Defining "All" and "World" in the New Testament

[rhutchin]

That being said, looking at how world is used in Yohanine literature would show an interesting trend, IMO.

For the Book of John

κοσμος = the physical environment in which humans are born and live.

John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lights every man that comes into the κοσμον.
John 1:10 He was in the κοσμῳ, and the κοσμος was made by him, and the κοσμος knew him not.
John 9:5 As long as I am in the κοσμῳ, I am the light of the κοσμου.
John 9:39 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this κοσμον, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
John 10:36 You say of [Christ], whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the κοσμον, You blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God?
John 11:9 …If any man walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this κοσμου.
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this κοσμου unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the κοσμῳ, he loved them unto the end.
John 16:21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the κοσμον.
John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, and am come into the κοσμον: again, I leave the κοσμον, and go to the Father.
John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify me with your own self with the glory which I had with thee before the κοσμον was.
John 17:24 …you loved me before the foundation of the κοσμου.
John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this κοσμου: if my kingdom were of this κοσμου, then would my servants fight,…
John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the κοσμον itself could not contain the books that should be written.


κοσμος = the physical environment in which humans are born and live and particularly as the realm of sin, tribulation and temptation.

John 1:10 He was in the κοσμῳ, and the κοσμος was made by him, and the κοσμος knew him not.
John 8:23 And he said unto [the lovers of this world], you are from beneath; I am from above: you are of this κοσμου; I am not of this κοσμου.
John 17:16 [Believers] are not of the κοσμου, even as I am not of the κοσμου.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the [b]κοσμῳ/b] ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the κοσμον.
John 17:15 I pray not that you should take them out of the κοσμου, but that you should keep them from the evil.

κοσμος = Human population specifically as sinners.

John 9:5 As long as I am in the κοσμῳ, I am the light of the κοσμου.
John 8:12 …I am the light of the κοσμου: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the κοσμον, that whosoever believes on me should not abide in darkness.
John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the κοσμον, and men (lovers of this world) loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the κοσμον to condemn the κοσμον; but that the κοσμος through him might be saved.
John 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the κοσμον those things which I have heard of him.
John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the κοσμον, but to save the κοσμον.
John 13:1 - having loved [believers] which were in the κοσμῳ, he loved them unto the end.
John 14:31 But that the κοσμος may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.
John 17:6 I have manifested your name unto the [disciples but by extrapolation to all believers] which you gave me out of the κοσμου: yours they were, and you gave them me; and they have kept thy word.
John 17:18 As thou hast sent me into the κοσμον, even so have I also sent them into the κοσμον.
John 18:37 …Jesus answered, You said that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the κοσμον, that I should bear witness unto the truth…

κοσμος = lovers of the world (1 John 2:15 - If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.), thus unbelievers, contrasted with believers.

Lovers of the world described using κοσμος.

John 1:10 He was in the κοσμῳ, and the κοσμος was made by him, and the κοσμος knew him not.
John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the κοσμος cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him: but [believers] know him; for he dwells with you, and shall be in you.
John 15:19 If [believers] were of the κοσμου, the κοσμος would love his own: but because ye are not of the κοσμου, but I have chosen you out of the κοσμου, therefore the κοσμος hates you.
John 17:25 O righteous Father, the κοσμος has not known you: but I have known you, and these have known that you have sent me.

Lovers of the world (or worldview) is in view with the use of κοσμος in the following verses.

John 7:7 The κοσμος cannot hate you; but me it hates, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
John 14:19 Yet a little while, and the κοσμος sees me no more; but you see me: because I live, you shall live also.
John 15:18 If the κοσμος hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
John 17:14 I have given [believers] your word; and the κοσμος hates them, because they are not of the κοσμου, even as I am not of the κοσμου.
John 16:20 … you shall weep and lament, but the κοσμος shall rejoice [when Christ is gone].
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the κοσμος gives, give I unto you.
John 17:9 I pray for [believers]: I pray not for the κοσμου, but for [believers] which thou hast given me; for they are yours.
John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the κοσμον of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this κοσμου:…

κοσμος = Jews and Gentiles generally but particularly and effectively, those who would come to believe (the elect).

