In the week the economy returned to pre-crisis level... Why I, as an ex Labour Minister, think Ed Balls MUST apologise for the mess he left us in, writes DIGBY JONES Daily Mail

Ed Balls

But last week’s economic figures weren’t some flash in the pan. Britain is back. A sustainable, deep, far-reaching recovery, not built on house price inflation, has arrived.

Inflation lower than Japan, unemployment lower than America, growth higher than Germany (and on Thursday it was even warmer in England than in Honolulu!). 

Take these facts:

·         The most productive car plant in Europe is the Nissan factory in Sunderland.

·         The Jaguar Land Rover plant in Liverpool has moved on to 24/7 working to cope with demand for its Range Rover Evoque from China, let alone everywhere else. They’re even building a new engine plant in Wolverhampton.

·         The Airbus put together in Toulouse has more British parts than French or German.

·         General Motors is actually closing a car plant in Bochum, Germany (the first such closure in that country since the Second World War) with 4,000 job losses, and expanding its plant at Ellesmere Port instead.

Construction, financial services, retail, manufacturing, creative industries, and the services sector are all going in the right direction. 

Read more here

Digby Jones.

Talks begin on devolution for whole of UK, The Scotsman

Carwyn Jones and David Cameron

High -level discussions about setting up a constitutional convention after the next election to create a devolution settlement for the whole of the United Kingdom have begun, a Cabinet minister confirmed yesterday.

Stephen Crabb, the newly appointed Conservative Welsh Secretary, who is regarded as one of the key government figures driving forward the devolution agenda, told Scotland on Sunday the prospect of a UK constitutional convention in the next parliament had been discussed.

Stephen Crabb

He said was one of the subjects aired in a meeting between David Cameron and the Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones, held at the Royal Welsh Show last week.

The move is significant with all three parties stating that they will extend powers to ­Holyrood and consider further devolution to Wales, as well 
as looking at how to devolve responsibilities to English ­regions.

Read more here

Commonwealth Games provide a 'tantalising glimpse' at a YES vote result in Scotland, Daily Express

It is a tantalising glimpse of what might become of the UK if there is a "yes" vote in September's independence referendum. Team GB would be no more.

It has proved irresistible to Alex Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland and professional sports fan, who recently spoke about a "self-denying ordinance" under which he would avoid talking about independence during the Games.

He did so with a glint in his eye for he knew such an ordinance would be impossible to enforce.

At least three times over the past week the SNP leader has raised his self-denial and three times he has gone on to break it, for he is happiest when taking potshots at Westminster, while highlighting the fact that most of the countries in the Games achieved their "independence" from the UK was too good an opportunity to miss.

Read more here

The Danger of an Exaggerated End-Time Mentality

The Danger of an Exaggerated End-Time Mentality



On a regular basis, whenever there are reports of moral collapse in our country or of wars and crises worldwide, someone will say to me, "This is it! Jesus is about to return! Everything is coming down!"

Of course, according to one system of interpretation, that could be true and the Lord could return within the next few moments or years.

The problem I have is that I've heard Jesus is coming back any moment for more than 40 years.

Could it be that we have a wrong mentality about the end of the age? Could it be that we're missing something very important?

Bible Debate: Have we misread the Bible?

Bible Debate: Have we misread the Bible?

Steve Chalke is a leading and sometimes controversial voice in the evangelical Church. In a recent article for Premier Christianity magazine he has argued that we need to rethink the way we approach scripture and cease to think of it as 'inerrant' but as a progressive 'conversation' with God that continues today.

In a series of 4 discussions Andrew Wilson of New Frontiers engages with Chalke as they address issues concerning biblical infallibility, Old Testament morality, atonement and homosexuality:

Inside a church for Born Again Christians: Speaking to God in a Manchester multiplex, Independent News Paper, 26/07/2014

Anthony Delaney is a retired policeman. Now aged 49, he grew up on a council estate in a rough part of Manchester and joined the Police Cadets at 16, which was "all about outdoor pursuits and the pursuit of girls".

