So God loved the world
John 3:16 (chapter 3, verse 16 of the Gospel of John ) is a well-known verse in the Bible.
The verse is considered to be a summary of important Christian beliefs and, along with various other passages from the Gospels, is also referred to as "Gospel in the Gospel", in English as "gospel in a nutshell".
text
The verse in the Luther Bible reads :
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that all who believe in him should not perish, but have eternal life."
In the standard translation it is rendered as:
"Because God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him would not perish but have eternal life."
Biblical context
The verse is part of a nocturnal conversation in Jerusalem between Jesus and Nicodemus , a Pharisee and “leader of the Jews” ( Jn 3 : 1–21 EU ). Because of the signs of Jesus, Nicodemus is convinced that Jesus was sent by God. The further course of the conversation deals with the conditions for entering into eternal life . Verse 16 appears as a statement from Jesus and summarizes his teaching for Nicodemus: Faith in Jesus is the only way to eternal life.
effect
John 3:16 is known primarily through his introductory words "So God loved the world" in Martin Luther's translation . There are various important settings in church music, including through
- Heinrich Schütz , So God Loved the World, Motet SWV 380 (Op. 11/12)
- Dietrich Buxtehude , So God loved the world, cantata, BuxWV 5
- Georg Philipp Telemann , So God Loved the World, Cantata, 23 TVWV1: 82
- Johann Sebastian Bach , So God Loved the World , Cantata, 68 BWV 68
- Hugo Distler , So God Loved the World, Cantata, Liturgical Sentences op.13
- Volker Ochs , So God loved the world, Canon, EG 28
- Michael Starke , So God Has Loved the World for female choir a-cappella (2013)
A translation of this verse into different languages is a well-known part of the introduction in the Gideon Bibles .
Meaning in American culture as "John 3:16"
The verse reference John 3:16 is given in the English-speaking world in the form John 3:16 . In this form the indication is the title of a number of songs of popular music, among others by Wyclef Jean , Method Man and Katiejane Garside. In the United States, the In-N-Out Burger chain prints the verse on the inside rim of their paper cups; the clothing chain Forever 21 prints it on the bottom of their shopping bags. Also at public events people often hold up a corresponding plaque to promote their Christian beliefs.
The wrestler Steve Austin uses the numbers for his Catchphrase Austin 3:16
Individual evidence
- ↑ TopVerses.com
- ↑ So z. B. in this community letter ( Memento from March 31, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 4.7 MB)
- ↑ Bernhard Schmidt: 28 - So God loved the world . In: Gerhard Hahn , Jürgen Henkys (Hrsg.): Liederkunde zum Evangelisches Gesangbuch . No. 11 . Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 2005, ISBN 3-525-50334-2 , pp. 10 f . ( limited preview in Google Book search).