[B-Greek] KOSMOS

Wounded Ego woundedegomusic at gmail.com
Fri Sep 1 07:51:57 EDT 2006


I think KOSMOS has a lot in common with the word "habitat." I am beginning
to get some images in my head, such as an aquarium. If fish in an aquarium
used the word KOSMOS then they would never be referring to the tank itself
(which was their "Universe") because they had no conception of that. Rather,
they would think of the picture on the back of the tank (their "sky") and
the arrangement of coral and the treasure chest and rocks, along with the
fish in the habitat. If, someone were to remove the picture from the back
and destroy the treasure chest and such and kill the fish, then the world
would be no more because the order was destroyed. If there were a new
picture and the treasure chest was remade as a pier, then that would be a
new world. Also, if a fish were first removed from the tank in a plastic bag
full of water, then replaced after the renewal, then he would live in a new
world - even though he is once again in the same tank, with largely the same
props. This is because it is a different habitat - a different life system.

We see just this thing in 2 Peter 3:6

4  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation.
5  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the
heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the
water:
6  Whereby the world [KOSMOS] that then was, being overflowed with water,
perished:
7  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept
in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of
ungodly men.

The KOSMOS is also like a theatrical stage set. As Shakespeare said, "All
the world is a stage." One could tear down the set and then create a new
world. Believers are on the stage but not part of the set - not part of the
play.

We also speak of "in my world" or "in his own world." Even in English there
is this sense of arrangement that is different from "humanity in general"
and the anachronistic "universe."

In John and Paul, the "habitat" is primarily characterized by the "moral
climate" and the ones who dictate the "rules" of the society. 

William Ross
VGB, Argentina



-----Original Message-----
From: b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-greek-bounces at lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Craig J
Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2006 10:18 PM
To: b-greek at lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [B-Greek] KOSMOS

Carlton Winbery wrote:
> John 1:10 seems to me to be three distinct uses of KOSMOS.
> 
> EN TWi KOSMWi HN, KAI hO KOSMOS DI' AUTOU EGENETO, KAI hO KOSMOS 
> AUTON OUK EGNW.
> 
> 1) alludes to him being part of humanity.
> 2) the universe
> 3) humanity apart from God

I don't think such a strong and overly technical distinction is necessary. A
straight forward reading could make them all the same, as in the following
slight paraphrase:

"He was in the world, and that world was made through him, and that world
did not know him"

I guess KOSMOS would then equate to something like 'the mass of humanity'.
I'm not sure why you have 'humanity' for 1 & 3, but need to change it to
'the universe' for 2 in between..?

--
Craig Johnson
Brisbane, Australia
Blog Experiment: http://bloggledegook.blogspot.com/

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