His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the word “world” in the Holy Bible carries five distinct meanings, and he asks the listener to pay attention to these different meanings in order to understand the biblical texts accurately.
First Meaning — The Material and Evil World: It refers to the material world with all its lusts and evils; a person’s love for the world makes him an enemy of God, and the love of the world and its pleasures opposes the Father’s love.
Second Meaning — The People in the World: The word “world” also means the people and humanity; when Scripture says “God so loved the world,” it means the love of people, for the Savior was sent to save the humans who believe in him.
Third Meaning — The Earth or This Life: The term sometimes denotes the earth or the life we live in, as Christ says that he was in the world and kept his disciples in this world before he left it and returned to the Father.
Fourth Meaning — The Universe or All Creation: It may also refer to the whole universe or to what was created before the existence of the world, as in verses that speak of the glory he had with the Father before the world was made.
Fifth Meaning — The Present Age (This Age): In some passages it means “the present time” or the consummation of this age, as in Christ’s parables about the harvest and the end of the age when the righteous and the wicked are separated.
Spiritual Conclusion: His Holiness points out that understanding these meanings helps the believer distinguish between Christ’s call not to love the material world, and the call to love people, and to view the present time as a stage of account that calls for spiritual readiness.
For better translation support, please contact the center.
Terms in the Bible – World
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the word “world” in the Holy Bible carries five distinct meanings, and he asks the listener to pay attention to these different meanings in order to understand the biblical texts accurately.
First Meaning — The Material and Evil World:
It refers to the material world with all its lusts and evils; a person’s love for the world makes him an enemy of God, and the love of the world and its pleasures opposes the Father’s love.
Second Meaning — The People in the World:
The word “world” also means the people and humanity; when Scripture says “God so loved the world,” it means the love of people, for the Savior was sent to save the humans who believe in him.
Third Meaning — The Earth or This Life:
The term sometimes denotes the earth or the life we live in, as Christ says that he was in the world and kept his disciples in this world before he left it and returned to the Father.
Fourth Meaning — The Universe or All Creation:
It may also refer to the whole universe or to what was created before the existence of the world, as in verses that speak of the glory he had with the Father before the world was made.
Fifth Meaning — The Present Age (This Age):
In some passages it means “the present time” or the consummation of this age, as in Christ’s parables about the harvest and the end of the age when the righteous and the wicked are separated.
Spiritual Conclusion:
His Holiness points out that understanding these meanings helps the believer distinguish between Christ’s call not to love the material world, and the call to love people, and to view the present time as a stage of account that calls for spiritual readiness.
For better translation support, please contact the center.