The Greek word translated as world
is used twenty-eight times in the Gospel. It can refer to all of creation (John 1:3), a large number of people (John 12:19) or to sinful humanity (John 3:16).1 Most often it refers to a humanity that is estranged from God and in rebellion against him (John 1:10; John 3:16; John 7:7; John 14:17, John 14:22, John 14:27, John 14:30; John 15:18–19; John 16:8, John 16:20, John 16:33; John 17:6, John 17:9, John 17:14).2 God’s love for the world is to be admired not because the world is so big but because the world is so bad.3
9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.