Gospel of John
The World in the Gospel of John John 3:16–17 , 19 Excerpt In the Gospel of John , the world is the object of God’s salvation in Christ ( John 3:16 ; John 12:47). Moreover, it is his creation through Christ ( John 1:3 , 10 ). Yet the world apart from Christ stands under judgment ( John 16:8-11 ), hating Jesus’ followers , who have been separated from the world and are not of the world ( John 17:16 ). The dualism between God , Christ , and the disciples, on the one hand, and the world, on the other, is described in terms of a sharp antinomy. Disciples are urged to have nothing to do with the world, especially not to love it ( 1 John 2:15-17 ). At the same time, Jesus has explicitly not prayed for disciples to be taken out of the world ( John 17:15 ). Even in the Fourth Gospel , the world continues to be God’s , in creation and salvation. It is the same world that Matthew has in view as he portrays the risen Jesus sending ...