Hi wondering,
No problem re the timing of your reply - always happy to hear what you think, Anyway ,I'm not entirely certain of what you mean? You state that "God did not send His Son to condemn the world". I agree - why would God send His son to condemn that which is already condemned? Makes sense to me. As you say, was already condemned (from Adam and Eve when they transgressed God's commandment - my comment).
Agreed. Good.
So then, by your statement that "God sent His son to save it", you're saying that everyone who ever lived upon this earth shall be saved ? The word "world" I would think, by definition, has to include everyone, right?
I can't go on about a word.
The bible does not function on a word basis.
It functions on an IDEA.
This is the idea:
God so loved THE WORLD that He sent His only Begotten Son that WHOSOVER believes in Him will not perish....
Now, how does WHOEVER believes in Him MEAN THE WHOLE WORLD??
It's plain English I think.
If not, then this world hasn't been saved because its inhabitants haven't been saved, and they're a part of it - don't forget it was Adam and Eve (people) who caused its fall,
Adam was human...he represented mankind.
Mankind fell.
and since Christ came to save that which was lost, all its inhabitants must be part of it. In other words, according to your explanation, everyone saved by Christ, has to be part of this "one world", since, as you've defined it, there is only one.
Christ does not represent man but God...He IS God.
Christ came to save what was lost...by the method that God chose.
That is by faith in God and belief in His Son.
You're changing my ideas to suit something YOU believe to be true as I've noticed from your posts.
Please don't do this.
Everyone is part of THIS WORLD, which is the only one available to us right now.
Not everyone in THIS WORLD is saved because they CHOOSE not to be by not following God's method of salvation.
I know we've had this discussion before, but I definitely DON'T think that one world is in view in the verse. With a "world to come" interpretation, the next one can be saved along with those under its auspices, without everyone who ever lived being saved. We know, biblically speaking, that not everyone is to be saved.
Agreed. But there is no WORLD TO COME interpretation.
The New Testament, and specifically John 3:16-18 is speaking about this world.
Those saved in THIS WORLD will be a part of the Next World....which we could call the New Jerusalem or the New Earth.
As always, and as the Bible informs, no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. So, in addition to this verse, we need to consider others to come to a correct interpretation
To me the Bible is extremely clear about this.
Please observe:
[Luk 19:9-10 KJV]
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Anyway, I'll await your reply to this before proceeding - thx
What does Luke 19:9 have to do with this conversation? (of two worlds).
Zaccheus wanted to meet Jesus...he even climbed a tree to do so.
Jesus told Z that He wanted to have dinner at his house.
Z was willing to give back what he had stolen.
Jesus told him that salvation had come to him that day
and that he was a lost son of Abraham, come home.
What does this teach us?
1. Jesus was in town and was gathering persons around Himself.
God makes Himself known.
2. Zaccheus was anxious to meet Jesus.
A person is interested in meeting God.
3. Zaccheus climbs a tree to see Jesus.
A person does what is necessary for salvation.
4. Jesus proclaims the salvation of Zaccheus, who was a lost son of Abraham and was now found again. (Romans 9:6-7)
Through God's grace...we are born again by faith and belief in God.
The above has nothing to do with two worlds OR I haven't understood what you mean by these two worlds.