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NASB | John 3:16 ¶ "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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Bible Question:
Hello! I'm confused! In John 3:16 we are told: John 3:16 "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. So God(The FATHER as He gave His SON) LOVED the world, but we are NOT to love the world or the love of the FATHER is not in us! If we love the world that HE loved, that doesn't make sense to me?? I mean if we are to model our lives after God, especially Christ, who gave his very life in such a sacrificial way for those of the world... (and there was obviously plenty of evil in His day as well), then this confuses me. 1 John 2:15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Any help would be appreciated. Also, I was a bit frightened by something I heard the other day from a telecast minister. He said that IF we cannot understand the bible, that the Holy Spirit is not within us because those whom the Holy Spirit indwells, He teaches and suddenly the bible will have meaning, that the bible itself becomes it's own best commentary. I know the Holy Spirit is within me, but am I somehow doing something wrong that I'm not able to understand many passages? (If the Holy Spirit should be enlightening me, perhaps somehow I am not being responsive??) If this is so, and you have any similar experience, I'd love some guidance. Thank you |
Bible Answer: Greetings Starfire! Wild Olive Shoot gave you an excellent answer, but I would like to add a few things if I may. Greek words can have different meanings in different contexts. Look at the English word 'Level'. It can have several different meanings. 1) It can be a noun that names a tool used by workers. 2) It can be a verb describing a condition. 3) It can a noun naming a certain floor of a multi-floor building. How does one tell which is the proper meaning? Context is the key. In Greek, 'kosmos' is the same as 'level' in English. It is used in three primary ways. 1) It can refer to the physical world inselt. 2) It can refer to the people who live on the world itself. 3) It can refer to the evil 'systems', 'structures', and 'desires' of the world. In the case of John 3:16, it is quite clear that meaning 2 is in mind. Christ died for individuals. However, in 1 John 2:15, the contexts would indicate that meaning 3 is in mind. Notice that vv. 16 and 17 both mentions the words 'lust' and 'desires'. So, the simplest way to understand 1 John 2:15 is that we are not to 'love' the 'lusts' and 'desires' of the world in the sense that we would obey them. Rather, we are to obey God. I hope this helps! I would encourage you to get out a concordance and look up how 'world' is used in the New Testament. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |