John 17 and verse 9:

I pray for them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.

That passage is taken from the Messiah’s prayer the night after celebrating the Passover Seder with his disciples, before he was crucified.

Now we must ask why  he prayed only for his disciples, after all the scriptures say “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.”

That seemingly apparent contradiction requires an answer from the scriptures, He excludes the World which he loves and prays only for his disciples ?

There is no contradiction, only a misunderstanding based upon errors that were taught to us as children. I learned,  seventy  years ago in Sunday school that Jesus loves me, he loves all the little children of the world.

So now I must ask why he did not pray for the little children also? I am sure you might ask the very  same question, or why, He only loved me when I was child.?

Let us now look at the reason he did not pray for the World nor the little children of the world.

During the same prayer he prayed in the following manner; Sanctify them by thy truth, thy word is truth. John 17:17.

In verse 20 he continued that prayer as follows: Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. We learn also from that prayer that all believers/disciples must possess the truth in order for them to be sanctified.  Then and now.

Little children cannot learn the truth, by reading the scriptures themselves, they can only be taught the truth. The scriptures make that abundantly clear. shocked ? don’t be, here is the reason why;

Isaiah 28 and beginning in verse 9 we read: Whom shall he teach knowledge, whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 

NOTE: All the children of the disciples/believers, are sanctified by the believing parent(s) . If you are called to be among the first-fruits.

For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: Else were your children unclean: but now they are holy. 1 st Corinthians 7:14

Now for one more scripture to bring it home, from the book of acts:

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord/YHVH our/ Elohim God shall call. Acts 2:39 KJV

The remainder of the people in the world continue to live under the veil spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah. 25 and verse 7.

And he will destroy in this mountain, the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 

That veil is only taken away,  from those who turn to the messiah, and one can only turn to the messiah, when one is called. 2nd  Corinthians 2 verses 12 through 16.———-John 6:44  KJV

In the gospel of John we are told that the world cannot receive the spirit of truth,——-John 14;17 and 16 13.  KJV

Conclusion: Multiple millions of self appointed religious leaders today, teach doctrines

that bear no resemblance, to the doctrines taught by the Messiah and his disciples.