Do Not Love the World - 1 John 2:15 Meaning

7/7/2019

by Mr. Whitney V. Myers

Do Not Love the World - 1 John 2:15 - 123RF Photo - Used under license

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15)

This lesson is the fourth in the series on "Christians and the World" (Ref. 1, Ref. 2, Ref. 3). This lesson explains what John meant in his instruction that Christians should not love the world.

Consider. When John wrote to believers in Christ, "Do not love the world nor the things in the world," what did he mean?

1. As believers in Christ we should prefer the things of God, not the things of the world

The Apostle John, writing to believers in Christ, uses the English word "love" three times in 1 John 2:15 -- "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." In the first two occurrences of "love" in 1 John 2:15, the Greek word is agapaó and means to prefer (Ref. 4). In the third occurrence of "love" in 1 John 2:15, the Greek word is agapé, which means divine love, what God prefers (Ref. 5).

With these definitions inserted, 1 John 2:15 means, "Do not prefer the world or the things in the world. If anyone prefers the world, the divine love of the Father is not in him." Remember that Jesus taught us about keeping our thoughts and actions focused on God. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [the things God knows you need] will be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).

2. As believers in Christ we should avoid the lusts of the world and the worldly culture that seduces us from loving God

The New Testament refers to the "world" (Greek word kosmos) in five main ways (Ref. 1, Ref. 6):

The world which God created through Christ (John 1:10)
All the inhabitants of the world (John 3:16) (note, "God so loved the world ...")
People who do not know Christ (John 1:10 and John 14:16-17)
People who are hostile to Christ and to Christ's followers (John 15:18 and John 17:14)
The affairs of the world which seduce us from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ (1 John 2:15-16)

Even though God loved and still loves the inhabitants of the world (John 3:16), John instructs us not to love worldly culture that is alienated from God or the lusts and pride of the world. John goes further to say, "For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world" (1 John 2:16). Note that Satan used the same three sins to temp Eve. "The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6, italics added).

It is good, not wrong, to enjoy God's creation, to have godly affection for people (John 13:35), and to work for a living so we have the material things that we need for daily life. Instead of loving and lusting after the things of the world, we should always love and prefer God. He will provide what we need (Matthew 6:33).

Apply. Ask God to give you strength to love him and to overcome the lusts and pride of the world.

Related Lessons
"Biblical Definition of the World" (John 1:10)
"The Holy Spirit Whom the World Cannot Receive" (John 14:16-17)
"The World Hates Jesus and His Disciples" (John 7:7, John 15:18-19)
"God's Offer of Salvation and Eternal Life" (John 3:16-17)

References
1. https://www.ScriptureWay.com/home/biblical-definition-of-the-world
2. https://www.ScriptureWay.com/home/the-most-important-offer-you-will-ever-receive
3. https://www.scriptureway.com/home/the-world-hates-jesus-and-his-disciples
4. https://biblehub.com/greek/25.htm
5. https://biblehub.com/greek/26.htm
6. https://biblehub.com/greek/2889.htm

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Biblical Definition of "The World"

5/19/2019

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by Whitney V. Myers

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The World Did Not Know Him - John 1:10 - Photo 123RF.com - Used under license

"He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him." (John 1:10)

This lesson is the first in the series on "Christians and the World." This lesson explains the meaning of the Hebrew and Greek words for "the world" in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

Consider. What does the expression, "the world," mean to you? Do you think of just the physical earth which God created? Or, do you think about the people of the world? Does the world described in the Bible include people who know Christ as well as those who do not know Christ?

"The World" - Old Testament Definition

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word used most often for "the world" is tebel (pronounced as tay-bale'). "The world" (tebel) is the earth as moist and therefore inhabited (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, Ref. 1). So, the word for "the world" in the Old Testament refers to the earth and by implication to the inhabitants of the earth (Ref. 1). The first mention of "the world" (tebel) in the Old Testament occurs in 1 Samuel 2:8. Tebel occurs 36 times in the Old Testament (Ref. 1).