Today, Delaney is "above all" a Follower of Jesus: a self-proclaimed man of the people who has successfully utilised his gruff voice and engaging, measured manner to grow Manchester's Ivy Church – a community of Born Again Christians now with more than 1,000 members meeting on a weekly basis – to more than four times its size since he joined as leader five years ago. So significant today is the congregation, that events are now held several times a week at venues across the city, including Cineworld, a warehouse and even a pub.

 

When the last census was taken in 2011, the number of Christians across the UK had fallen to 33.2 million – that was 59 per cent of the usual resident population at the time and a 12 per cent decrease from 37.2 million, 10 years earlier. The most recent self-evaluating research from the Church of England, found in the Church Growth Research Programme published in 2007, showed a sharp decline in numbers, with just 2 per cent of attendees of CoE churches in the UK at last count being between the ages of 18 and 24 – with a whopping 47 per cent aged 65 and over. In this context, the rise of the Born Agains in this largely white suburb on the north bank of the River Mersey is all the more striking.

Read more here

Further reading

Find a reason to go to war with Germany': Shocking letter documents how King George V urged his foreign secretary to justify conflict two days before outbreak of First World War

King George V

  A letter documents a meeting between King George V and Edward Grey 

  The King urged his foreign secretary to find a reason for war with Germany 

  King George V, revealed what had taken place to Sir Cecil Graves in 1933

  The discovery sheds light on one decision behind the First World War

  Sir Edward’s great-great-nephew Adrian Graves uncovered the information

Sir Edward Grey

A secret letter which documents a private meeting between King George V urging his Foreign Secretary Edward Grey to go to war with Germany two days before the outbreak of the First World War has been unearthed.

The incredible note, sent during one of the most difficult times in British history has been made public for the first time, by Adrian Graves, Sir Edward’s great-great-nephew and grandson of Sir Cecil Graves.

King George V, who had stayed away from making public declarations about Europe as his hands were tied as a constitutional monarch, said it was ‘absolutely essential’ Britain go to war in order to prevent Germany from achieving ‘complete domination of this country’.

Read more here

Further reading

Words for the Wise, Jesus at the Pool of Bethsaida, John 5 Nasb

John 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

The Healing at Bethesda

5 After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

² Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in ^[a]Hebrew ^[b]Bethesda, having five porticoes. ³ In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [^[c]waiting for the moving of the waters; ⁴ for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] ⁵ A man was there who had been ^[d]ill for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” ⁷ The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” ⁸ Jesus *said to him, “Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” ⁹ Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.

Now it was the Sabbath on that day. ¹⁰ So the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” ¹¹ But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” ¹² They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” ¹³ But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. ¹⁴ Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” ¹⁵ The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. ¹⁶ For this reason the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. ¹⁷ But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”

  Jesus’ Equality with God

¹⁸ For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

¹⁹ Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever ^[e]the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. ²¹ For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. ²² For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, ²³ so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

²⁴ “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Two Resurrections

²⁵ Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son also to have life in Himself; ²⁷ and He gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is ^[f]the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, ²⁹ and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.

³⁰ “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

³¹ “If I alone testify about Myself, My testimony is not ^[g]true.³² There is another who testifies of Me, and I know that the testimony which He gives about Me is true.

Witness of John

³³ You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴ But the testimony which I receive is not from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for ^[h]a while in his light.

Witness of Works

³⁶ But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me.

Witness of the Father

³⁷ And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. ³⁸ You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent.

Witness of the Scripture

^39 [i]You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; ⁴⁰ and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. ⁴¹ I do not receive glory from men; ⁴² but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves. ⁴³ I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you receive ^[j]glory from one another and you do not seek the ^[k]glory that is from the one and only God? ⁴⁵ Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. ⁴⁶ For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. ⁴⁷ But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

John 5 The Bible Panorama

V 1–9a: PARALYTIC A man, paralysed for thirty-eight years, is healed by Jesus at the pool in Jerusalem called Bethesda where sick people congregate each day to hope for a miraculous healing. His healing is immediate and effective. He takes up his bed and walks

. V 9b–14: PERSECUTION Because Jesus heals on the Sabbath day, the Jews are offended. They criticise the man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath day and interrogate him about Jesus. Their own legalistic rules replace the true spirit of the Sabbath, which God gave to be a blessing to mankind. Jesus assures the man that he is healed and tells him to sin no more.

