John 3:16 and the World
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. (John 3:16)
The source of God's love is God himself, God is righteous and He loveth the righteousness:
For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. (Psalms 11:7)
He loves the righteous:
The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: (Psalms 146:8)
He hates the wicked and all workers of iniquity:
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. <6> Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. (Psalms 11:5-6)
Therefore, God's love must be consistent with His righteousness.
The object of God's love is the world. The world of John 3:16 must be reconciled with Romans 9:13 and Psalms 5:5.
The word "world" is used to refer to different groups of men which do not include all men without exception. Here are four examples of different "worlds":
1) In Luke 2:1 it refers to the Roman empire:
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (Luke 2:1)
2) In John 15:19 it refers to those who hate the apostles. It does not include those chosen out of it.
If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. (John 15:19)
3) In John 17:9 it refers to those for whom Christ refused to pray. There are two groups in this verse: the world and those given to Christ. Would Christ refuse to pray for a world God loved and sent Him to save?
I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. (John 17:9)
4) In Romans 11:12, 15 it refers to the Gentiles as opposed to the Jews.
Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness? (Romans 11:12)
For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead? (Romans 11:15)
According to Oxford English Dictionary, a primary meaning of the word "world" is the the inhabitants of the earth, or a section of them.
God's love is in Christ Jesus, who is "made unto us. . . . righteousness":
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Considering the nature of God as righteous, the world God loves must be in Christ. This world consists of those chosen in Christ by God:
According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4)
God intends that this world in John 3:16 have eternal life. Find those to whom God intends to give eternal life and you have discovered the world that God loved. God's aim is to give eternal life to as many as He gave to His Son:
As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)
Those God gave to His Son are those God loves:
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:23)
That group does not include all mankind.