Before the man can pose a proper question, Jesus confronts him with the idea of spiritual rebirth, of having to start again like a vulnerable and helpless baby in order to enter into Jesus' world, the kingdom of God. Jesus then rebukes the religious teacher for not knowing much about heavenly things (the things of God), references an ancient story of rescue through the raising up of a bronze snake (Numbers 21), and then says these words which have become somewhat synonymous with the gospel: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life."
But let's not stop there. Let's continue to the end of the conversation. "God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him isn't judged; whoever doesn't believe in him is already judged, because they don't believe in the name of God's only Son. This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. All who do wicked things hate the light and don't come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God" (John 3:16-21, Common English Bible).
Let's notice a few things about the text. The word pictures include a snake of healing and the idea of being lifted up. Some of the contrasts featured are earthly/heavenly, judging/saving, light/dark, and exposure/hiding. The themes of seeing, knowing, and trusting are related to being rescued and saved. The object of love and salvation is the world.
How does this passage relate to being born again/anew/from above? Basically, it appears that Jesus is tying together the idea of new birth (starting anew and becoming vulnerable) to the picture of a loving and self-sacrificing father. In addition, Jesus is showing the religious leader how to see or recognize the kingdom of God. It looks like paternal love which is broad and inclusive. It looks like an invitation to participate in fullness and flourishing. It looks like transparency and humility (not coming in secret at night, perhaps?). It looks like rescue and not judgment. It looks like doing the truth. One can almost hear Jesus asking an unspoken question at the end of this conversation: "Can you see it now, my friend?"
Keeping the arc of the conversation in mind, let's take a closer look at verse 16. Martin Luther referred to this verse as "the heart of the Bible, the Gospel in miniature." And that is mostly how it has been used by evangelicals. In the evangelism tool known as The Four Spiritual Laws, the first "law" states, "God loves you and created you to know Him personally" and references John 3:16.[1] The reference has also been used as a way to draw attention to the Christian message at public and sporting events. From the late 70s onward, it was not uncommon to see someone holding up a sign that said "John 3:16" in arenas and stadiums. In many ways, this verse has functioned as a shortcut for the gospel, but might this also have diluted or distorted the message in the process?
Let's recalibrate a bit by paying attention to the meanings of the words in the text.
1. "God so loved the world' is not a statement of quantity (so very much) but a reference to how God enacted love. God loved the world in this way... The first reading puts the focus on us and how much we are valued. The second, more accurate reading places the attention on the giving nature of God and God's love which is boundless, selfless, and gracious.
2. The world (kosmos) is the focus of God's love. The emphasis is not on personal salvation but on the redemption of all creation.
3. To believe (pisteuo) means to trust in and rely on, not merely give mental assent to or recite a creed.
4. "Eternal life" is not about going to heaven when we die, but an invitation to experience flourishing, shalom, and justice by participating in the life of Christ. "This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you sent" (John 17:3, CEB). N. T. Wright translates this verse by saying that God gave his son "so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost but should share in the life of God's new age." [2]
5. To judge/condemn (krino) means to separate, to make a distinction between, to call to account, to try as a judge, to bring to trial, to sentence. The idea of separation is in contrast to knowing and trusting God.
6. To be saved (sozo) means to be rescued, cured, restored to health, set free, saved from ruin. The reference to the healing of the people of Israel from a plague of poisonous snakes gives us a clue that salvation pertains to much more than the afterlife.
7. Light (phos) means radiance, means of light, God's presence, spiritual illumination, brightness.
8. Darkness (skotos) means misery, spiritual darkness, punishment.
So, what is John 3:16 saying? It is more than a concise way to tell people they need to accept Jesus as their personal saviour (remember, it's not about personal salvation). Jesus is saying that the new paradigm, being born anew, seeing God's kingdom, is possible because of God's love for the cosmos.
Our familiarity with John 3:16 means that we can be prone to forget the context, the conversation it came out of, the original audience, and the startling rebuke and astounding invitation it was and is for religious leaders.
Reading familiar biblical texts in different translations and paraphrases is helpful because it invites us to hear the words with fresh ears and put our preconceived notions aside. Often, a fresh reading will highlight connections and insights we had previously missed. With that in mind, I offer my own paraphrase of this familiar passage from John 3, incorporating many of the ideas mentioned above.
God loved the whole world in this way: selflessly giving his only son so that all those who trust in and rely on him won't be lost or ruined but will share in the life of God's new paradigm. God didn't send his son, his emissary, his very self, into the whole world to put the cosmos on trial, but in order that the whole world might be saved from ruin and restored to health through him.
And that is really good news (gospel).
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1. http://www.4laws.com/laws/englishkgp/default.htm
2. New Testament for Everyone translated by N. T. Wright. Westminster John Knox Press, 2011.
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