 V 15–18: PRESUMPTION The man tells the Jews that Jesus has healed him. Their wicked desire to kill Jesus, because He heals on the Sabbath, intensifies because He identifies with God the Father, making Himself equal with God, which they see as presumptuous blasphemy.

V 19–30: POWER Jesus claims absolute identification and oneness with the Father in the works that He does, including raising the dead, exercising judgement and giving everlasting life. His power is the power of God, because that is who He is.

V 31–35: PREPARER Jesus then refers to John the Baptist’s witness to His identity. He was a lamp who prepared the way for Christ.

 V 36–40: PROCLAMATION Jesus goes on to reveal three witnesses proclaiming who He is. His works, His Father and the body of Scripture all witness to His identity. Jesus is quick to point out that searching the Scriptures will not save you, unless you are willing to come to Him personally to receive eternal life.    

V 41–47: PURPOSE Jesus exposes the inconsistency of the people. They will not honour Him, although He comes from God, but highly esteem self-seeking people. Jesus reveals the purpose of the law through Moses, who writes about Jesus. Those who really believe his words will come to Christ. The law is indeed a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

Why Britain’s skating golden boy died lonely, bitter and broke: John Curry captivated the world Daily Mail

On a cold winter’s evening in February 1976, 20 million Britons turned on their TVs to watch the Winter Olympics ice skating.

It didn’t matter that most of them knew nothing about it. The whole country was in thrall to a dazzling new talent who had burst upon the scene and turned the sport entirely on its head.

That phenomenon was an athlete named John Curry who had already secured the European title and would that night add Olympic gold to his tally. Impossibly handsome, he appeared to those who watched him to combine athleticism and art, masculinity and beauty. He was mesmerising.

An innovator and hugely creative talent.

 Curry had changed ice skating from a marginal sport to something sensual and deeply moving.

                                               Read more here

Mystery of First World War officer's portrait solved as researchers discover he was a teenager killed by a shell at the very beginning of the conflict

A mystery portrait of an unknown First World War soldier has finally been identified - 100 years after his death.

For years the painting of the unknown soldier hung in Carmarthen County Museum in Wales but no one knew his name or if he survived the horror of the trenches.

It remained a mystery until an amateur historian posted a picture of the painting on the Great War Forum website and asked for help to uncover his identity.

Read more here

Commonwealth Disney Eurovision Brigadoon... reflections on the opening ceremony, Christian Today

John Barrowman

It was a great example of liberal imperialism....you had better adopt our values or else! The government has also funded 'pride house' at the Games to ensure 'equality'. I wonder what would happen if I went and asked for 'Christian house' to be fully funded to ensure that the millions of Christians who are currently being persecuted throughout the world, got attention and support?! And we know of course that that 'equality' does not extend to those who dare to disagree with the liberal elites absolutist morality.

Dancing Tunnocks Tea Cakes

The words, 'equality, humanity and destiny' were blazed up on the massive screen (at least the ceremony got that aspect of Scottish life right – we spend more on the screen than we do on anything else!). The message was clear. Humanity can be God. You can control your own destiny. We are all equal – Those who are more equal than others (being smarter, richer and more powerful) will deign to tell the rest of us what that 'equality' is. It was a strange mix of liberal fundamentalism, the power of positive thinking, and Brand Scotland. But I don't want Scotland to be a Brand, where our past and present is marketed for a world shopping centre, according to the fantasies of those who believe they are the children of the Enlightenment. I want to cry 'freedom' for the poor and the rich, black and white, men, women and children. Whatever political system we have that will be a false hope until we return to our historic Scottish Christian roots. True freedom is found in Christ and in his Word.

What is true Freedom ?

