gentile so the question is do we not make the distinction
between the church and the world in our day we do the church and
the and the world are regarded as two different or separate
entities, one worshipers of God, the other being out of God and
of the world. Now, we also say the world to
express something about those that are not Christian. We say the world doesn't understand,
the world doesn't do this, or the world does that. We certainly,
when we say that, do not mean every single member of the human
race and that without distinction. We say the world is going mad. We do not mean every single individual
We do not mean every member of Adam's race. Now the second thing
is, you'll also observe that there was a question among the
Jewish doctors and the teachers whether the Gentiles should be
in any way blessed and receive grace and salvation by the advent
of Messiah. The greater part of them said
no. That there was no benefit, savingly,
unto the Gentile. And that God's judgment would
be upon the Gentile. God's blessing, they thought,
was exclusively to the nation of Israel. Now this is a key
to the words of Christ to Nicodemus. Verse 16, For God so loved the
world. And the word far always is important
when we see it in the beginning of a verse. And understanding
the word world in the sense of the Jew, Christ's words amount
to this, a rebuke and a correction of the Jew Nicodemus. When he
says unto him, God so loved the world, It is intended as both
a rebuke and a correction of the view of Nicodemus. And it means that God's love
and God's redemptive purpose extended beyond the Jew and beyond
the Jewish nation, and that it includes the world that is the
Gentile. God also set his love upon a
multitude of Gentiles and also ordained them to salvation before
the world. Now to say God so loved the world
is as if to say God so loved the Gentiles as well Nicodemus
which is understood meaning of the word world in the New Testament
now let's prove that from some other places take John chapter
4 and verse 42 and the occasion of the conversion of many Samaritan
now remember that the Samaritan were what would be called half-breed
they were half Jew and half Gentile and they were outlaws as to their
worship. They had set up a worship separate
and apart, including a temple and all from the Jew. And when
Christ was revealed unto them, they said, this is indeed the
Christ, the Savior of the world. And they were Samaritan. They
were not full-blood Jew. That is, He's the Savior of the
world. Not just the Jew, but the Savior
of sinners beyond and outside of the border of Judaism, of
the world. And yet, not every single individual
of the world without exception. For we're bound to admit, I think,
when we think the matter through, that Christ is not the Savior. He is not the Savior of every
single individual that lives or has ever lived upon the face
of the earth. He's not even the Savior of every
single Jew, even though they be a literal descendant of Abraham. Not all are saved. in either
one of these groups, the Jew or the Gentile. But before we
run ahead, let's go back to John 3 and verse 16. For the controversy
here turns upon two words, and they are very simple words. The controversy is not real deep. It's not deep theology. But it's
about words and about their meaning. And the two words again, and
we need to look at them, are the word world and the word whosoever. Both of them are used by the
Lord in John 3.16. Now, Arminians insists that the
word world be understood as including all every individual, past, present,
and future, living or dead, man or woman, or child, saved or
lost, Jew or Gentile, Christian or Muslim, believer or non-believer,
black, white, brown, yellow, whatever. They insist that this
word world encompasses every single individual that has ever
proceeded out of that. And that in every age, and in
every condition, that in the face of the fact that when God
spoke to his only begotten Son, some of these were already in
heaven and some of them were already in hell when these words
were written by John, spoken from the Lord. Now there's no
mistaking Arminianism, they insist that the word world allows for
not a single exception when it comes to the love of God and
the death of Christ and such like. That God so loved the world. Let me emphasize that. It is
the view of Arminianism. that God loved Pharaoh the same
as he loved Paul, the chosen apostle. It is the doctrine of
Arminianism that God loved Judas as much as he did Joseph, that
great servant of God. That he loved Esau as much as
he did Enoch, whom he took up in a cloud unto glory. Thus it
becomes us to consider the scripture terms as whirl, the world, all
the world, and the whole world. Now these are all used repeatedly
in the New Testament. It is by the Arminian equated
with all, but only when used in the sense of salvation and
of redemption. They're not honest, and they're
not consistent in their use and application of the word world. They say world means world, and
they'll say it until they're blue in the face. Now, if we
mean all, then all the world, the whole world, certainly means
all without exception. Now the truth is, when you study
the New Testament very closely, these words and these phrases,
all, all the world, the world, and the whole world, seldom mean
all without exception. You look at them in the New Testament,
you cannot make it mean all without exception. There are times, there
are places when it is actually impossible to give those words
that meaning of everyone that's ever lived and all without exception. Now some comparisons, I believe,
will demonstrate this and would you listen carefully. The word
world is so often translated from the word cosmos. and is
used in several ways in the New Testament. The word world has
