κόσμος (Kosmos)

MEANINGWorld, the created order, humanity in its fallen state. John 3:16 --- the object of God's love. John consistently uses kosmos for fallen humanity as a whole --- not a subset, not the elect from among humanity.

GRAMMARAccusative (ton kosmon) in John 3:16 --- the object of God's love. John's usage of kosmos: (1) 'the world did not know him' (1:10) --- fallen humanity; (2) 'God did not send his Son to condemn the world but to save it' (3:17) --- the object of saving mission; (3) 'the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world' (1:29) --- universal scope. The Calvinist limitation of kosmos to 'the elect throughout the world' is exegetically unmotivated by John's consistent usage.

SIGNIFICANCEThe kosmos of John 3:16 establishes Thread 7's scope: God's love reached the whole world. 1 John 2:2 confirms: 'not for our sins only but also for the sins of the whole world (holou tou kosmou).' The two texts together --- John 3:16 and 1 John 2:2 --- are the NT's strongest scope statements for universal provision in the atonement.

KEY VERSE / SCRIPTURESJohn 1:10, 29; 3:16-17; 6:51; 12:47; 1 John 2:2; 4:14.

CROSS-REFERENCESJohn 3:16 · 1 John 2:2 · ἱλασμός hilasmos (propitiation --- its scope) · λύτρον lytron (ransom --- its scope)