We read in John 12:18-19, "Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. So the Pharisees said to one another, 'See, this is getting us nowhere. Look how the whole world has gone after him!'"
The Pharisees lament that "the whole world" has gone after Jesus. If we were to interpret Scripture as our opponents do, we must conclude that all human beings in all of history have become Christians. The work of evangelization is finished, and hell is completely empty except for the devil and his angels. And now that we think of it, why are the devil and his angels excluded from "the whole world," unless Scripture provides a context to justify this exclusion? Moreover, if we will forget about demons for now, if "the whole world" must mean every human person, then the Pharisees who uttered this statement must themselves have "gone after" Jesus. This would make their exclamation not a complaint, but a glad observation!
If our opponents do not adopt this absurd interpretation, it is because they are assuming a context that is different from the one that they use when reading John 3:16. Just by reading the surrounding verses, it becomes clear that "the whole world" in verse 19 refers to the "many people" in verse 18, and perhaps also "the crowd" in verse 17. If "the whole world" does not automatically and necessarily mean every human person in history, then neither can we simply assume when it comes to the "world" in John 3:16.
There are many other examples in the Bible, but we will look at just one more. Just a few verses after John 3:16, we find the following, "He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony" (3:32). No one, the verse says, accepts Christ's testimony. This time, if we were to interpret Scripture as our opponents do, then we would have to conclude that "no one" in all of human history has believed or will ever believe in Christ. There has never been and never will be a Christian in all of human history. And if "no one" must mean every human person without restriction and without exception, then it must mean that even as he writes this verse the apostle John himself has not accepted Christ's testimony. It is indeed strange, then, how he repeatedly encourages his readers to believe a testimony that he has rejected. Moreover, the way that our opponents would interpret this verse � that is, if we imitate their treatment of John 3:16 � would make John 3:32 contradict John 12:19. The former would make world evangelization futile, but the latter would say that the mission has already been accomplished.
If I were to ignore the context of everything that you say and take every universal term that you use as if it refers to every human person in all of history, I would make nonsense of your part of the conversation, and communication would break down. In addition, you could rightly accuse me of blatant disrespect for your speech and your person. You might even think that I am doing it on purpose to mock you or to annoy you. Likewise, our opponents assume that "world" in John 3:16 must mean all human persons in all of history, and they accuse us of refusing to accept the verse just as it is written, but they are the ones who exhibit contempt for God and Scripture. In essence, they accept only one word from the text, and then assume the meaning that they desire for it without any regard for the context. On the other hand, we urge intelligence in interpretation, respect for the text, and reverence toward God by observing the context of the verse, including how all such universal terms are used throughout the writings of John, as well as the main theological concerns of the apostle.
"Our opponents assume that "world" in John 3:16 must mean all human persons in all of history, and they accuse us of refusing to accept the verse just as it is written, but they are the ones who exhibit contempt for God and Scripture."
If man can not have their own way they are taking their toys, and starting their own church.
This is the whole problem. Humans do not like that A Holy, Almighty, Creator, God is in charge of all, and they have nothing to do with it. They can not submit to authority.
And ALL the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