the general meaning of order or arrangement, a system, a harmony,
adorning, decoration. Our word cosmetic So say some
comes from this word. As Pink said and others, the
word world translated from the word cosmos is not used in any
uniform or singular sense in the scripture. You just can't
go down the line and say it means this and only this. everywhere
you see it in the New Testament. Therefore, it must be viewed
in the light of its context. It has no one definition or meaning
and must be interpreted in the contextual setting in which it
appeared and is used in the Scripture. Now, I said comparison. Here
are some comparisons that will demonstrate this to be so. God so loved the world. John 3, 16. Is this everyone? Then what will we do with 1 John
2 and verse 15 where God said, love not the world. God so loved
the world. Well, that means everybody without
exception, they say. And then love not the world. Does that mean everybody without
exception? For that matter, does it refer
to people or does it refer to a system? Does God forbid us
to love the same world that he so loved? Can you reconcile that? In both texts, the word is the
same, so you can't take refuge in the Greek and say it's a different
word, because it is the same word. And yet, God so loved and
then says to us, love not the world. Does John mean love for
every single individual who has ever lived? or love not the order
of the world apart from God, the world that's godless. John
12 and 19 is another place. The Pharisees said among themselves
one day, as they saw the reaction of people to the Lord, they said
this, behold, the world is gone after him. Does that mean everyone? Everyone without an exception?
They hadn't gone, they didn't go, they didn't follow after
the Lord. Does that mean every person without
exception can't be? But surely the whole world means
all without exception, for we see that in the scripture. Now
let's consider that phrase, the whole world, and let's consider
it from 1 John chapter 2 and verse 2. Arminius liked this
verse because it uses the phrase, the whole world. He is the perpetuation
for our sin and for the sin of the whole world. In connection
with the propituary death of the Lord Jesus Christ. What shall
we say? Well, our reaction or response
is twofold. A, there is a contrast right
in that verse. You have to look at it. There's
a contrast right in that verse. And the contrast is between our,
twice it is used in that verse, and the whole world. He is a
perpetuation for our sin, not for ours only, but also for the
whole world. Does it make or include by our
the whole world? Ours is probably the Jew or believers,
children of God, and the whole world is those beside or outside
of that. He is the propitiation for any
in the world that he has chosen in Christ and will save. Yet
not everyone, without exception, is meant, even in that expression,
the whole world. People of all parts of the world,
of all tongues, and nationality, and tribes, and such like. There's another contrast. It's
found in 1 John chapter 5 and verse 19. We know that we are
of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness." Again, the whole
world. The whole world lies in wickedness. Now, again, we must subtract
whoever is not included by we. We are of God, and the whole
world lies in wickedness. Thus, the whole world cannot
possibly have the meaning that our minions want to give it,
In John 3 and verse 16, everyone without a single exception. And
then B, we consider other texts where the same phrase appears,
yet not in a salvational sense of the word. Matthew 16, 26. Listen now. If you think the
word world means The same thing every time you see it, and it
means all without exception. Matthew 16, 26. What shall it
profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his
own soul? There's a contrast again. And
you can't make that be everyone without exception. How about
Romans chapter 1 and verse 8? Your faith is spoken of throughout
the whole world. Now, does that mean that everybody,
without exception, had heard of the faith of the Romans? Again,
1 John 5, 19, if I might, the whole world lieth in wickedness. Revelation 12 and 9, the devil
which deceiveth the whole world. Does that mean everybody, without
exception? No. because some are saved. Luke 2 and verse 1, there went
out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
taxed. Does that mean everyone without
exception? No. It means the citizens of
the Roman Empire, that all the world should pay a tax. Matthew 26 and verse 13, the
gospel shall be preached in the whole world that mean everyone
without exception. Now who could honestly say that
these texts mean everyone, all, every man, woman, child, every
individual to ever live. Now the second, the fellow saints
and churches, the last, the citizen of the Roman Empire is the contrast
that we find in this play. The truth is the word cosmos
which is the word in John chapter 3 and verse 16, has several different
meanings. And in texts such as these, the
meaning is many of mankind, the world, many of mankind. The world, the whole world, all
the world, signifies all, the ends of the world, all nations,
all families, people of all kinds, the worst, the lost portion of
humanity, those outside of Christ, and such like. Now concerning
the insistence upon 1 John 2 and 2, he is the propitiation for
the whole world. Now, we ask, is every sinner
reconciled? Are the sins of every individual
propitiated and put away so that they are a Christian? Is every
sinner saved and loosed from their sin? Now, let's go back
to John 3. Take a look at verse 17 this
time. Here we have the word used three
times. Three times the word world is
in this verse. See it also in John 1 and verse
10. I think you have it three times
in that one verse, hardly any of them meaning the same thing.
