Jn 3:16 universal “world” all
whosoever that includes all
Jn 1:29 universal “the world” all
The word "world" is in context to whom Christ was given and He was given to the Hebrews/Jews as per covenant and prophecies in the OT. To us in English it can also apply to the planet, so did Christ die for the planet, too?
If there was another Greek word to encompass a'number' there would be a fifth Greek word translated "world" but there are only four Greek words by which they are translated "world." They are "kosmos" which is the Greek word in 3:16 and it means
Strong's: probably from the base of [#2865] (komizo); orderly
arrangement, i.e.
decoration; by implication the
world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitant, literal or figurative [moral].)
So does it mean everyone because if Christ died for everyone then by virtue of His sacrifice, then everyone is saved - including the rich man in "hell." So, do you want to be the one to tell him he's in the wrong place? Or maybe it means "arrangement" or "decoration." Did Jesus die for the "arrangement" or "decoration"? Arrangement and decoration of what? No, it would have to apply to the inhabitants and again this means Jesus died for everyone ever born on the planet past, present, and future including the antichrist and false prophet. Universalism at its finest. Thank you Jesus.
That's the only way to take this word if you apply it including EVERYONE.
BUT if you take the word "world" in a limited sense in context to whom Jesus is speaking to: Nicodemus, a Jew, then it makes sense especially since Israel is in covenant with God and the world is not. The whole of the Law, Psalms, Prophets, the 37 'books' of the Old Testament is a history or the Hebrews, their covenants, their religion, their culture, and passages of Scripture prophesy a Deliverer being sent to the Hebrew people as Moses was sent to the Hebrew people (children of Israel), and Christ came to fulfill God's Law - not the world's law - and Christ was born under the Law to redeem those under the Law (Gal. 4:4) and the animal sacrifices atoned for one year the sins of the children of Israel, it makes bad hermeneutics and interpretation to change horses in mid-stream and all of a sudden Christ died for everyone born the whole world - including the antichrists, Hitler, Mao, Antiochus Epiphanies, Alexander the Great, Atilla the Hun - regardless that these barbarians never heard of Jesus, then you have a false doctrine in your head that has no precedent in Scripture and Scripture is broken. Something Jesus said can NEVER happen because God is orchestrating human history and will bring all His Word to fulfillment.
So, show me an OT Scripture that declares Gentiles are under the blood of the Mosaic covenant sacrificial system and then show me another to back that up.
Guess what? There are NONE. So, that teaching that Jesus died for everyone in the world including antichrist and the false prophet is heresy because Gentiles do not know Greek nor OT doctrine which states throughout the OT that God has salvation covenant with the Hebrew/Israel. Not the whole wide world.