Please read more here

Further Reading

The ship that totally failed to change the world, NS Savannah, BBC News

Fifty years ago the world's first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship sailed from the US to Europe on a publicity tour to persuade the world to embrace the atomic age. It didn't quite work out like that.

Sleek in shape, painted red and white, its interior decorated in what was then ultra-modern chrome, the NS Savannah wasn't quite like any other cargo ship.

It had facilities for passengers. The 600ft, 12,000-ton ship boasted a cinema, veranda bar and swimming pool. The cabins had no curtains. Instead, "polarised" windows, designed to cut glare, lined the sides of staterooms.

The ship was one of the few to spring directly from the imagination of a US president. In 1953, Dwight Eisenhower had made his famous Atoms for Peace speech, attempting to balance the growing fear of nuclear apocalypse with optimism about the possibility of civilian use of atomic energy.

And he wanted an atomic ship. A civilian one.

Marriage now gender-neutral in Chambers Dictionary

Marriage now gender-neutral in Chambers Dictionary

Marriage has been redefined to be gender-neutral in the 13th edition of Chambers Dictionary.

The dictionary now describes the institution as, “the ceremony, act or contract by which two people become married to each other”.

The dictionary, first published in 1872, has also changed its definitions of husband and wife in order to reflect the change in the law.

Words for the Wise, The Woman at the Well. John 4 Nasb

John 4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Goes to Galilee

4 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John² (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), ³ He left Judea and went away again into Galilee. ⁴ And He had to pass through Samaria. ⁵ So He *came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph; ⁶ and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, being wearied from His journey, was sitting thus by the well. It was about ^[a]the sixth hour.

The Woman of Samaria

⁷ There *came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. ⁹ Therefore the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ She *said to Him, “^[b]Sir, You have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do You get that living water? ¹² You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

¹⁵ The woman *said to Him, “^[c]Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.” ¹⁶ He *said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” ¹⁷ The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus *said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; ¹⁸ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.” ¹⁹ The woman *said to Him, “^[d]Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. ²⁰ Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” ²¹ Jesus *said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. ²² You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³ But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. ²⁴ God is ^[e]spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” ²⁵ The woman *said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” ²⁶ Jesus *said to her,“I who speak to you am He.”

²⁷ At this point His disciples came, and they were amazed that He had been speaking with a woman, yet no one said, “What do You seek?” or, “Why do You speak with her?” ²⁸ So the woman left her waterpot, and went into the city and *said to the men, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is not^[f]the Christ, is it?” ³⁰ They went out of the city, and were coming to Him.

³¹ Meanwhile the disciples were urging Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”³² But He said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” ³³ So the disciples were saying to one another, “No one brought Him anything to eat, did he?” ³⁴ Jesus *said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work. ³⁵ Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. ³⁶ Already he who reaps is receiving wages and is gathering fruit for life eternal; so that he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. ³⁷ For in this case the saying is true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ ³⁸ I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

The Samaritans

³⁹ From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all the things that I have done.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to Jesus, they were asking Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹ Many more believed because of His word; ⁴² and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

⁴³ After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. ⁴⁴ For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. ⁴⁵ So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Healing a Nobleman’s Son

⁴⁶ Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. ⁴⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see ^[g]signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” ⁴⁹ The royal official *said to Him, “^[h]Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰ Jesus *said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. ⁵¹ As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his ^[i]son was living. ⁵² So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the ^[j]seventh hour the fever left him.” ⁵³ So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. ⁵⁴ This is again a second ^[k]sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

John 4

V 1–6: WEARY AT THE WELL Jesus leaves Judea for Galilee, having seen the pressure from the Pharisees upon Him because His disciples baptised more people than John. He goes through Samaria. Wearied, He sits by Jacob’s well around midday.

V 7–18: WATER FOR THE WOMAN A Samaritan woman is asked by Jesus to give Him a drink, but she remonstrates on the basis that Samaritans have no dealings with Jews, and in any case she is a woman. Jesus reveals Himself as the well of living water, which quenches thirst forever. His water springs to eternal life. The woman asks for the water and Jesus points out her sin by outlining both her past and her present immorality. Eternal life is only available to those who are willing to turn from their sin, and for that to occur, a person has to be conscious of his or her sins.

