The Meaning of Cosmos (κοσμος) in the John 3:16
Most commentators interpret κοσμος in John 3:16 based on the argument of the immediate context of the Nicodemus discourse and using the third clause of John 3:16 to interpret cosmos. Therefore, many have interpreted κοσμος as people or the world of people. Such a method misrepresents John’s big idea in John 3:16, leading to a very anthropocentric redemption when what is meant is that God’s love is for the whole of creation, while his gospel focuses on engendering faith in Jesus in his readers and leading to their redemption, as human redemption being the first step to the renewal of the whole creation.
There are three clauses in John 3:16. The first and second clauses point out God’s heart towards creation and the motivation of the sending of the Son. The third clause addresses specifically humans. In believing in the Son, they will have eternal life. Believe is not just a cognative ascend; it is repenting and living a life that obeys all that God has commanded, as revealed in Genesis 1:28; 2:15; and much of the instruction revealed in Deuteronomy, especially the ten commandments.
Those who use the third clause of John 3:16, specifically the word "believe,” to argue for κοσμος to mean humans, have argued that trees, animals, and other non-human creations are not capable of believing in God; only humans are capable of believing. In this scheme, to believe is mental ascent and cerebral cognition. Since only people are capable of thought, therefore κοσμος in the first clause means humans, or the world of humans. Taking another tack of the argument. If belief is obeying and doing what God purposed each creature or entity in creation to do. Then one could say the sun, the moon, the trees, etc. believe.
The third clause addresses humans because they are God’s agents who were given the authority to care for and reflect God’s love and care to the rest of creation, but they have gone amok and are causing havoc and destruction to God’s beautiful creation. Unless humans are saved, creation cannot be saved. God, though all powerful, has restricted himself by involving humans in the flourishing of his creation. [2]
The LXX is certainly available to John, this is evidenced by his quotes and allusion especially to Genesis 1-2.
κοσμος is used in Genesis 2:1 in the LXX, there cosmos is use to sum up creation that God has completed, the English translation of the LXX reads, “The heavens and the earth were finished, and the whole world of them.” (Ο, ουρνος και η γη, και πας ο κοσμος αυτων.) Unfortunately, this is not reflected in the English Bibles.
2. In interpreting Cosmos, the governing background theology of John must be taken into consideration. There is strong allusion to Genesis in the gospel; first in the prologue, by quoting from the LXX “/Ev αρχή” (in the beginning), readers are immediately reminded of Genesis 1.
Second, in his resurrection scene. John’s gospel is the only one that has the resurrection in the Garden, alluding to and reminding readers of the Garden of Eden. It can be concluded from these allusions, direct and indirect, that John is well versed with the doctrine of creation, which affirms the goodness of creation and that creation is the object of God’s love and devotion.
Many scholars see significant creation themes in John’s gospel. [3]
In Genesis 1, God affirms and declares the whole creation very good. So in the first clause in John 3:16, John is affirming this as the basis of God’s action in redemption through sending his son.
3. John is familiar with Isaiah, as evidenced by Jn 12.37-40, Jn 4.14, so he is likely aware of Isaiah’s eschatological consummation in Isaiah 11:6-9, 65:17 ff. In both of these prophecies, there is not just shalom for people but shalom for other creatures as well. He has deliberately used κοσμος in John 3:16 to highlight the scope of God’s love, which goes beyond just humanity and more towards creation renewal.
4. The gospel needs to be read canonically rather than atomistically. It has to be read and understood in the wider context of the canon, starting at Genesis 1 to Revelation 22. When one reads the Bible as a unified whole, it is clear God created a good creation that he purposed to bring to its telos with the participation of the human he created in his image. It was marred by human sin, but God will still bring it to its telos as the Bible ends in Revelation 21 and 22 with a new heaven and a new earth and God coming down to earth to be with his creation.
Written by: Foong Swee Kong (A Creation Care Advocate)
[1] Romans 8:19-24 As reflected in Paul’s understanding of redemption/salvation
[2] Fretheim, Terence E, God and World in the Old Testament-A Relational Theology of Creation. Abingdon Press, Nashville. 2005
[3] A few scholars who see the theme as more pervasive in John include John Ν Suggit, "Jesus the Gardener The Atonement in the Fourth Gospel as Re-Creation " Neotestamentica 33 (1999) 161-68, Ν Τ Wright, John for Everyone (2 vols , Louisville Westminster John Knox, 2004), and Jan A Du Rand, The Creation Motif in the Fourth Gospel Perspectives on Its Narratological Function within a Judaistic Background, ' in Theology and Christology in the Fourth Gospel Essays by the Members of the SNTS Johannine Writings Seminar (ed. G Van Belle, J G Van der Watt, and Ρ Mantz, BETL 184, Leuven Leuven University Press, 2005) 21-46, Jeannine Brown, “Creation’s Renewal in the Gospel of John” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 72 (2010) 275-290
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