"The World" in the Holy Scripture (Part 1)

By Father Nikolay Afanasiev

1. In John 3:16, it’s stated that God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son so believers could have eternal life. Yet, in 1 John 2:15-16, we are warned not to love the world or its things, as love for the world negates the love of the Father. These two views reveal a seemingly contradictory stance towards the cosmos. God’s and man’s attitudes toward the world differ; what God loves, man must not. Is this a true contradiction, or do we have different understandings of the cosmos? Despite the apparent contradiction, both John’s Gospel and the First Epistle of John share a similar spirit, suggesting that attributing them to different authors is not a solution. It might be that the concepts themselves changed over time, shaped by historical shifts in the cosmos itself.

The way we view the world influences our attitude toward it. In Scripture, we can analyze the concept of the cosmos, though past analyses often fall short in fully explaining the New Testament’s teachings. The New Testament’s teaching about the cosmos belongs to the Church’s understanding, rather than being a conceptual creation. Therefore, without considering church consciousness, we cannot decipher its true meaning. Christ and the Church are inseparable in this understanding of the cosmos. By clarifying the early Church’s view of the cosmos, we gain insight into New Testament references to it.

2. The eschatological nature of early church consciousness is acknowledged by many scholars of early Christianity, making further elaboration unnecessary. In the history of the Church’s formation, three pivotal events interconnect: Christ’s promise to build the Church (Matt. 16:18), its establishment at the Last Supper, and its realization at Pentecost. The Church’s essence is rooted in Christ; the Spirit’s descent marked the beginning of the Church, transforming the apostles into the Church of God in Christ. The new era of the Church signifies the beginning of a new eon, the messianic era in God’s plan. The apostle Peter’s first sermon after Pentecost clearly articulates the Church’s belonging to the last days and its role in the new eon.

The Jewish understanding of the Messianic era as a new eon, whether linked to cosmic catastrophe or not, presupposes the end of the old. In Christian understanding, two eons coexist. The Church’s advent does not terminate the old eon. Instead, the coexistence of new and old eons complicates human history but does not break it, as the new eon exists within it. Christians, as members of the Church, live in the new eon while existing in the world, shaped by the Church’s presence in the world.

3. In the Old Testament, the concept of the world is expressed as “heaven and earth,” rather than a singular term. This perceived division did not exclude a holistic view of the world, seen as God’s creation. Humans are integral to the world, created for humanity. The world’s unity aligns with humanity’s unity. Jewish consciousness divided humanity into Israel and other nations, with Israel as God’s people. This division was akin to light and darkness, where Israel shone with the Torah’s light, preserving the true knowledge of God. The Torah’s cosmic significance was tied to Israel’s role in world history, yet both parts of humanity faced death’s fate. The Torah promised longevity in the Promised Land, later evolving to symbolize eternal life through resurrection.

The resurrection notion reinforced the divide between Israel and other nations. Non-Israelites were seen in the devil’s power due to idolatry. Despite the sin and death perspective, Israel found righteousness in the Torah. Yet, Jewish eschatology acknowledged temporal eons, expecting a new era but not altering the world’s nature fundamentally.

4. Christianity inherited Jewish worldviews but interpreted them through eschatological consciousness. While Jewish thought saw the eschatological era empirically, the New Testament perceived it as hidden, awaiting Christ’s return for full realization. The “last days” commenced with the Church’s existence, marking a new aeon’s silent emergence. The Church anticipates Christ’s return as the new aeon’s full revelation. Reconciliation in Christ signifies salvation, transforming the old world eschatologically. The division of humanity ended, replaced by the Church and the world dichotomy—new and old humanity. The old aeon exists only because of the new aeon’s presence, created when the new appeared.

The Church, Christ’s Body, symbolizes the new humanity and world. The old world persists until Christ’s revelation, but the Church signifies a new creation within the current world. Thus, the Church’s existence paradoxically divides the world, as the new aeon resides within but remains distinct from the world. The ongoing transformation towards an old aeon and the Church’s eschatological destiny create a continuous, hidden cosmic shift.

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