Why Calvinists Never Quote John 3:16

Response to comment [from a Christian]: "They never quote it because they don't believe it. You cannot be a Calvinist and believe John 3:16. Of course many Calvinist try to change the meaning of the word "world" to mean the world of the elect, meaning them."

They argue that the world means some gentiles outside their general area. John MacArthur said that this understanding of world would have been shocking for Jews at that time.

Elite alert (aka Pride)

[The Doctrine of Actual Atonement Pt 2b by John MacArthur] "We have to look at some terms, okay--world--let's take world... In John chapter 3 verse 16 --God so loved the world. What does that mean? Humanity. He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world but that the world should be saved through him. Well, immediately you know that the world has to be qualified. If you don't qualify it, we're all going to come out universalists here with everybody being saved and we know that can't be true because the bible is so clear on judgment. [ Strawman]

He is the savior of the world in this sense. He's the only savior that this world will every have. He's the only savior the human race will ever know. The world has no other savior. And what's really important to note in all through the gospel of John whenever you read this--the savior of the world--God so loved the world--he was in the world, etc. Keep in mind that John is addressing an environment of Jewish anti-gentile racism. And the idea that the Messiah was for the world was a foreign idea. [ Red Herring] No pun intended it was a revolutionary idea. So, we look at the term world and we always qualify it." [ Leaping to a conclusion]

"John MacArthur believes in predestination.  Predestinationism makes a fool out of Paul and the apostles."

And the Calvinists that believe Greek paganism. God is calling out a people for his namesake.

[The Doctrine of Actual Atonement Pt 2b by John MacArthur] "...1 Jn 2. Jesus Christ the righteous one, v 2 he himself is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world. What is that saying?----That he is a propitiation not only for our sins again--this is very Jewish in it's context. [ Red Herring] But for the whole world. It's making the same point that John made over and over and over again--the same point that they made in the Book of Acts, he same point that Paul makes in Romans 11. [ Kettle logic] That the gospel is not limited to the Jews. Propitiation, by the way, is a very strong word....Propitiation means the actual satisfying of God's just wrath. It's not a potential. [ Hasty conclusion] It's an actual word. [ Strawman] It could be translated placated or satisfied. He himself is the satisfaction. He is the placation. He propitiates God, satisfies God, placates God's anger--for our sins. But not just ours as the inside people but the whole world--that is to say there is no other propitiation for people in any other nation than the one who is the propitiation for us.

If this meant that he was actually a satisfaction for every person who ever lived than the word is way to strong to mean anything potential. [ Hasty conclusion] It would have to mean actual because it's the satisfaction--God was satisfied with the sacrifice on their behalf. Nothing is left out. [ Undistributed middle] And Jesus death [inaudible] was a satisfaction. He was the sacrificial lamb on the ultimate day of atonement whose blood sprinkled before God was a true satisfaction.

Propitiation is too strong a word to mean something potential because propitiation means it turns God's wrath away forever. [ Hasty conclusion] And not just for us but for any gentile or anyone else who believes.

And in 2 Co 5:19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself --and again you say well ok, reconciling the world--people always [inaudible] didn't he reconcile the whole world? It always has to be qualified. [ Post hoc]. Otherwise, you end up as I said a universalist and what do you do with everybody that is being sent to hell? [ Strawman] God is reconciling the world to himself. And what does it mean? Listen to this. Not counting their trespasses against them--that's not a potential anything. [ Hasty conclusion] That's an actual. God is reconciling. God is not making reconciliation possible. God is not removing a barrier to reconciliation. God is not sort of giving eight tenths of the deal and telling the sinner to take the next two steps, he is reconciling to himself in Christ--that is, in the death of Christ the world not counting their trespasses against them. And let me tell you my friend not having your trespasses counted against you means that he bore your transgression in full and you are under no condemnation and that is not a potential salvation. That is an actual salvation.

