{"id":1658,"date":"2010-04-25T23:22:08","date_gmt":"2010-04-26T07:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/2010\/04\/25\/toward-an-understanding-of-worldliness-pt-1\/"},"modified":"2010-04-25T23:22:08","modified_gmt":"2010-04-26T07:22:08","slug":"toward-an-understanding-of-worldliness-pt-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxgoad.ca\/2010\/04\/25\/toward-an-understanding-of-worldliness-pt-1\/","title":{"rendered":"toward an understanding of worldliness – pt. 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is worldliness?<\/p>\n

On that question hangs a good deal of the debate in Christian circles about which practices are acceptable and appropriate for Christians and which are not. We are surrounded by a mass of Christian relativism that creates great confusion. For some Christians, it seems to have come down to Scriptural prohibitions as the only definition of right and wrong. Almost anything goes. Who is to say what is right and wrong about any lifestyle or practice if it is not specifically prohibited in Scripture?<\/p>\n

For example, many Christians today are quite comfortable justifying social drinking. It used to be a major taboo in Bible-believing Christian circles, but is becoming acceptable as long as you don\u2019t get drunk<\/em>. You see, drunkenness is seen as clearly prohibited by the Bible, so we can\u2019t go that<\/strong> far!<\/em> But something less than drunkenness is acceptable and shouldn\u2019t be considered worldly.<\/p>\n

Well, what is worldliness? I wrote about godliness in an earlier post<\/a>. Is worldliness an opposite of godliness? What about the Biblical term, \u2018ungodliness\u2019? How are ungodliness and worldliness related and what should the Christian do about it?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

One difficulty in coming to an understanding of this is that \u2018worldliness\u2019 isn\u2019t exactly a Biblical term. You won\u2019t find it in the KJV, the NASB, or the ESV. They all have the term \u2018worldly\u2019 (and the NAS has \u2018worldly-minded\u2019) but none of them have the term \u2018worldliness\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018Worldly\u2019 in Biblical usage:<\/h4>\n

Interestingly, it is the KJV that is the most rigid in the use of the term \u2018worldly\u2019. It is used twice, both times to translate kosmikos<\/em> in Titus 2.12 and Heb 9.1. The word kosmikos<\/em> is from the word kosmos<\/em>, \u2018world\u2019 and means \u2018worldly\u2019 or \u2018earthly\u2019. These are the only occurrences of kosmikos<\/em> in the New Testament.<\/p>\n

The NAS also translates another word with \u2018worldly\u2019, babelos<\/em>, an adjective meaning unhallowed<\/em>. It is used to describe fables (1 Tim 4.7) and chatter (1 Tim 6.20, 2 Tim 2.16). The NAS also gives us \u2018worldly-minded\u2019 for psukikos<\/em> in Jude 19, a word meaning \u2018natural, of the soul or of the mind\u2019, that is, the natural mind.<\/p>\n

The ESV will translate sarx<\/em>, usually translated \u2018flesh\u2019, with worldly. It does that in these verses: 1 Cor 1.26, 1 Cor 7.28. It also will translate the genitive of \u2018world\u2019 (i.e., \u2018of the world\u2019) as \u2018worldly\u2019 in these places: 1 Cor 7.33-34 and 2 Cor 7.10. It seems that in the 1 Cor 7 passages \u2018of the world\u2019 means \u2018earthly\u2019 as opposed to \u2018heavenly\u2019 or \u2018spiritual\u2019. They refer to the preoccupation of the married with the things \u2018of the world\u2019. The 2 Cor 7.10 reference, however may add some insight speaks of \u2018the of the world sorrow\u2019 as opposed to \u2018the according to God sorrow\u2019 (translated \u2018godly grief\u2019 in the ESV).<\/p>\n

The kosmikos<\/em> passages<\/h4>\n

Of the two, the Heb 9.1 passage adds little help to our understanding. It speaks of the kosmikos<\/em> sanctuary [the tabernacle] which is a figure for the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands that exists in the heavens. Thus, the meaning here seems more in line with \u2018earthly\u2019 because it was a literal structure on this earth. It isn\u2019t \u2018world-like\u2019 in the sense of \u2018this evil world system\u2019; rather, it is \u2018world-like\u2019 in the sense of \u2018physical, natural\u2019.<\/p>\n

The other kosmikos<\/em> passage is Titus 2.12:<\/p>\n

\n

NAU  Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, 12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This passage looks promising. We\u2019ll look at it in detail in part 2. But first, let\u2019s consider the meaning of \u2018worldly\u2019 here. The KJV translates this \u2018worldly lusts\u2019. The term \u2018lusts\u2019 has a negative connotation today. A few years earlier than the translation of the KJV, the term \u2018lusts\u2019 had a neutral connotation. ((See William Tyndale\u2019s use of the term in his introduction to Romans<\/a>.)) The term was simply a reference to \u2018desires\u2019, so the NAU translation is an appropriate one.<\/p>\n

Just as the \u2018earthly\u2019 or \u2018worldly\u2019 tabernacle is opposed to the \u2018spiritual\u2019 or \u2018heavenly\u2019 tabernacle, so too we can oppose \u2018worldly desires\u2019 with \u2018spiritual desires\u2019 or \u2018heavenly desires\u2019. Worldly desires, then are desires which are set on earthly things which, given the other terms in our verse are ungodly, not sensible (sane), righteous or godly.<\/p>\n

Defining \u2018worldly\u2019<\/h4>\n

With all this information, I think we can come to a conclusion about the meaning of \u2018worldly\u2019.<\/p>\n

Something is worldly<\/i> when<\/p>\n

    \n
  • It is common or profane \u2013 \u2018babelos\u2019, \u201cworldly fables, worldly chatter\u201d<\/li>\n
  • It is not spiritual, but is natural \u2013 \u2018psukikos\u2019, worldly-minded (natural minded) Jude 19<\/li>\n
  • It is oriented towards life in the flesh, humanity \u2013 \u2018worldly troubles\u2019 [\u2018according to the flesh\u2019]<\/li>\n
  • It is oriented towards concerns that are of this world as opposed to concerns of heaven \u2013 \u2018worldly things\u2019 [\u2018of this world\u2019 things]<\/li>\n
  • It is self-centered rather than God-centered \u2013 \u2018worldly sorrow\u2019 [\u2018sorrow of this world\u2019 \u2014 as opposed to \u2018godly sorrow\u2019]<\/li>\n
  • It is earthly rather than heavenly \u2013 \u2018the worldly tabernacle\u2019<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    A working definition:<\/p>\n

    \n

    Something is worldly when it belongs to the affairs of life on this earth, especially as opposed to the life of the spirit or of heaven.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \u2018Worldly\u2019 is not necessarily evil, but when we think of it as opposed to the life of the spirit or of heaven, then it is something that is evil.<\/p>\n

    \u2018Worldly\u2019 describes things-in-the-world that have the quality of the world about them.<\/p>\n

    We will look in some detail at Titus 2.12 in part 2 and will become more specific about what makes worldly things have the negative aspect described in that passage.<\/p>\n

    ~~~<\/p>\n

    Before closing this post I\u2019d like to note that I have revised my definition of godliness slightly:<\/p>\n

    \n

    Godliness is a manner of life dominated by reverence for God displayed in respect for others that is visible to outside observers and is not confused with worldliness.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    More to come. We are working through this inductively in our Bible study time at church.<\/p>\n

    \"don_sig2\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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