EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES
These words, I believe, we spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in a passage that is known as “the Gospel in a Nutshell”, in John chapter 3, verses 15-18. Jesus is still in conversation with Nicodemus.
To whom do the words, “πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων”, refer to?
To understand who the Greek “πᾶς”, which is translated by some as “whomsoever”, or, “whoever”, or, “everyone”, or, “anyone”, etc, refers, we must understand what Jesus means in this passage by “κόσμος”, which is translated by “world”.
Some have sought to limit the use of “κόσμος” here to mean, “the elect of God”, which is very few in number, when compared with the greater majority of the “non-elect”, who will end up in eternal punishment. This is the view taken by the so called “Reformed”, or “Calvinists”, who do so purely based on their “theology”, that Jesus Christ only Died for “the elect”. The person who these “Calvinists”, take their name from, is the Reformed French theologian, John Calvin. It is very interesting what John Calvin, has to say on the use of “κόσμος”, in this passage:
“Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life.” (from Calvin’s Commentary on John’s Gospel. Emphasis mine).
It is very clear from what Calvin himself says here, that by the term “world”, he means “the whole world”, and that is, “all men without exception”, who God desires to be “reconciled” with through Jesus Christ, which is eternal life. Nothing can be more palin, that John Calvin understands Jesus’ words here, as an Invitation for the whole human race, to salvation in Him. This is completely contradictory to what “Calvinists” teach in his name!
Robert Dabney, who was a theologian, and himself a Calvinist, has this to say on the use of “kosmos” here:
“In Jno.iii.16, make ‘the world’ which Christ loved, to mean ‘the elect world’, and we reach the absurdity, that some of the elect may not believe, and perish…since Christ made expiation for every man” (Systematic Theology, p.525)
Another Calvinist, John Trapp, in his commentary says:
“The world, that is, all mankind fallen in Adam”
There can be no doubt to those who read this passage with an open, and not “Reformed”, mind, that here Jesus Christ is speaking of the saving love of God the Father, for the entire human race, which zero exceptions. Interesting, that Calvins own words on this, “all men without exception”, is not what Calvinist would themselves use, as they say, “all men without distinction”, which here is more of a cop-out, based on their biased theology!
On the term “whomsoever”, etc, again John Calvin’s own comments are very interesting and important here:
“And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbeliever” (Commentary)
This is exactly what Jesus Christ means. This is exactly what the 66 Books of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, teaches. This is the Heart of Almighty God, in the desire to see ALL sinners reconciled to Himself, through the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ!
At the very end of the last chapter in the Book of Revelation, we have the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, which are very similar to what He says in John chapter 3:
“Both the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Anyone who hears should say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift” (22:17)
Here, ANYONE and WHOEVER, refers to THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, indeed, GOD SO LOVES THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, that He desires that NONE were to be lost. This is the LOVE from the HEART of the ALMIGHTY, for ALL HUMANS, from Adam to the last person.
Gloria in Deo
These words, I believe, we spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in a passage that is known as “the Gospel in a Nutshell”, in John chapter 3, verses 15-18. Jesus is still in conversation with Nicodemus.
To whom do the words, “πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων”, refer to?
To understand who the Greek “πᾶς”, which is translated by some as “whomsoever”, or, “whoever”, or, “everyone”, or, “anyone”, etc, refers, we must understand what Jesus means in this passage by “κόσμος”, which is translated by “world”.
Some have sought to limit the use of “κόσμος” here to mean, “the elect of God”, which is very few in number, when compared with the greater majority of the “non-elect”, who will end up in eternal punishment. This is the view taken by the so called “Reformed”, or “Calvinists”, who do so purely based on their “theology”, that Jesus Christ only Died for “the elect”. The person who these “Calvinists”, take their name from, is the Reformed French theologian, John Calvin. It is very interesting what John Calvin, has to say on the use of “κόσμος”, in this passage:
“Such is also the import of the term World, which he formerly used; for though nothing will be found in the world that is worthy of the favor of God, yet he shows himself to be reconciled to the whole world, when he invites all men without exception to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life.” (from Calvin’s Commentary on John’s Gospel. Emphasis mine).
It is very clear from what Calvin himself says here, that by the term “world”, he means “the whole world”, and that is, “all men without exception”, who God desires to be “reconciled” with through Jesus Christ, which is eternal life. Nothing can be more palin, that John Calvin understands Jesus’ words here, as an Invitation for the whole human race, to salvation in Him. This is completely contradictory to what “Calvinists” teach in his name!
Robert Dabney, who was a theologian, and himself a Calvinist, has this to say on the use of “kosmos” here:
“In Jno.iii.16, make ‘the world’ which Christ loved, to mean ‘the elect world’, and we reach the absurdity, that some of the elect may not believe, and perish…since Christ made expiation for every man” (Systematic Theology, p.525)
Another Calvinist, John Trapp, in his commentary says:
“The world, that is, all mankind fallen in Adam”
There can be no doubt to those who read this passage with an open, and not “Reformed”, mind, that here Jesus Christ is speaking of the saving love of God the Father, for the entire human race, which zero exceptions. Interesting, that Calvins own words on this, “all men without exception”, is not what Calvinist would themselves use, as they say, “all men without distinction”, which here is more of a cop-out, based on their biased theology!
On the term “whomsoever”, etc, again John Calvin’s own comments are very interesting and important here:
“And he has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbeliever” (Commentary)
This is exactly what Jesus Christ means. This is exactly what the 66 Books of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, teaches. This is the Heart of Almighty God, in the desire to see ALL sinners reconciled to Himself, through the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ!
At the very end of the last chapter in the Book of Revelation, we have the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, which are very similar to what He says in John chapter 3:
“Both the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" Anyone who hears should say, "Come!" And the one who is thirsty should come. Whoever desires should take the living water as a gift” (22:17)
Here, ANYONE and WHOEVER, refers to THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, indeed, GOD SO LOVES THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE, that He desires that NONE were to be lost. This is the LOVE from the HEART of the ALMIGHTY, for ALL HUMANS, from Adam to the last person.
Gloria in Deo
