Re: kosmos being translated as "Christians" or "God's people" or "the chosen"

From: clayton stirling bartholomew (c.s.bartholomew@worldnet.att.net)
Date: Fri Apr 07 2000 - 13:01:33 EDT

Gary,

A few comments.

on 04/07/00 10:28 AM, Mr. Gary S. Dykes wrote:
> Kosmos is used with several different senses in John's writings.

Agreed. At least two senses if not more and several referents.

>For
> example if it must mean "world" (as in the created orderly planet and all
> of its inhabitants) then what about I John 2:15, which would then
> contradict John 3:16.

The problem here is a misunderstanding of John 3:16. In this John 3:16 God
is loving his enemies, represented by KOSMOS. In I John 2:15 KOSMOS is the
ordered system of evil that includes humans and other spiritual beings that
are opposed to God. There is a different emphasis in these passages but no
contradiction. The confusion here is in part about AGAPAW. God loves his
enemies in John 3:16 but in I John 2:15 the church is warned not to love the
system of evil that is populated by the enemies of God. The sense of AGAPAW
is different and the referent of KOSMOS is different. But the general idea
of KOSMOS is the same. The love that God has for the KOSMOS is not the love
that is being warned against in I John 2:15. The referent of KOSMOS in John
3:16 is not the system of evil that controls the universe, it is the people
who are caught in this system that God loves.

> One needs to study each usage of KOSMOJ in John's writings, they do differ.
> Hence many folks see the term in 3:16 as signifying the CHOSEN especially when
> John 17:9 is also recalled.

In both of these passages KOSMOS is seen as that which is opposed to God.
How can John be using KOSMOS to refer to the elect as a group in John 17:9
when KOSMOS is clearly set in contrast to the elect?

There are over a hundred uses of KOSMOS in John's gospel, letters and the
Apocalypse. I have not carefully analyzed each and every one. But I have
never seen a single irrefutable example of KOSMOS used to refer to the elect
as a group. I don't think there is one.

Cheers,

Clay

--
Clayton Stirling Bartholomew
Three Tree Point
P.O. Box 255 Seahurst WA 98062 

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