Whoever the world is here --it is the ones who no longer have their trespasses counted against them. It is those who are v. 17 new creatures in Christ. It is those in v. 21 for whom he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf. Whose behalf? Those who were reconciled to God--that we might become the righteousness of God. [ Exclusive premise] There's no such thing in the bible as a potential. [ Strawman] It simply means that there are no racial limits, there are no ethnic limits. These passages regarding the world are all qualified--it's just humanity, the human world, this realm--not every single individual who ever lives. [ hasty conclusion] And you say, well, the Bible says all. I know it says all. Yep, the Bible says all. Want to look at some alls?

Ro 5. Let's look at some alls. Ro 5:18, So then...through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men. That one transgression was Adam, right? And that did affect everybody. [ Inconsistent comparison] Even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. Well, if you're not careful there. If you drive the parallel in the wrong direction, you're gonna come out with this: Well, everybody was affected by Adam's sin and became sinners; therefore, everybody is affected by Christ's righteous work and becomes righteous. [ Strawman]. The problem with that is--that's not true. There's only one illustration being made here. It's simply this. The argument is coming up. Paul is talking about the impact of the work of Christ--how that the work of Christ is the redeeming work for all who believe. And the question that comes up in the mind of the reader. It's going to be how can one man's act have such a great affect? How can the act of one man have such massive implications? And so he's simply making the parallel--look. By one man's sin everybody died. Everybody who died died. And by one man's righteousness everybody who became righteous became righteous. [ Undistributed middle cause]. He even changes his terminology in v. 19 where he says just to make sure we don't think the all is inclusive as through the one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Even so through the obedience of one, many will be made righteous. And I think he puts that in there just to back us off the wrong understanding of v. 18 which would make everybody saved. [ Strawman] And whoa--that's not what I'm trying to say. Let's use the word many so we don't get mixed up here. We're only trying to illustrate the point that one man's work, one man's deed affects all who proceed from that one man. That is all only in the appropriate sense. [ Hasty conclusion] Qualified again in the context. [ Leaping to a conclusion]

2 Co 5 v. 14. And here is language very much like Ro 5 just so you can compare it....I want to go back to verses 14 and 15. The love of Christ controls us having concluded that one died for all--for all died. He died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. No, the all is qualified. [ hasty conclusion] Just follow this carefully. The love of Christ controls us [inaudible] it included one died for all. People say, what--he died for all. He died for the whole world--every single person in the whole world. He died for them all? No. He died for all--therefore--all died. The all he died for died. What is that? Well, when you came to Christ do you remember, you died. Is that not true? I am crucified with Christ. In him you die. So, he died for all; therefore, all died. He died for the all who died in him. [ Exclusive premise] V. 15 he died for all and who are the all? They who live. He died for those who died and live in him. [ Undistributed middle cause] It was for them that he died. And rose again end v. 15 on their behalf. [ Post hoc] The Doctrine of Actual Atonement Pt 2b by John MacArthur

See:

Predestination and Will: How are predestination and election connected with foreknowledge?

"Well you have a lot to say. I don't have that much to say. This is what I know for sure. God is Just, merciful and righteous."

Jesus loves me this I know.  For the bible tells me so (Jn 3:16).

"He has provided salvation for all that want to be saved."

That's right. Repent (Eze 18:30-32; Ac 17:30). Believe (Mk 9:23). This isn't brain surgery.

Yes. God can't be blamed when men reject him. He's provided a way of salvation for all (Ro 3:23, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9, 10:13). The Father gives men to Christ and men have to come (Jn 6:37). We are a wrapped up gift to the Son which will be given back (Re 5:1, Ps 2) to the Father (Mt 24:24; Jn 10:28, 29]; 2 Ti 2:19; 1 Jn 2:19).



"Someone may ask, “You mean that if I’m not the elect I can still come?” My friend, if you come, you will be the elect. How tremendous this is!" ~ J. Vernon McGee

Why Calvinist Never Quote John 3:16