R. C. Sproul answers the question, “Does God love everyone in the same way—both His redeemed people and His enemies? From one of Ligonier live events, Dr. Sproul helps us understand what it means that “God so loved the world” (John 3:16).:

Pas ho pisteuwn: ‘everyone believing’ not ‘all can believe’

Chapter 8 of my book, Twelve What Abouts:

WHAT ABOUT JOHN 3:16?

The question usually posed here is something like this: How can you reconcile belief in Divine election with John 3:16?

Most assume it is not possible. Actually, if we carefully take a look at the text and not just assume its meaning, John 3:16 is a wonderful scripture that in no way undermines the truth of Divine election.

It is certainly the most famous verse in the entire Bible. Here Jesus says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

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

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 WHOEVER believes in Christ would have eternal life. Therefore, God has done His part in offering the gift of salvation in His Son and just leaves it up to us to receive the gift through faith. Amen. Case closed!”

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 many people on the word “whoever,” the text does not actually discuss who does or 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 that also 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 corresponding to our English 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.” Continue reading →