The original Greek word for world is the word cosmos.
In the gospel of John world is used several different ways. Let’s go
over them.
1.
John 1:10 – He was in the world, and the world
was made through Him, and the world did not know
Him.
In this verse the word world is making reference to the physical
planet earth we live in and the fact that Jesus in eternity past created the
universe. Both Col 1:15 and Heb 1:2 tells us that Jesus created all things.
2.
John 1:29 – Behold the Lamb of God who takes away
the sin of the world.
In this passage John the Baptist is introducing to His
disciples and others that Jesus is the Messiah that will take away sins.
Automatically when we see the word world, we conclude that it is inclusive. The
word world here has to refer only to the elect and/or chosen of God. Remember
Matt 1:21 says Jesus will save his people
(italics mine) from their sins .
Another passage that would apply here would be John 10:16;
Jesus said, “And other sheep I have that are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they
will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd”.
This passage describes that Jesus was sent not only to save
his own countrymen the Jews, the Father sent Him to save Gentiles also. These
are the other sheep. So the world here in this context is making reference to
the whole world of the elect.
3.
John 13:1 – Now before the Feast of the
Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from the
world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them
until the end.
The word world here is simply dealing with ascending out of the
planet earth.
4.
John 12:31 – Now is the judgment of this world;
now the ruler of this world will be cast out.
This verse deals with world as in this evil world system, and
the ruler of it, the devil.
Ephesians 2:1 said that prior to our conversion we walked
according to the course or ways of this world. This makes reference to the
world’s ungodly system of evil.
5.
John 7:7 – Jesus speaking to His brothers said, “The
world can not hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that it deeds
are evil.
Here the word world in this passage is referencing the
non-elect; those who are not saved.
6.
John 12:19 – The Pharisees therefore said among
themselves, you see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has
gone after Him!
This event is in reference to the beginning of Passion Week,
on Palm Sunday on the 9th of Nisan (Mar/Apr) when our Lord rides on
a donkey presenting Himself as the
Messiah (Zech 9:9). The religious leaders said the world has gone after Him. The
word world in this context is making reference to the region in which they
lived, not the whole world.
7.
John 7:4b – Jesus is urged by His brothers to
show Himself to the world
Here the word world can make reference to the general public,
not the entire world.
8.
John 3:16 –
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. That whosoever
believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.
The word world here means all of humanity. However eternal
life is reserved for those that believe in what Jesus accomplished at the
cross.
9.
John 3:17 - For God did not send His Son into the world to
condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
The word world here makes reference to the elect. You can
also include I John 2:2 which states that Christ sacrifice for sins was for the
whole world, not just the world of the Jew but God’s chosen from every tribe,
nation, tongue and people. This passages reiterates one we discussed earlier
(John 10:16).
There are those that will argue when that I John 2:2 makes
reference to everyone in the world because the word whole appears before the word world, but it is not inclusive but
exclusive. When Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, it was without
distinction meaning that there was no preference between rich and poor, free
and slave, male and female. All are one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:28).
10. John 17:9 – Jesus
specifically says here that He is not praying for the world but those whom the
Father gave to Him.
This is a clear indication that Jesus in His what is called
His High Priestly prayer to the Father is praying for only the elect, the
chosen of God and not the whole world (of the unsaved). Once again, meaning of
the word world HAS to be defined by the context.
Concluding, as I have shown using this word world has to be
defined contextually. We use the world generally all the time. For example,
someone will say, “I have traveled the world”! That does not mean they have
been to every county, village, city state on the planet. What they are saying
is they have traveled the globe; they have gone to many different places in the
world.
That is what is being described in the verses above. This
word world is always a matter of contention when describing Jesus sacrificial
death on the cross – was it for everyone who will ever live
(indiscriminate), or was it simply for the world of the elect (discriminate)?
The latter is what the Bible teaches.
