作者: John Tweeddale 譯者: Maria Marta
對約翰福音三章16節經文其中一個最令人驚詫的曲解是, 我們被告知上帝愛「世人」（world）。我們可能會受到誘惑試探，認為上帝要愛很多的世人。畢竟，世人的這些方面有什麽不值得欣賞：城市風光、農田耕地、精致佳肴、後院燒烤、古典交響樂、民間歌謠、文藝復興時期的繪畫、幼兒園的塗鴉等？我們所認識的世界充滿特色、魅力、機會、與歡呼。問題是，盡管世界是美好、有趣、與美麗，但它充斥著罪人。自從亞當和夏娃在伊甸園裡違背上帝以來，世界已變成荒地。無論世界看起來是多麽的精彩，它也不配得上帝的救贖之愛。
明白世人是多麽不配得上帝的愛，是約翰福音三章16節的關鍵。只有這樣明白，我們才會為上帝所賜的意想不到的禮物感恩。許多年前，著名神學家華菲德（Benjamin
Breckinridge Warfield）明確地闡述了這一點。在《上帝無法測度的愛》這篇證道中，華菲德為了探索上帝的愛的深度，他對約翰福音三章16節中「世人/世界」（希臘文Kosmos）一詞的含義作了詳細的查考。
這段經文中的「世人」是什麽意思？根據華菲德的見解，有四種可能的答案。
首先，許多人認為「世人」是指所有的人毫無例外。換句話說，當約翰三章16節說，上帝愛世人，其意思是指上帝愛每一個人，從最卑賤到最偉大，均等地愛每一個人。邏輯是這樣的：上帝愛每一個人；耶穌基督為每一個人而死；因此，每一個人都得可能得救。然而，這種觀點似乎暗示，上帝的愛是無能為力的，耶穌基督的死是徒勞無益的。不然，這一立場的自然結論是，每一個人實際上都得救，而不僅僅是可能得救。倘若上帝愛每一個人，耶穌基督為每一個人而死，上帝的愛不是無能為力的，耶穌基督的死不是徒勞無益的，那麽唯一能得出的結論是：每一個人都確實得到救恩。然而，這種觀點與聖經關於上帝審判的教導相矛盾，正如緊鄰的上下文，約翰福音三章17-21節所表明的。
第二，其他人认为「世人」是指所有的人没有分别。这种答案强调上帝爱一类型或一个族群以上的人。基督在十字架上被钉死，不仅是为了犹太人，也是为了外邦人。上帝的愛非但不受國界限制，而且延伸致各邦國、各支派、各文化、各方言、与各民族。对此，所有上帝的子民--------包括亚米念主义者和加尔文主义者--------都衷心地说「阿們」。虽然这种观点无疑是对的，亦符合约翰福音大脉络之下关于「上帝的孩子」的全球性身份认同（例如，约一9–13；四42），但它并没有完全捕捉到约翰三章16节所特意描绘的「上帝如此地愛」（God so loved）与「世人」（the world）之间的震撼性比较。
第三，一種被改革宗神學家廣泛接受的，與先前的答案有細微差別的觀點認為：約翰福音三章16節的「世人」是指選民。在整本約翰福音中，耶穌強調祂的恩典的特殊性。支持的經文包括：「凡是父賜給我的人，必到我這裡來」（六37）；「我是好牧人，我認識我的羊，我的羊也認識我……我為羊捨命」（十14–15）；「你們若屬於這世界，世人必定愛屬自己的；但因為你們不屬於世界，而是我從世界中揀選了你們，所以世人就恨你們」（十五9）；「我為他們求；我不為世人求，而是為你賜給我的人求，因為他們是你的」（十七19）等等。關鍵是，上帝的子民從一個不信的世界裡被揀選出來。再次重申，這種觀點表達了強調聖經的揀選教義的重要性，與其說約翰福音三章16節中「世人」一詞的重點在於上帝子民的身份認同，倒不如說它更在於上帝的愛的本質。
這就引導我們進入最後的答案。一個確鑿理由能使人相信「世人」是指上帝的愛的質量。華菲德令人信服地說明：
「在這兒與其說[世人]是一個表達範圍的詞語，倒不如說它是一個表達強度的詞語。其主要的含義是倫理上的，因為上帝愛世人，當祂賜下祂的兒子，使用這一詞的關鍵點並非要表明，世界是如此廣大，以致於它需要大量的愛去完全擁抱它；而是要表明這個世界是如此糟糕，以致於它絕對需要一種偉大的愛去愛它，更多的愛去愛它。」
「世人」代表罪惡的人性，不配得上帝的拯救之愛。在上帝的愛以外，世人處在在上帝的審判之下。但在基督裡，信徒經歷上帝奇妙、救贖、與永無止境的愛。約翰三章16節不是關於世人的偉大，乃是關於上帝的偉大的經文。
Dr.
