Study of John 3:16, part I

Many of the most quoted verses are understood with the most error. I was reading something about John 3:16 it was rather interesting. The verse basically says in the Greek text: (literally translated) "For God in this fashion loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

Compare it to the standard translation:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."

It seems that many people have been enamored by tradition on its translation.
There are two distinct greek things to notice. The change from whoever and so. 'Whoever' in Greek usually begins with 'pas' followed by a specific verb form. 'Pas' means all or everyone. The verb after pas modifies pas to mean all who are doing the verb. In English, it becomes whoever believes or whosoever comes instead of all who believe and all who come. This may seem redundant to some but 'whoever' seems to broaden the meaning into an invitation beyond 'everyone doing such and such verb'. Strangely, this verse has even been used to argue ability of the world to respond for being such a broad invitation.

The next change is 'so' to 'in this fashion'. This is the more appropriate translation from the original Greek. So? 'So' has more than one meaning in English. So can be evidentary as 'in this fashion' or mean the extent as in 'so much'. The KJV translators originally meant it as evidentary, not just in the extent of God's love. We have kept 'so' because it is popular. The historic change of meaning to "extent" from "in this fashion" is very understandable since God is love. Yet, John 3:16 is not the proof of it.

The use of "so" has obscured this verse. The change back is merited because 'so' obscures the literal reading in respect to the context. People now are content to use this verse out of context with the impression that is what it really says. Furthermore, some preference should be given to a purely literal reading. This alternate one links the verse back to its preceding verses. 3:14 speaks about the serpent who was lifted up to heal the Israelites (a specific people) by Moses. It parallels this act to Christ and his believers. 3:16 verse cannot be ripped apart from its context as easily as it has been in pop culture. Christ has been lifted up in the wilderness for all to look upon and be healed. That is how God loved the world. All who believe in him are saved. He will in no way cast them out. They shall in no way perish but inherit eternal life. We are save by looking upon christ and him crucified. The invitation is in this event. 3:16 certainly is not an invitation but is a mere link in a chain. The ESV is kind enough to foot note the literal rendering. When I first studied this, I did not have an ESV on hand. John 3:16 begins to look different after this subtle correction. It is not the key evangelical verse that should be on every bumpersticker. It is rather a link of a chain to all of John 3.

I am not a hypercalvinist. The bible has other places clearly exhorting and earnestly desiring for all people everywhere to believe. John 3:16 is just not it. We are saved freely by his grace. Yet, as many as those who receive him, to those he gave the power to be sons of God. They aught to receive him and we should encourage them to receive him by invitation. While it is true that, no one can receive it unless it is given from heaven; We do not presume. Let us sow the seed widely as God commands. Christ is not so small that he cannot save someone who has fallen by the wayside. He is not so small that he cannot save one the chief of sinners. There is more onf John 3, see part 2.