A Closer Look at John 3:16

by Elder John Kohler

(Pastor of Morris Fork Baptist Church, Rupert, WV)


"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."


Does John 3:16 teach that God loves every individual human being who has ever lived, and ever will live on the face of the earth? This is the view that is held and heralded by the overwhelming majority of professing Christians living on earth today. In order for this interpretation to be correct, however, it cannot contradict any other verse in the Bible, and must be consistent with the overall teaching of God's Word. This is because of the hermeneutical principle known as analogia Scriptura, which states that Scripture never contradicts Scripture, but is always consistent in its teaching. Does the popular, contemporary conception about John 3:16 fit with the analogy of Scripture? To arrive at an accurate answer to this question, it might be helpful to first respond to the following series of Bible-related questions:



(The above article was used by permission. To read other articles by Elder John Kohler, visit the following website: Morris Fork Baptist Church)

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Since 2-27-99