Now, all six times, however, it is the same Greek word, kosma. And yet, who would dare give
the same meaning to all six of these words, world? Try to make
it read. For God sent not his son into
every single individual to condemn every single individual without
exception, but that every single individual without exception
might be saved. Also try to replace the word
world with all and every as the Armenian insists that they are
equal world means all world means Everyone now beside there's a
connection if we see it between verse 16 verse 17 of John chapter
3 God so loved the world that peoples of all races, of all
nations, of all tongues, of all tribes, Gentiles as well as Jews. Verse 17, for God sent not his
son into the world, the habitable earth, that part where Christ
dwelt, to condemn the world, for the world were already condemned,
but that the world might be saved. That is, the elect of both Jew
and Gentile. Because, number one, all are
not saved. Number two, many were already
doomed. Will Christ save them? And number
three, many were reprobate. Will Christ save them by the
work of his grace? Then secondly, let's consider
the second word in John 3 and verse 16, whosoever. whosoever believes, that whosoever
believes. This the Arminian makes as a
proof text for free will, that any who may will to be saved,
that any who will may will to be saved, and that whosoever
is inclusive of every sinner. But watch this. Rather than being
all-inclusive, the whosoever believe is restrictive when we
look at it. For he that believes not is condemned,
but whoso believe shall be saved. It is literally whosoever believes
are every believer. Before we go further, Let's jump
to Romans 10, 11-13 there, where it shows that Paul uses whosoever
to destroy any national distinction. To do away with national distinction
in the salvation that is in Christ. And let's read it carefully,
verse 11. For the scripture says, for the
Scripture said, shall not be saved, and is confounded, put
to shame. For the Scripture said, whosoever
believeth shall not be ashamed, shall be saved. Whosoever believeth,
whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord. And that word whosoever
is very restrictive. It is clear here. Whosoever,
not every Tom, Dick, and Harry, But whosoever Jew or Gentile,
Jew or Gentile shall be saved. Everyone, everyone who, as many
as, that's the meaning of whosoever, as many as. Verse 12, Jew and
Gentile are mentioned where it is said, the same Lord is rich
over all that call upon Him, whether Jew or Gentile, for whosoever,
as many as, shall call upon Him shall be saved. Now, As you read
scripture, you will observe that the extent of the word whosoever
is limited by the context in which it appears in the scripture. Whosoever believeth. Whosoever. Now listen to this one. Whosoever
was not found written in the book of life. What can you make
of that but as many as? Those that were or were not. As many as were not written. Same word. Whosoever. Whosoever
loveth and maketh alive. Whosoever shall put away his
wife. as many as, in other words, whosoever
hates his brother is a murderer. Whosoever, those that do, as
many as. Now in gospel terms, whosoever
believed is but a designation of the means whereby we are brought
to the conscious participation and submission to the Lord Jesus
Christ. Our believing is not meritorious
since we believe by grace. We believe by grace, believe
as a result of being ordained to eternal life, Acts 13 and
48, believe by the operation of the power of God, Colossians
2 and verse 12. John 12, 32, I will draw all
men unto me. Paul said, all things are lawful
to me. Is that all without exception?
Idolatry? Of course not. All things are
lawful unto me. A good report of all men. Does that mean all without exception?
Of course not. Now we have disarmed the Armenian
most convincing text and argument. We have taken away their favorite
text and argument and shown that it must be taken in other senses
and in the context. John 3.16 is in harmony with
all of the other scripture, even those that speak of election,
of sovereignty, and a particular redemption. So, I think it's
good to have another look at John 3 and verse 16. Think about it. Look at it. Read.