God's Promise/Kosmos and New Age Monistic Pantheism

(Loss of Transcendence in Our Post Modern Culture)

The Kosmos (World) in N. T. Theology Reordering The Kosmos: (Creation - Nature - History)

I. O. T. has no vocabulary for nature, only creation. Creation is ordered by the Creator-Redeemer; therefore, it is not autonomous.

II. Kosmos in classical Greek. Etymology uncertain, but in original sense the idea of building or establishing and is inseparably linked to idea of order and unity, structure, adornment, i. e., beautiful order; individuals ordered into a whole. (See Baur's Lexicon; Liddell-Scott, et. al., W. Jaeger, Paideia, I, pp. 219ff).

III. Plato - Aristotle - Philosophical views of Kosmos vs. Democritian model of materialism. Neo-Platontic doctrines of two worlds - kosmos ekeinos -i. e. the intelligible world and the kosmos houtos of the phenomenal, i. e. , physical world. Kosmos in the sense of Earth, Inhabited World, and Humanity. Cf. Cosmogonies of syncretism, e.g. termes Trismegistos.

IV. Kosmos in the LXX with Hebrew equivalents

V. Kosmos in The N. T.

a. Kosmos in the sense of adornment - I Peter 3: 3

b. Kosmos - 78 in John; 22 in I John, 1 in II John, 3 in Revelation, 46 times by Paul

c. Kosmos - Synoptics - 15; 5 each - Hebrews, James, II Peter, I Peter - 2, Revelation - 1

d. Heb. - Aramand Jesus' "heaven and earth" (see ge and ouranos in Kittel) (spheres of ge and ouranos

e. Kosmos - Universe, sum of all created Being and is synonymous with O.T. "heaven and earth" - Acts 4: 24; 14:15; 17:24; Jn. 21: 25 kosmos and panta ta en auto; Jn 1: 10; I Cor. 8:6; 15: 27f; Phil. 3: 21; Col. 1: l6f; 1: 20; Eph. 1: 10; Heb. 1: 2f; 2:8, 10; I Pet. 4: 7

f. All that is created has only limited duration - aion, aion tou kosmou toutou - Eph. 2: 2; end of time, sunteleia tou aionos - Matt. 13: 40; Matt. 24: 21; Mk. 13: 19; Rom. 1: 20 - kataboles kosmou - foundation of the world - Lk. 11:50;. Heb. 4: 3; 9:26; Matt. 25: 34; Rev. 13:8; 17:8 apo kataboles kosmou. also pro - Jn. 17; 5, 24; Eph. 1:4; I Pet. 1: 20

g. Transitoriness (locus of phthora) II Pet. 1:4; I Jn. 2: 17; I Cor. 1:20; 7:31; 3: 19; 5: 10; 7:31; Eph. 2:2

h. Kosmos is never employed in N. T. when speaking of the world to come - because of the above two factors. (No Eternal Kosmos of eschatological hope - Jn. 12: 25; Rev. 21: 1; II Pet. 3: 13)

i. N. T. also avoids following Hellenistic Judaism in calling God the Lord and King of the Kosmos, rather aion is used - I Tim. 1:17; Matt. 11:25; Lk. 10:21; Acts 17:24.

j. Victory over the kosmos - Rev. 11:15; Gal. 4:3; Col. 2: 8,20 (Cosmological notions in 0. T. , Jewish Apocalyptic, Greeco/Roman religions and N. T. , cf. Scientific Cosmology and Hermeneutical Principle - The Bible its own interpreter)

k. World-View of the N. T. - Mk. 13; I Cor. 15; Rev. and Jn. Does the N. T. present a coherent cosmology?

l. N. T., Gnosticism, and Cosmological interests

m. Kosmos as the Abode of Men, the Theater of History, the inhabited World, the Earth - Matt. 4:8; 16: 26; 26: 13; Mk. 8:36; 16:15; Lk. 4:5; 12:30; Rom. 4:13; 1:8; Acts 1:8; I Peter 5: 9

n. Subjects - coming into the Kosmos - I Jn. 3:17; 4:1; II Jn. 7; Jn. 1:9; 13:1; 17; 11; 3:19; 11:27; 12:46; Rom. 5: 12f. ; I Tim. 1:15; Heb. 10:5; II Cor. 1:12; 5:10; I Cor. 14: 10

