So - as in quantity or quality?

9. December 2007 by James.

Continuing from 3:16 End-zone.

Not to lend too much credibility to William Jefferson Clinton’s quibbling over the definition of the word “is”, I must admit that he does have a point in validating and verifying the true meaning of words. Words, carefully used, have careful meaning. Shouldn’t we also assume that the Inspirator (I think I just made that word up), of the scriptures also used words carefully including the word “so” in John 3:16 - “God so loved the world…..”.

Careful reading of the ubiquitous passage with the assumption that each word is divinely inspired, and carefully placed, will yield some truths not often found by the “in-your-face” end-zone ad.

I’ve always assumed that God “SOOOO” loved the world, inferring a large all-encompassing quantity of love - that the word “so” described the awesome extent of God’s love. Further examination of the Greek usage of this word has yielded a new truth. Instead of a descriptor of the size or quantity of God’s love, the quality of God’s love portrayed by the way He expresses His love to His creation. This is far more meaningful that than simply the size of His love. It is the way God’s love is revealed, and not just its measure.

The Greek word for “so” is usually rendered thus, instead of so. In John 3:14, “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Mankind be lifted up”.  In other verses, the King James Version translators have rendered it on this wise (Mat. 1:18), after this manner (Mat. 6:9), likewise (Mat. 17:12), in like manner (Mark 13:29).  Thus or even so, is a closer rendering.

So… “God thus loved the world: He gave His only begotten Son”, would be a better translation. But not really, because the rest of the verse needs attention.

God thus loved … Does that mean that He loved in the past, but presently He may not be loving? Why is the word “loved” in past tense? Is that what the Greek texts say?

Again, the original text uses the verb loves not loved. God’s love is not past history. It is present truth. God loves (as wells as loved, and also will love) the world. The verb is indefinite in its tense, not past, present or future, but all encompassing. His love is all encompassing.

God loves the world thusly. Or - God loves the world - here’s how.  How much richer that is!!  God loves the world in this manner…..He gave….. The original text, rendered consistently paints a deeper, more meaningful picture of God in the active role of loving and fulfilling His purpose for the world.

Next post - “the World”.  (The world?  The universe, The planet earth, the people? All people? Just some chosen ones?)

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