 V 19–26: WAY TO TRUE WORSHIP The woman compares Samaritan worship with Jewish worship. Jesus reveals that true worshippers worship God, who is Spirit, in spirit and truth through the work of God the Holy Spirit. He also reveals Himself as the Messiah.

V 27–38: WHITENESS OF THE WHEAT The disciples come back from having found food and are surprised to see Jesus talking with the woman. She goes into the city with the water pot and tells what has happened. Because of this, many come out from the city, probably mainly dressed in white, and Jesus tells His disciples that the fields are white for harvest. He encourages sowing and reaping.

  V 39–42: WITNESS OF THE WOMAN Many Samaritans who hear her testimony come to believe in Christ. Later, their trust is confirmed through the word of Jesus. A true testimony will often lead someone to receive God’s word and accept Christ as Saviour.

 V 43–54: WONDERS OR THE WORD? Jesus returns to Galilee, where He teaches that a prophet is not honoured by his own people, and goes to Cana where the first miracle had been performed by Him. The second one follows, as, from a distance, He heals the dying son of a nobleman. Some come to seek signs, but the nobleman believes the word of God, through Jesus.

The Bible Panorama

The Bible Panorama. Copyright © 2005 Day One Publications.

An Insight into this story

Another Insight into this story

Words for The Wise, John 3:12-18 ESv, For God So Loved

John 3:12-18English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.^[a] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.^[b]

For God So Loved the World

¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[c] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

New International Application Commentary.

The statement that God loves the world is surprising on two counts (3:16). (1) Judaism rarely (or never) spoke of God’s loving the world outside of Israel. God desires to reach this world through Israel, his child. It is a uniquely Christian idea to say that God’s love extends beyond the limits of race and nation. (2) John tells his readers elsewhere that they are not to love the world (1 John 2:15–17) because it is a place of disbelief and hostility (cf. John 15:18–19; 16:8). Carson comments effectively, “There is no contradiction between this prohibition and the fact that God does love it [the world]. Christians are not to love the world with the selfish love of participation; God loves the world with the selfless, costly love of redemption.”

Reformation Study Bible

3:16 God so loved the world. Some have insisted that God sent Jesus to die for the purpose of bringing salvation to everyone without exception, but only as a possibility. However, Jesus makes clear that the salvation of those whom the Father “gives me,” and only those, is not a mere possibility but an absolute certainty; “will come to me” (6:37–40; 10:14–18; 17:9). The point made by “the world” is that Christ’s saving work is not limited to one time or place but applies to the elect from all over the world. Those who do not receive the remedy God has provided in Christ will perish. It remains true that anyone who believes will not die (be separated from God) but live in God’s presence forever. See “God Is Love: Divine Goodness and Faithfulness” at Ps. 136:1.

Dictionary of Bible Themes

2324 Jesus Christ, as Saviour

God’s work of salvation is accomplished supremely through the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through faith, the believer is able to share in all the saving benefits won by Jesus Christ through his obedience to God.

Jesus Christ is the Saviour

Jesus Christ is called Saviour Tit 1:4 See also Lk 2:11; Tit 3:6; 2Pe 1:1; 2Pe 3:2,18

Jesus Christ is the promised Saviour Ac 13:23 See also Lk 1:69-75; Lk 2:28-30

Jesus Christ’s purpose is to save Lk 19:10 See also Mt 1:21; 1Ti 1:15

Jesus Christ’s qualities as Saviour

Jesus Christ is the unique Saviour Ac 4:12 See also Jn 6:68-69; Jn 10:9; Jn 14:6; Ac 10:42-43

Jesus Christ is the complete Saviour Heb 7:25 See also Jn 19:30; Php 3:21; Col 1:19-20; Heb 5:9; Heb 9:26-28; 1Jn 1:9; Jude 24

Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world Jn 4:42 See also Lk 2:30-32; 1Ti 2:5-6; 1Ti 4:10; 1Jn 4:14