(emphasis mine)Prominent United Kingdom-based Bible teacher, author and public speaker David Pawson died at 9am yesterday (that would be 21/May) morning at the age of 90, Gateway News learned this morning. Considered one of the finest Bible expositors of the world, Pawson travelled widely to teach,
How many knew? But it's not who says goodbye, it's who says hello on the other side.
Anyway after hearing of his death I bought and read his book "Is John 3:16 the Gospel?" Less than $5 for the Kindle version (which you can read on a smartphone, tablet or PC) and less than 100 pages long so it only takes an hour or so to read.
Here are some quotes (and sorta quotes) from the book:
o- There are only 35 bible verses that explicitly refer to the love of God, that is one verse in a thousand
o- Every mention of the love of God is directed to those who have already been redeemed from slavery, either in Egypt under Pharaoh or sin under satan
o- Neither Jesus nor any of the Apostles ever preached about the love of God in public
o- We should be preaching his righteousness. His righteousness is what the Bible majors on. That is what the Apostles majored on when they preached
o- Two of the four "Gospels" were written for believers, two for unbelievers. And it is very important that we use the four Gospels in the way they were intended to be used.
o- John 3:16 is addressed to believers, and if you go on to read the verses after 3:16, you find that he is discussing with believers the result of Christ coming and being 'given'. It is not a verse about God loving everybody. It is a verse about God providing a way out.
o- David's paraphrase of John 3:16 "Indeed, in just the same way (see what Jesus said to Nicodemus in the previous verses ...ffo), God the Father acted in love on another occasion, this time for the whole rebellious human race, by sacrificing his only natural son so that all who go on trusting and obeying him might never be ruined beyond recovery, but go on having everlasting and abundant life."
Worth a read.