Deception Crept In At The Divison Of The Word Of God

Who knows this verse by heart?
John 3:16
16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Bet almost everyone, even those that say they are atheist.

Now, who knows the Bible is One book containing two Testaments (similar to a ‘will and testament”) that contains many books and letters?

How many knows that the New Testament contains many letters as well?

Now I have a question, other than the bible who has read a letter that is divided into chapter and verses? Or a book having verses?

I have never seen any other book except the bible that does this.

~A bit of history ~
This did not happen to the Bible until in the early 1200’s the New Testament was not divided into chapters. Which has been a huge disservice to the Word of God I believe.

Stephen Lanton the Arch bishop of Canterbury put the chapters in thinking he was doing Christian’s a service by breaking it down in chunks. Then in the 1400’s a rabbi named Solomon ben Ishmael followed suit and divided up the Old Testament as well. Then in the 1550’s Robert Estienne went further and divided up the chapters into verses. And this is how we got the Bible we read today with chapter and verses, dividing the Word of God, put breaks and pauses where there should not be but are.

By doing that, they have actually changed the Word of God and helping people take things out of the context it was written in. Before the books were divided into chapters, people read it in context and knew it well.

But after it was split up, instead of people reading it as it was written, started taking one sentence now called a verse out of context and creating brand new doctrines.

Remember those Bereans that would search the scriptures (not verses, but the Holy Word of God) to see if what Paul was saying was true?

They had to literally READ it, not just look up a chapter and verse and see if it was in there! NO they had to literally read, search, and study to find it written!

Also we are told to, study to show ourselves approved unto God a workman that needeth not be ashamed aren’t we?

But instead of people reading the whole book or letter and understanding exactly what was being spoken, now would just go to that one verse and not know the verse above or the verse below, studying no longer was happening for the individual.

That is NOT STUDYING.

This is what brings me to this particular sentence or verse.

People have taken this and completely distorted it very much!

People believe this verse says and means, For God Sooooooo loved the world. Like He had an overwhelming love that He just couldn’t contain it. That is not how it is meant at all, nor to be understood.

This is why we hear little catch sayings as, God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Where does the Word of God say that? Where? Or God gives grace to everyone. Where does it say that? Where?

Neither one of these things are in the Word. Why? Because it is not true!!!

Search out in Psalms how often it is written about God hating the wicked.

Read where it says that God only gives Grace to the humble, but He resists, opposes the proud.

Yes, God hates sin which is an action of a person. But a sin would not happen if it was not committed by a person.

The sin we commit is not thrown into the lake of fire, but we who commits the sin is! Sin itself cannot be punished as it is an action not a being, but the person commiting the sin is punished.

Sin is judged, just as our sin that was placed on Christ was judged.

When it is judged to be sinful then the one committing it must be punished.

It is not justified, because God cannot justify sin! It is not swept under a rug.

So Christ Jesus took our sin upon Him, it was judged, then He endured the punishment for us on the Cross.

We must admit and know we are sinners, that we do things God HATES!

This is when God brings us to Godly sorrow, which brings forth repentance which in turn Grace is given as we look to Christ Jesus in faith.

You want to understand John 3:16? Then let’s read it how it is written without taking that one verse out and ignoring the context.

Now read it as it was written and meant to be read.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Reading it as it is meant to be read, you do not draw the same meaning or conclusion of what you have been told that it means.

Jesus reminded Nicodemus as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness and the people that looked at it, they were healed given a new life instead of dying.

This is what Jesus was talking about when He said to Nicodemus that he was supposed to be a teacher but did not understand the meaning of the born again experience!

This was His love He showed through giving mercy to those bitten if they would only look at it. IN FAITH!

In the same way that He showed them mercy in the wilderness, He shows up through Christ, as He hung up on that tree!

Those who refused to look died, and that is the same for us. The only thing they had to do was in faith look, all we must do in faith is to look!

The “so” in the Greek says:
so
Οὕτως (Houtōs)
Adverb
Strong’s Greek 3779: Thus, so, in this manner. Or (referring to what precedes or follows).

This “so”, is telling us as God did it in the wilderness with the brass serpent He will or “even so” do it now.

Jesus the fulfillment of that shadow!!!

For God EVEN SO LOVED THE WORLD as those in the wilderness.

That is why when those in the world realize they have been bitten with sin and in order not to die must look to Him for healing thus the BORN AGAIN, NEW LIFE CHANGING MOMENT!

So when a person tries to come against you with the words like, but God loves everyone He wouldn’t throw us into hell.

Or how can God love us unconditionally yet throw us in hell for not obeying Him.

Where does the Word of God say that He loves you unconditionally? Ask the person that says this to show you in the Word of God that statement.

It is not about obeying rules, IT IS about accepting or rejecting the sacrifice for your sin which is GODS Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth the Lamb slain BEFORE the foundation of the world!!!