The Old Testament describes "the world" in these four main ways:

God established the world by his wisdom (Jeremiah 10:12, Jeremiah 51:15)
God firmly established the world, and the world will not totter, or deviate from its course (1 Chronicles 16:30, Psalm 93:1,
Psalm 96:10). In these verses, the writer says the world will not be moved. The Hebrew word for moved is mot which means totter, shake, slip (Ref. 2).
The whole world belongs to God. He made it, and he remains its sole Owner and Master (Psalm 24:1, Psalm 50:12, Psalm 89:11, Ref. 3, Ref. 4). David wrote, "The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it" (Psalm 24:1). God's claim on the earth includes not only its animals, vegetables, and minerals, but also its people. "All belong to God, and He has a right to claim them for His service" (Ref. 3).

God will judge the world with righteousness (Psalm 9:8, Psalm 96:13, Psalm 98:9). The Hebrew word for judge in these verses is shaphat. Shaphat means not only to pronounce sentence but also to govern (Ref. 5). For those who are in Christ, the fact that Christ will come and judge, or govern, the world is cause for joy and praise to God. We sing about Christ's coming to rule the world when we sing Isaac Watt's hymn, "Joy to the World." Isaac Watts had Psalm 98:4-9 in mind when he wrote, "He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness, and wonders of his love" (Ref. 6).

"The World" - New Testament Definition

In the New Testament, the Greek word used most often for "the world" is kosmos. Kosmos means an "ordered system" (like the universe, creation) (Ref. 7). Kosmos also refers to the inhabitants of the world and to worldly affairs. Kosmos occurs 186 times in the New Testament (Ref. 7). "The world" (kosmos) occurs more often in the Gospel of John than in any other New Testament book (more than 70 occurrences in John).

The New Testament writers use "the world" (kosmos) in three main ways:

The world which God created through Christ
-- "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him ..." (John 1:10)
The inhabitants of the world -- "The world" (kosmos) includes:
-- All the people of the world -- "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16)
-- People who do not know Christ -- "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him" (John 1:10). Also refer to John 14:16-17.
-- People who are hostile to Christ and to Christ's followers -- "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you" (John 15:18). Also refer to John 17:14. I plan to address in future lessons the world's hostility to Christ and God's role for Christians in the world.
The affairs of the world which seduce us from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ -- "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world" (1 John 2:15-16)
-- "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)

The Hebrew and Greek words for "the world" in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible include not only the physical world which God created but also the people of the world. Even though God loves all the people of the world, some people know and love Christ, and others do not know Christ. Some people are hostile to Christ and to those who follow Christ. I plan to discuss God's love for the world in the next lesson in this series.

Apply. John, Jesus' disciple, wrote about Jesus, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him" (John 1:10). If you do not know Jesus Christ, put your faith and trust in him. Ask him to forgive your sins, and he will cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Ask Jesus to come into your life. You and he will begin a new relationship, and you will know him better each day. If you already do know Jesus, ask him to show you what steps you can take to help other people know him as their Savior and Lord.

Related Lessons
"The Holy Spirit Whom the World Cannot Receive" (John 14:16-17)
"Do Not Love the World" (1 John 2:15)
"The World Hates Jesus and His Disciples" (John 7:7, John 15:18-19)
"God's Offer of Salvation and Eternal Life" (John 3:16-17)

References
1. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8398.htm
2. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/4131.htm
3. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/barnes/psalms/24.htm
4. https://biblehub.com/commentaries/pulpit/psalms/24.htm
5. https://biblehub.com/hebrew/8199.htm
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_to_the_World
7. https://biblehub.com/greek/2889.htm

6 Comments

Bible Teachings

Do Not Love the World - 1 John 2:15 Meaning

1. As believers in Christ we should prefer the things of God, not the things of the world

2. As believers in Christ we should avoid the lusts of the world and the worldly culture that seduces us from loving God

Biblical Definition of "The World"

"The World" - Old Testament Definition

"The World" - New Testament Definition

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