Does God Love the Whole World?
by Mike James
One of the most popular scriptures supporting the idea that God cares about Gentiles as much as He cares about Israel is John 3:16. This scripture basically says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. When you put this together with all the scriptures we find in the New Testament, it seems very clear that God is not playing favorites.
But believe it or not, there are some people who believe in the Bible, and they take a different view about John 3:16. Groups like the Black Hebrew Israelites (BHI) and Calvinists. Both groups believe this verse is not saying God loves and wants to save everyone in the world. These groups suggest that this verse means God just wants to save the Israelites or the elect. Let's take a closer look at why they say this and prove that what they think is incorrect.
Let's begin by looking at how the BHI interprets John 3:16. I recently witnessed a video they produced, taking someone to task on the street on this very scripture. When the BHI speaker was told by an individual that God loves all races, he cited John 3:16 as his evidence. The BHI speaker did not address the verse but began to try to control the narrative by asking the man about another verse in Romans 9:13, which states that God loved Jacob but hated Esau. So, if God hated someone, how could He love everyone in John 3:16? The BHI person was trying to control the narrative, and the person he was dealing with was not familiar with this other scripture.
Again, context matters. In Romans 9, God was upset with Esau in the Old Testament because Esau sold his birthright to Jacob. That birthright was connected to the covenant God had established with Abraham and Isaac. Isaac, of course, was the father of Jacob and Esau. God hated (the Greek word there can also mean to detest or love less) Esau or was upset with him because he did not think much of his covenant relationship with God. The same writer of Romans (Paul) also tells us in Romans 3:18-23 that righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ to anyone who believes. It is made clear here that Israel does not have some advantage over Gentiles. The law could not save Israel. They must believe in Christ just like the Gentiles to get saved. Esau lacked faith in the covenant with God, and God gets to do things His way (Romans 9:11-12). Because God showed disfavor toward Esau does not mean Esau and his family have no hope in the judgment.
The BHI evangelist also cited John 17:9 to argue against what John 3:16 is saying. Here we read that Jesus is praying for His disciples and not the world. Again, context matters; just because Jesus was praying for His disciples in this instance does not mean that He does not care about the rest of the world and wants them to be saved!
The reason Jesus is praying for His disciples here is that He is about to leave the world, and He needs His disciples to stay obedient to Him and take His message to the rest of the world so they can be saved! That is why He is praying for His disciples here.
Also, don't forget, the word "world" can mean slightly different things depending on the context. In John 3:16, it means all of humanity; it can also mean all of creation, or it can mean all that is evil or struggling against God.
But note what is said later in John 17:20. Jesus says He is not just praying for His disciples, but for all people who will come to believe in Him through the word of His disciples. That includes the rest of the world, folks, when you understand Church of God theology. I wonder why the BHI evangelist did not read these other scriptures, probably because he has been hoodwinked by a false theology.
The Calvinists take a different approach when they attack the orthodox way of interpreting John 3:16. Let's first look at the scripture before we discuss it:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
One argument the Calvinists make is that the word "whosoever" should be translated "all the believing ones." They then say "all the believing ones" is a specific, definite group rather than a general group of possible people. They say this because they believe God has already decided who He will save and who He will not save. But we could also argue that "all the believing ones" could mean the same thing as "whosoever" in this scripture, due to what we learn from other scriptures.
But notice in the same chapter in John 3:36 we read this:
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (KJV)
Here we have further confirmation of what we see in John 3:16. It is up to the person to decide what they will believe; God is not deciding things for us, as the Calvinist would argue.
In 1 John 2:2 we read Christ did not only die for believer's sins, but for the sins of the whole world. Obviously, a distinction is being made here between believers and non-believers, but non-believers still have an opportunity.
Also note 1 Timothy 2:4, which tells us God wants "all men to be saved" and come to a knowledge of the truth. Second Peter 3:9 supports this idea too, telling us God does not want any to perish but wants "all" to repent.
To read more on this subject, see the latest International News Volume 47 #1 Spring 2026 article "God Loves All People—Not Just Israel" by Mike James.
Sources:
"Calvinism and John 3:16," Monergism, https://www.monergism.com/calvinism-and-john-316
"John 3:16 and Calvinism," Society of Evangelical Arminians, July 4, 2008, https://evangelicalarminians.org/john-3-16-and-calvinism/