We have studied the topic of the devil, and now we must study the topic of the world because the world is related to the devil. Furthermore, the world is a practical problem that we encounter when we live on the earth. Therefore, we cannot be ignorant of this topic.
1. “World” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11).
The Greek word translated “world” is kosmos, and it means “system,” or “organization.” The world is an arranged system or a systemized organization. This system was not created by God; it was organized by Satan. In the beginning God created the earth and all the things on the earth so that man could live on the earth for the accomplishment of His purpose. After Satan spoiled and captured man, Satan organized the things on the earth that were for man’s existence into an ordered system. The Bible refers to this ordered system as the world. The world is out of Satan and belongs to him for his use. It is an organization and an ordered system under his control. Satan usurps people through his worldly arrangement and system in order to keep them from being for God, serving God, and accomplishing God’s purpose.
There is a difference between the systematized things of the world and the created things of the earth. The created things of the earth were ordained by God so that man could live for Him, but the systematized things of the world were ordered by Satan to usurp man so that man could not live for God. Satan arranged the world using the things that God ordained for man’s existence. These things have become the components of Satan’s system. He systematizes all the persons, things, and matters that God ordained for man’s existence along with some of his own inventions to organize the world so that he can usurp man. Satan has mixed the world and the things that he invented with the things of the earth that were ordained by God so that it is difficult for man to distinguish between the two. For example, marriage, children, family, food, and other matters of man’s living are all ordained by God for his existence on the earth so that he can live for God. But Satan has taken the things that man needs for his existence and incorporated them into a worldly system in order to usurp man so that he would not be free to live for God. Originally, marriage, children, family, food, and other matters of man’s living were ordained by God so that he could live for God. Now marriage, children, family, clothing, food, and other matters have become things of the world to usurp man so that he cannot live for God. Anything that allows man to live for God is not something of the world, but anything that systematizes man and prevents him from living for God is something of the world. Whether or not something is of the world depends on whether it enables us to live for God or hinders us from living for God. For example, some marry in order to exist and live for God. They are not systematized or controlled by their marriage. To them marriage is something of the earth that is related to their existence; it is not something of the world that usurps them. However, some are systematized and controlled by their marriage to the extent that they do not care for God’s purpose. To them marriage is part of Satan’s systematization of humanity which usurps them.
In addition to the basic necessities of human existence, Satan also invented things that are not necessary for human living but which tempt people to the extent that they are even more fully systematized and usurped. For example, when some marry, they feel that they must ride in a decorated vehicle, have a certain kind of ceremony, or wear a certain kind of veil. Others feel they must celebrate when a child is born by eating special foods. Still others feel that they must wear special clothes in celebration of a new year or other festivals. None of these things are needed for human existence; they all were invented by Satan to further systematize us in relation to basic human necessities. Although marriage and childbearing are necessary for human existence, riding in a decorated vehicle, wearing a fancy veil, eating special foods, and wearing special clothes are not necessary for human living. Satan has added these items to our basic human necessities in order to further systematize and usurp us.
Brothers and sisters, the world is a system, an organization, or arrangement that Satan uses to control us. The world is like a university with many different departments that encompass the various aspects of human existence, such as the Marriage Department, the Wedding Department, the Funeral Department, the Clothing Department, the Food Department, the Education Department, the Money Department, the Fame Department, and the Position Department. Satan uses this “University of the World” to systematize the people on earth into various departments. He uses our preferences and desires to control us. If we enjoy clothing, he will use clothing to control us. If we enjoy money, he will use money to control us. If we are “enrolled” in any of his departments, we are under his usurpation, and we are no longer free to live for God or to serve Him. When we are in his worldly organization, we are under its usurpation.
2. “Age” (Gal. 1:4).
In addition to the term kosmos, the Bible also uses the word aion to speak of the world. Aion means “age,” or “time.” In the Chinese Union Version, aion and kosmos are translated without distinction, but in the original Greek, these words are clearly distinct. Kosmos refers to the entire world, and aion refers to a part of the world, to an age or time period of the world. The entire world from the past to the future is the kosmos, but it is divided into many ages. Each age is an aion. Thus, we find the phrase according to the age [aion] of this world [kosmos] in Ephesians 2:2. The age of this world is the current time period in the world, the world as it presently appears before our eyes. The part of the world that each generation of people on earth encounters is its age. The part of the world that people encountered in the nineteenth century was the age of the nineteenth century. The part of the world that people encounter in the twentieth century is the age of the twentieth century. An age is the world as it appears before our eyes. Thus, when the Bible speaks of people being according to the world, it says “according to the age of this world.”
The Greek word translated “age” is aion. A closely related English word is modern. Thus, we can translate age in Ephesians 2:2 as “fashion.” The world that appears before our eyes is what is modern and fashionable. Every age has a definition of what is modern and fashionable. For example, it used to be fashionable for Chinese people to ride in a sedan chair as part of their marriage ceremony, but today it is fashionable for them to ride in a decorated car. It used to be fashionable for people to wear one kind of clothing, but now another kind of clothing is modern and fashionable. These modern things and fashions are the age, the part of the world that people presently encounter. Therefore, Satan uses the things of this age to control and usurp people.
3. “Generation” (Matt. 12:39; Acts 2:40; Phil. 2:15).
The Greek word in the Bible that speaks of man’s relationship to the world is geneá. This word is translated as “generation” in Luke 11:50-51 and Hebrews 3:10. It does not refer to an age but to a generation of people. Generation refers to the people who live in a certain age of the world. A person who lives in a certain age of the world is part of its generation.