The other day I saw John 3:16 written on the wall of a public bathroom stall. It was written in bold, black permanent marker... but then next to it humbly in gray it said "+17" which was significant to me. Here's what John 3:16 says: "GOD so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
Eternal LIFE." This is the scripture that many Christians use to scare people into joining their own particular brand of religion because it implies that if you don't believe in the "Son" then you will perish (or go to hell as some of the more sinister sects interpret it). But many people don't read on.
John 3:17 says: "For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
This scripture is often used to support the doctrine of Universalism - essentially that all will go to heaven because God loves the world and does not judge.
I used this argument with an evangelical one time. But then she incited me to read on. John goes on to say in vs 18 and 19: "He who believes in Him is not judged;
he who does not believe has been judged already,
because he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God."
This well meaning Christian womyn was saying that other religions are wrong because they do not accept Jesus Christ.
The KJV translates the same passage this way:
"3:16 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.
3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
John goes on to say:
"3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
John Calvin has this to say on John 3:16: "He has employed the universal term whosoever, both to invite all indiscriminately to partake of life, and to cut off every excuse from unbelievers. Such is also the import of the term world which He formerly used [God so loved the world]; 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 [not merely 'without distinction'] to the faith of Christ, which is nothing else than an entrance into life."
At a glance it appears as though he is supporting the doctrine of unlimited atonement, but in fact this part leads us to believe otherwise: "He has employed the universal term whosoever... to cut off every excuse from unbelievers."
John Calvin also says of John 1:29 where the "lamb of God takes away the sins of the world": "He uses the word sin in the singular number for any kind of iniquity; as if he had said that every kind of unrighteousness which alienates men from God is taken away by Christ. And when he says the sin of the world, he extends this favor indiscriminately to the whole human race."
Okay, so it appears that in Calvin's belief John was saying that atonement is based on one's faith in Christ, but not based on one's sins. However, John 3:19 and 20 speak of doers of "evil deeds" as not inheriting the blessings of the light.
Ron Rhodes expounds further: "John 3:16 cannot be divorced from verses 14-15, wherein Christ alludes to Numbers 21 with its discussion of Moses setting up the brazen serpent in the camp of Israel, so that if "any man" looked to it, he experienced physical deliverance. In verse 15 Christ applies the story spiritually when He says that "whosoever" believes on the uplifted Son of Man shall experience spiritual deliverance."
Martin Luther had this to say: "Christ is not cruel exactor, but a forgiver of the sins of the whole world....He hath given Himself for our sins, and with one oblation hath put away the sins of the whole world....Christ hath taken away the sins, not of certain men only, but also of thee, yea, of the whole world...Not only my sins and thine, but also the sins of the whole world...take hold upon Christ."
So what of the sins of those who have not heard of the Christ? Are their sins also atoned for by the ransom sacrifice?
Here is an excerpt from the UNIVERSALIST'S BOOK OF REFERENCE 1853 Edition by E.E. GUILD: "Eph. 1:9, 10, "Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth, even in him."
OBJECTION 1. "This gathering in Christ, is spoken only of believers; and no reference is had to any others than believers in him."
ANSWER. Believers are already gathered in Christ, and as the text speaks of this gathering as something which is in process of accomplishment, but will not be consummated until "in the dispensation of the fulness of times," and as none only unbelievers have any need of being gathered in Christ, and as the phrase "things in heaven, and things on earth " was used to signify all created intelligences, hence, the text teaches the final ingathering of all lapsed intelligences in Christ; and reference is had in the text not simply to those who were, or would become, believers in this world, but to all mankind, whether believers or unbelievers...
1 Tim. 4:10, "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe." By believing that God is the Saviour of all men, the believer enjoys a special salvation which the unbeliever knows not of. But God could not be said to be the special Saviour of the believer, unless he is the Saviour of all mankind. For, if God is the Saviour of none but believers, there would be nothing special about their salvation; that is, nothing by which it would be distinguished from the salvation of anybody else, as nobody else would be saved."
So according to Universalist theology God will destroy all His enemies and the last enemy will be death. After death is destroyed then all are saved, but the believers will inherit a special kind of salvation that the unbelievers will not be eligable for.
For more resources on Biblical Universalism visit http://www.christian-universalism.com/links.html
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