What is the Bible speaking of when it talks about the world? Sometimes it seems to mean the whole earth and others it seems to mean just humans, what is going on?
ANSWER: When Scripture speaks about the world context must be taken into account. The world means the following in Scripture:
The world can simply mean the earth, the round sphere of the earth and all its makeup (eg. Matt. 13:35; John 21:25). The Greek speaking world uses the word kosmos as the whole of the earth as its primary meaning. The Hebrew Old Testament also uses the word ‘erets to describe the round sphere of the earth in its entirety (eg. Jer. 10:12). From a Biblical perspective, this usage might be defined as, “the entire created world.”
Sometimes when the author wants to be specific about all the people or all the land only – the inhabited earth, the Greek word oikoumeneis used, but the translators translate it as “world.” But, the word kosmos can also mean all the men and women of the earth as Jesus came to save the world (John 3:16).
At times, the word “world” can be used to describe a grouping or class of people or things; the earth as opposed to heaven (1 John 3:17), the human race in general (Matt. 5:14), gentiles as a group distinguished from Jews (Rom. 11:12, 15).
Sometimes, the word “world” is used metaphorically to mean the natural life as opposed to the spiritual life. Paul uses the illustration of the married man who seeks to please his wife in the material things now as opposed to the woman who desires spiritual things – the things of the Lord (1 Col. 7:32-35).
At other times, the word “world” can mean “the present condition of human affairs, in alienation from and opposition to God” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words) (eg. John 7:7). Scripture says this world has Satan as it ruler (John 13:30), and as such, the world that he rules opposes God and the things of God. The world, as used here, is not a geographical location, but a state or a condition of existence that is opposed to God. With this is mind, the Bible describes the Christian as being saved from it (John 3:15-17), and his relation to the world as: we are to be separated from it (1 Pet. 2:11) as Paul was crucified from it (Gal. 6:4). Believers are not to adopt the standards of the world (Rom. 12:2; Tit. 2:12; James 1:27), nor love it (2 Tim. 4:10; 1 John 2:15-16). Instead, we must proclaim the gospel of Christ to the world that is dying (Matt. 24:14; 28:19) and be crucified to it (Rom. 6:6; Gal. 6:14). As children of God, we must overcome the desires of the world (John 16:33; 1 John 5:4-5), and not be conformed to it (Rom. 12:2).
As you can see, the word “world” must be understood in its context in order to understand exactly what is meant.
Thanks for the question,
John Pappas, ThD