John 1:29 …John… said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the κοσμου.
John 3:16 For God so loved the κοσμον, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the κοσμον to condemn the κοσμον; but that the κοσμος through him might be saved.
John 6:51 …the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the κοσμου.
John 12:47 And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the κοσμον, but to save the κοσμον.
John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the κοσμος may believe that you have sent me.
John 17:23 …that the κοσμος may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

κοσμος = Part of the title for Satan and identified with unbelievers.

John 12:31 …now shall the prince of this κοσμου be cast out.
John 14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this κοσμου cometh, and has nothing in me.
John 16:11 Of judgment, because the prince of this κοσμου is judged.

κοσμος = Misc contexts of people other than Christ speaking.

John 4:42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the κοσμου.
John 6:14 Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the κοσμον.
John 11:27 She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the κοσμον.
John 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves,…behold, the κοσμος is gone after him.

[rhutchin]

That being said, looking at how world is used in Yohanine literature would show an interesting trend, IMO.

I did that one time in Theology Web's earlier life.

[phat8594]

We can apply this context to those verses where Paul refers to "all" or "all men" or "world" etc.

Context works in concentric circles. i.e. sentence, paragraph, thought chunk, book, then other books.

IOW, a word can be used one way in one sentence and in another way in another.

That being said, looking at how world is used in Yohanine literature would show an interesting trend, IMO.

[rhutchin]

In Ephesians 3, we read, "...I, Paul,...Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation,...which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."

This is Paul's great insight into the gospel, which he says was revealed to him by God's grace - Paul would not have come to this conclusion on his own; it took a revelation from God. Paul calls it a mystery not revealed in other generations as it was now revealed (even though the Scriptures plainly took this position). The revealed mystery is that salvation was not just for the Jews, but for Gentiles/Greeks, also. Paul's experience that he describes in Ephesians 3 provides the context for understanding statement he makes in his letters when he uses the terms, "all," or "every" or "world."

We see this directly where Paul writes--

Romans 1
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 2
5 But after your hardness and impenitent heart treasure up to yourself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
6 Who will render to every man - both Jew and Gentile - according to his deeds:
8 ...unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that does evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

Romans 10
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Galatians 3
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3
11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

We can apply this context to those verses where Paul refers to "all" or "all men" or "world" etc.

Acts 17
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands both Jews and gentiles every where to repent:
31 Because he has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance unto both Jews and Gentiles, in that he has raised him from the dead.

Ephesians 3
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,...
9 ...to make both Jews and Gentiles see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

2 Corinthians 5
19 ...God was in Christ, reconciling both Jews and Gentiles unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

1 Timothy 2
3 ...this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior;
4 Who will have both the Jew and the Gentile to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and Jews/Gentiles, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for the Jew and the Gentile, to be testified in due time.
7 Whereunto I am ordained...a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

1 Timothy 4
10 ...therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of both Jews and Gentiles, specially of those that believe.
15 Meditate upon these things; give yourself wholly to them; that your profiting may appear to all (with whom you interact, both Jews and Gentiles).

Titus 2
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to both Jews and Gentiles,...

Colossians 1
4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus,...
5 ...whereof you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
6 Which is come unto you, as it is to Jews and Gentiles in all the world; and brings forth fruit, as it does also in you, since the day you heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:

Christ introduced this theme in the book of John--

John 1
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of both Jews and Gentiles.

John 3
16 For God so loved both Jews and gentiles, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 6
33 For the bread of God is he which comes down from heaven, and gives life to both Jews and Gentiles.
51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of both Jews and Gentiles.

John 8
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light for both Jews and Gentiles: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John 17
21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that both Jews and Gentiles may believe that you have sent me.
23 I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that both Jews and Gentiles may know that you sent me, and loved them, as you loved me.