It is arguably the most often quoted verse in all of Scripture. It’s been called the “Gospel in a Nutshell”, and we speak, of course, of the beloved John 3:16. We even see zealous Christians waving the name and number of John 3:16 on handmade placards at ball games and other sporting events, anywhere a roving camera can pick it up and transmit it to the millions who are watching TV in their home.
The Spirit of God inspired the Apostle John, who was handpicked as an apostle of Jesus Christ, two thousand years ago. Here’s what John wrote, “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The first elements that become apparent in the verse are who is doing the loving and who it was that is loved. It was God, the greatest Being, who loved the greatest entity, namely, the entire world…that is, humanity. God’s love was not bestowed upon the physical world, the planet earth, but upon its inhabitants…people, all people, of all times, and in all places. Then, we note the manner in which God loved the world. It is wrapped up in the little two-letter English world “so”, s-o, and, while not obvious in English versions, it’s very obvious in the original language of the New Testament, which was Greek. The word for “so” in the Greek is spelled in English equivalency as “outos”, “o-u-t-o-s”, and it means “in this manner”, or “in this way”.
But, really now, what’s the difference? And, should we care? Lots of difference, and, yes, we should care. It’s a wonderful truth that distinguishes the quality of God’s love from the concept of quantity. It isn’t how much God loved us in a quantity, but the nature and kind of God’s love which had to do with quality, not quantity. God’s love was of such a quality, or nature. God’s love never increases from a little bit that God loves to a lot that God loves. His love is of such a nature it cannot be increased nor decreased. His love did not build over the centuries until it reached a quantity that He was moved to do something. When God loves, He loves with the nature and character and quality of His entire Being. God loves with everything He’s got and everything He is. “Outos”, rendered “so” in our English versions, conveys the idea that qualitatively, not quantitatively,
God’s love was of such a kind, such a manner, such a distinctive quality of love that He could only demonstrate it by what He was to do for the world, the object of His love. God’s love was of such a kind that He gave…He gave that which was the very dearest to Him for this world that He loved. He gave His only begotten Son. This kind of love prompted this kind of giving, His only Son. And, don’t forget, not only did the Father give His only begotten Son, but His only begotten Son was also willing to be given.
CC 10-16
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