o. Kosmos as Humanity, Fallen Creation, Theater of Salvation History

1. Mk. 16; 15; 14: 9

2. Lk. 2: 10

3. Matt. 28: 19; 26:13; 13:38; 18:7; II Pet. 2:5; Heb. 11:7; I Cor. 4: 9, 13

4. Acts 1: 8

5. World of Men - Matt. 5: 14;

p. Consistent Concept of Kosmos in the Early Church

1. Positive sense - World is God's creation and also stands under judgment and needs redemption.

2. Negative sense of "world which is in opposition to God" - I Cor l:27f; Heb. 11:38

3. Optimistic openness - because of consummation of God's promise rest on purpose of creation in redemption

4. Apocalyptic pessimism - rests on judgment.

5. Reconciliation of the kosmos and the redemption of sinful men in Christ (See my syllabus - Seminar: Biblical Theology of Sin Salvation with extended Bibliography) - soter tou kosmou -Jn. 4: 42; IJn. 4: 14

6. Kosmos in Paul as aion houtos - I Cor. 1: 20f; 2:8; 2:12; 3:19; 11:32; 15:24; II Cor. 7:10; 5:19; Rom. 5:12; 3:19; ll:12f. ; 8:22; Col. 1: 16

7. Thus unity of concept - Universe, all individuals, visible world and invisible, nature, and history, humanity and spirit world. Kosmos is sum total of divine creation, order shattered by sin; exists under judgment, in which Jesus Christ appears as Redeemer. When kosmos is redeemed it ceases to be kosmos. No longer kosmos, aion houtos; it is now basileia tou theou, aion erchomenos, ouranos kainos kai ge kaine - I Tim. 1:15; Col. 1:13; Gal. 1:4. Hence ecclesia does not belong to the world. Yet the saints live in the kosmos - I Cor. 5:10; Phil. 2:15; Acts 17:24; Acts 14:15ff; Rom. 13:2 - diatage. Oaring for the things of this world - I Cor. 7:32ff; Col. 2:20; Gal. 6:14. Kosmos crucified through cross - Gal. 6:14. Kosmos is hinderance to God's promise and obstacle in Christian existence - Jas. 1:27; 4:4; Rom. 12:2; I Cor. 7:31

8. Kosmos in Paul and John - same - Jn. 1: Iff; 9; 8:12, 23; 9: 5; 2:46; 14: 27; I Jn. 4:4; 42; 4:14; 6:33, 51; 4;9;/ Jn 3:17-19; 10:36; 11:27; 12:46f; 16: 28; 17:18-25; 18: 36,37.

9. Salvation history is a conflict between Christ and the Kosmos or proeros who rule it - Jn. 16:33. Church is witness to His presence in disordered universe.

a. saints - Church - 15: 19; 17:14; 17:16

b. In saints the Kosmos is to see and believe - 17:21, 23; I Jn. 5:4

c. Jas. 4:4; I Jn. 2: 15f. relationships - I Cor. 7:31; I Jn. 2: 17

Reordering the Cosmos: Promise - Presence - Shalom

Creation's order is fragmented in four fundamental areas; (1) God-man; (2) Man-self; (3) Man - others; and (4) Man - nature. Redemption in Christ is the recovery of creation's intended wholeness-Genesis 1-3; Isaiah 60-66; Romans 8; Revelation 21-22

VI. Eschatology and Pessimism - Kosmos in Biblical Theology of the NT

The N. T. note of pessimism regarding 'the world' provokes modern man to objections. Contemporary man shakes his head in wonderment as he conquers the spaces and earth's riches. It is hard to hear James remarks - "Friendship with the world is enmity with God; therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" James 4: 4) This attitude seems to come from an age oppressed by fear and confusion during which man sought refuge in 'heaven' (See W. Smith, The Biblical Doctrine of Heaven, Moody, 1968) How can man sustain an other worldly stance in a cosmos of inexhaustible possibilities. What does the Bible mean by its apparent negation of this world? (See H. Sasse, TDNT. I, pp 197-209; III, pp 882-896; R. Voike, Christ und Welt nach dem Neuen Testament, Wurzburg, 1961, excellent bibliography; G. Johnston, "oikoumene and codmos in the N. T. ", New Testament Studies, 1963-64; pp. 352-360; H. Schlier, "Welt und Mensch nach dem Johannesevangelium, " in Besinnung auf das Neue Testament , Freiburg, 1964, pp. 242-53; and H. Jonas; Gnosis und spatantiker Geist, Gottingen, pp. 146-56.

