Is John 3:16 the Gospel?
After listening to David Pawson s Sermon John 3:16 over the past few days, I have finally finished it. It coincided on my recent trip to Georgia, in a particular place where heresy seems to over rule Truth...in a place where there is much need of Truth. It was a challenging visit, as I was having to revisit a place filled with memories of such darkness and struggle. At the same time this was a place of transformation and sharpening, and much time clinging onto my Lord. I am looking forward to listening to the sermon again, as this first time listening I was driving for part of the time, cooking for another part and then finally took some notes on the last bit of my listen. I would love to track many of the points made in this sermon, but I will share with you my bit of notes I took on the last hour of this four hour sermon. David Pawson spends four hours picking apart one very known verse, John 3:16. He goes to say that the Gospel of John is about what Jesus was; a story of a person, rather than his work. It is written for mature Christians and to believers to remind them to not believe the wishy washy stuff around them. This contradicts the most common misconception of this verse. This verse is written to believers, not to unbelievers. It is abused when it is used as a tool of evangelism. It does not adequately tell people on how to respond to the Gospel. There is no word about repenting or baptism or the Holy Spirit. This is where it makes sense to me when Pawson said the people John is writing to has repented and has been baptized. This verse is to help them go on believing. Pawson made a point of it not making too much sense that Jesus said John 3:16, but vs.16 was John commentating on verse 15; that Jesus stopped at vs.15, and John picked up at vs.16. Maybe John could see Christians drifting and had this deep burn in him to help his brothers and sisters stay on track. Take a notice the verb usage is vs.15 & 16: 15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. 16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. A few notes of mine goes as this: *Vs. 16 would be repetitive if Jesus would have said it. *The verb usage is different. Vs.15 is before Christ was crucified, as the verb usage in vs.16 is after the crucifixion (notice gave not give). Later on he thoroughly explains the 4 main words for love in Greek. Thelema which is parallel to the English word lust (please correct me if I m wrong, as this part is coming from my memory. I was driving at this point in the sermon.) Philos is parallel to the term friendship. Eros is parallel to attraction, a chemical reaction out of your own control (and the closest to today s Worldly Love ). Agape is closest to the English meaning Care , as if to care for someone, or to show someone you care. In John 3:16, the term used is Agape. For God so Agaped the world... It is not For God so lusted the world or For God was so attracted to the world , but God cared... So this love is much different than any worldly love. You have to accept the Love of God and experience it to understand God s way of Agape. Something Pawson said that stuck out to me is This is not a verse about loving everybody, but a verse about giving a way out. --Stephanie SpencerPawson begins with a caution, warning us that he may spoil our understanding of John 3:16, and warns us that as he had to, once we know the true meaning of a verse, we cannot and must not go back the way we once preached. Having only become a recent reader of Pawson, I have become more and more intrigued by his sensitive yet uncompromising, his knowledgeable yet humble writing style. He truly is a gifted man doing teaching God's Word with such clarity. This book really will get you thinking about what the title provokes at a first glance: Is John 3:16 the Gospel? A fantastic study which looks at the true context of the verse, the words that are emphasized and the tenses which completely turn the mainstream evangelical exposition of the verse upside down. His in depth discussion leaves little room for critics although some may want to dispute him, i would encourage them as Pawson does himself - check the Bible and see if he is wrong. Then make your decision. --Jon Boustead, Amazon UKPASTORAL OR EVANGELICAL   In his usual exegetical style David Pawson takes the reader step by step in his analysis of the much quoted John 3:16 verse.He puts the verse very adeptly into the context of Jesus discussion with Nicodemus in this world famous chapter 3 of John Gospel.Is this verse an evangelical 'golden text' or a pastoral guide to Christian.What ever your view this book will make an excellent study guide. --B. G. Strand, Amazon UK