Re-framing John 3:16

Part 2 of a previous post

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Communicating the truth of God’s Word can take many forms—conversation, tracts, Bible studies, preaching, biblical storying, blogs, and more. As mentioned last week, holding up a placard or sign with a Scripture reference isn’t very useful.

Thinking Beyond John 3:16

The important thing is choosing a way that fits the person we’re talking to and the situation at hand. Using only one approach or method forces people to fit into our grid, as if it were one-size-fits-all.

Each of us is different, and so are the people we come into contact with every day, whether in a regular or random way. Christian believers need to be ready to share their faith and the truth of God’s Word with whomever and wherever they might be.

How can Christians communicate the truth so that others hear it and understand it well?

Re-framing John 3:16

My previous post (Thinking Beyond John 3:16) included some practical guidelines on making the truth of God’s Word—the Bible—simple and clear. This is a follow-up with an example of how to follow those guidelines. Hopefully, it will help you communicate Scripture truth so that others hear it and understand it.

We can communicate the truth of God’s Word in various ways.

Here are the summarized guidelines from before

• Read or listen to the Scriptures in different versions of the Bible

• Identify keywords in a verse and how they are interrelated

• Use a dictionary, thesaurus, and Bible dictionaries for word meanings

• Rephrase words and phrases within an expanded, picture-like explanation

• Understand the Scriptures in your own words (IYOW)

Share the truth of God in a way that best fits the situation and person you’re talking to.

Making it simple and clear

I’ll apply the guidelines above using John 3:16 as an example

Read or listen to the Scriptures in different versions

[All references are taken from YouVersion Bible | for audio versions try– Listener’s Bible]

• For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) [also available in audio]

• For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life. (John 3:16 AMP)

• God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NCV)

• God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. (John 3:16 GW)

• For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT) [also available in audio]

Identify keywords in a verse and how they are interrelated

Keywords of John 3:16 — God / so loved / world / gave / only Son / whoever / believes / not perish / eternal life

Most of these words are straightforward, but some need further insight into their original meanings in the Greek—the ones in bold. Blue Letter Bible offers one of the finest free online Bible study resources available.

The progression of words all point back to the first keyword– God

• God so loved the world

• God gave His only Son

• Whoever believes in the Son (God’s only Son) should not perish

• Whoever believes ... has eternal life

Use a dictionary and thesaurus (for word meanings–including Bible dictionaries)

• Ex– believe — from <G4102> (pistis); to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e., credit; by implication to entrust (especially one’s spiritual well-being to Christ): believe (-r), commit (to trust), put in trust with

  • [check out Blue Letter Bible for the Greek word (pistis) and the corresponding number (G4102) in a Strong’s Concordance]

• Ex– only— from <G3441> (monos) and <G1096> (ginomai); only-born, i.e., sole: only (begotten, child) [check out Blue Letter Bible]

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Rephrase words and phrases with an expanded, picture-like explanation.

Putting words, phrases, and Christian terms in your own words is especially important with words that seem generic or have broad meanings, like God, love, world, gave, only Son, etc. Here are a couple of examples of what I mean by reframing and expanding the explanation that presents a picture or a more concrete idea.

Just as figurative or picture language expresses thoughts in familiar ways, learn to explain abstract and conceptual thoughts—biblical and theological truths—into more concrete or familiar ways.

• Ex– God— Which God? One of the millions of Vedic gods of Hinduism? Or the God of Deism? Or the One, True, and Living God? It’s important to consider words from the perspective or point of view (POV) of others (especially non-believers).

  • In John 3:16, the apostle John speaks of the Father, who is also the Creator– (see John 1:1-3, 14)

• Ex– love— Which kind of love? In NT (koine) Greek, there were four different words to describe different kinds of love: agapé, philia or philéo, estorgé, and eros.

  • In John 3:16, the Greek word for love is agape (agapao), which is often referred to as unconditional love, or a love that is willed more than felt.

  • God has an all-encompassing love, which is non-exclusive, intentional, and unconditional. It is similar but greater than a mother’s love for her child (Isaiah 49:15-16a)

Understand the Scriptures in your own words (IYOW)

Here’s my IYOW version of John 3:16—

• The Creator of the universe showed great compassion on those whom He created by sending His one and only true Son as an expression of His love, so those who put their trust in Him will not experience eternal judgment, but everlasting life beyond their life on this earth.

Keep it simple and give it a try

I’ve given a lot more information than you might want to use, but I wanted to provide some clear ideas about how I approach putting the truth of Scripture in my own words (IYOW).

You don’t need to go through this long process each time, especially as you become more familiar with the whole Bible. As you gain more experience and understanding in God’s Word (2 Tim 2:15 NIV), and read various versions, it will become more natural.

Again, keep it simple, but give it a try!

Post your own IYOW version on social media or in the comments section below.