Decayed and Morally Corrupt World?

a. Eschatology and Kosmos

b. Apocalyptic Imagery and Kosmos

c. Historically decayed creation and Kosmos

d. Gk aion - long period of time; Heb. ‘lam- time not space (See Excursus-Billerbeck, Kommentar, IV, Munich, 1928, pp. 799-976)

e. Rabbinic Judaism - "present eon" distinguishes from "coming eon" (note Kingdom of God - R. Schnackenburg, God's Rule and Kingdom, (Herder & Herder, E. T. , 1965).

f. Paul - on this present world - I Cor. 1:20 - "Made foolish the wisdom of the world"; "not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God"- I Cor 2: 12. This age: Rom 12:2; I Cor 1:20; 2:6, 8; 3:18; II Cor 4:4; Eph 1:21; Gal 1:4; this present world - I Tim 6:17; II Tim 4: 10; Titus 2:12. The "age which is to come" - Eph 1:21; 2:7; 'coming ages'. The eon to come - Heb 6:4; "the powers of the age to come." This world is passing away - I Cor 7:31; I Jn 2:17; Gal 1:4; 6:14; I Cor 1:20, 2:6; 3:18. Do not conform to this world - Rom 12:2; II Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2; 6:12; Jn 12:31. The ruler of this world - Jn 12:31; 16:11; whole world is in power of the evil one - I Jn 5:19; dangerous "to love the world or the things in the world - I Jn 2:15. Victory over the world - Jn 16:33; "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" - Jn 4:4

g. N. T. in context - Gnosticism, Mystery Religions, Mandaenism, (see especially Corpus Hermeticum, VI, eds. A.D. Nock and A. Festugiere, Paris, 1945, I, p 74f; and Ktisis art in Kittel)

h. God so loved the Kosmos - Jn 3:16

i. God-created world called to the new creation

1. Acts 17: 24

2. Acts 4: 24

3. Rev 4: 11

5. Heb 1:2-24; Rom 1:20

6. Jn l:lff

7. Rom 1:20; 11:36

8. I Cor 8:6

9. Rev 21-22; Isa 61-66 - Foundation 4. Col 1:15 of the world - Jn 1:10; 17;5; Acts 17 (See G. Schneider, "Die Idee der Neuschopfung beim Apostel Paulus und ihr religionsgeschichtlicher Hinter-grund," Trierer Theologische Zeitschrift 1959, pp 257-270.

j. Kosmos, at times expresses world as creation, most passages concerning 'theology of creation' use - "heaven and earth" or else -"all things" (Ta panta) - Jn 1:3 - Acts 4: 24; 14:15; 17:24; Rev. 5:13; 10:6; 14:7; Col 1:16

k. Lordship of Christ - nature - history - Rom 11:33-36

l. Creation - Re-creation - Redemption - especially Col 1:20; Eph 1:10; 1:23 (See O. Perels, "Kirche und Welt nach dem Epheser und Kol-osserbrief" Theologische Literaturzeitung 1959, pp 393-400; B. Reiche, TDNT, V, pp. 892ff; V. Warnach, "Kirche und Kosmos, " Enkaina, Dusseldorf, 1956, pp 170-205; J. Gewiess, "Die Begriffe ple'roun und ple'orma im Kolosser und Epheserbrief," Vom Wort des Lebens, Munich, 1951; pp. 128-141.

m. "Behold, I make all things new" - Rev 21:1, 5

n. Christians' Relation to the World - world as creation, universe, the arena of man's life.

o. N. T. does not present any form of inner imperturbability (ataraxia), i. e. , a disinterest in the things of the world, a reserved attitude of indifference toward the kosmos (N. T. contra gnostic deprecation ( I Cor 2: 29-31) of kosmos and soma (enedtosa anagke)

p. Christian relation to world is always in creative-tension as disciple witness - I Jn 2: 17f; I Pet 1:17; 2: 11; Heb 11:13; II Cor 5: 6-8; G. Stahlin, TDNT. V. pp 28-21; Schmidt, pp 850f

1. Exiles - I Pet 2: 1 If

2. Strangers - Heb 11; 13

3. Aliens

q. Christ - Christians - Creation - Consummation - Jn 15

Dr. James Strauss

Lincoln Christian Seminary

Lincoln, IL 62656

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