John W. Tweeddale is academic dean and professor of theology at Reformation
Bible College. This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.
What Does “World” Mean in John
3:16?
FROM
John Tweeddale
One
of the most surprising twists of John 3:16 is that we are told God loves the
world. We might be tempted to think that there is much about the world for God
to love. After all, what’s not to admire about cityscapes and farmlands, fine
cuisine and backyard barbecues, classical symphonies and folk ballads,
Renaissance paintings and kindergarten squiggles? The world we know is filled
with texture, intrigue, opportunity, and cheer. The problem is that for all
that is good and interesting and beautiful about the world, it is overrun with
sinners. Ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden, the world
has become a wasteland. No matter how wonderful the world may appear, it is not
worthy of God’s redeeming love.
Understanding
how undeserving the world is of God’s love is the key to John 3:16. Only then
will we appreciate the unexpected gift that God gives. This point was well made
many years ago by the esteemed theologian Benjamin Breckinridge Warfield. In
his sermon “God’s Immeasurable Love,” Warfield probes the meaning of the term
“world” (Greek kosmos) in John 3:16 in order to plumb the depths of God’s love.
What
is the meaning of “world” in this passage? Drawing from the insights of
Warfield, there are four possible answers.
In
the first place, many people believe that “world” means all people without
exception. In other words, when John 3:16 says that God loves the world, it
means that He loves every person, head for head, equally. The logic goes
something like this: God loves every person; Christ died for every person;
therefore, salvation is possible for every person. However, this view seems to
suggest that God’s love is impotent and Christ’s death is ineffectual.
Otherwise, the natural conclusion of this position would be that every person
is actually saved rather than just potentially saved. If God loves every
person, and Christ died for every person, and God’s love is not impotent, and
Christ’s death is not ineffectual, then the only conclusion one can draw is
that salvation has been secured for every person. Yet this viewpoint
contradicts the Bible’s teaching on God’s judgment as is evidenced by the
immediate context in John 3:17–21.
Second,
others argue that “world” means all people without distinction. This option
emphasizes that God loves more than one type of person or ethnic group. The
death of Christ on the cross was not only for Jews but also for Gentiles. The
love of God is not confined to national boundaries but extends to all kinds of
nations, tribes, cultures, tongues, and peoples. To this, all God’s
people––Arminian and Calvinist alike––say a hearty “Amen.” While this view has
the benefit of being undoubtedly right and fits within the larger context of
John’s gospel concerning the global identity of the “children of God” (e.g.,
John 1:9–13; 4:42), it doesn’t quite capture the jolting contrast between “God
so loved” and “the world” that John 3:16 deliberately draws.
Third,
a popular nuance of the previous option among Reformed theologians is to argue
that “world” in John 3:16 refers to the elect. Throughout John’s gospel, Jesus
emphasizes the particularity of His grace. “All that the Father gives me will
come to me” (6:37). “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know
me….I lay down my life for the sheep” (10:14–18). “If you were of the world,
the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but
I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you” (15:9). “I am
praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have
given me, for they are yours” (17:9). And so on. The point is that God’s people
are chosen from an unbelieving world. Again, this view strikes an important
note by underscoring the biblical doctrine of election, but the focus of the
term “world” in John 3:16 is not so much on the identity of God’s people but on
the nature of God’s love.
This
leads us to the final option. A solid case can be made for believing that
“world” refers to the quality of God’s love. Warfield convincingly states:
[World]
is not here a term of extension so much as a term of intensity. Its primary
connotation is ethical, and the point of its employment is not to suggest that
the world is so big that it takes a great deal of love to embrace it all, but
that the world is so bad that it takes a great kind of love to love it at all,
and much more to love it as God has loved it when he gave his Son for it.
The
world represents sinful humanity and is not worthy of God’s saving love. Apart
from the love of God, the world stands under God’s condemnation. But in Christ,
believers experience God’s surprising, redeeming, and never-ending love. John
3:16 is not about the greatness of the world but about the greatness of God.
Dr.
John W. Tweeddale is academic dean and professor of theology at Reformation
Bible College. This post was originally published in Tabletalk magazine.