LOVE NOT THE WORLD

1 John 2:15–19 (ESV) — 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:15–19 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. 18 Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

I. THE WORLD

1 John 2:15 (ESV) — 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world…

“But the world can occur also with a negative connotation, standing for all who are, or for all that is, in enmity with God and the believers (see 2:15–17; 3:1, 13; 4:4f, 19). Taken thus it refers to the world and the persons in it as an evil system, as a way of life that is in the power of the evil one and, therefore, is friendly to the false teachers. Then the opposition between worldand “God” is parallel to that between “darkness” and “light,” cp. 1:5.”[1]

The things in the world, or ‘whatever is in the world,’ ‘whatever the world offers,’ ‘things of men’ (a common expression in the language concerned for ‘pagan way of life’); or, making explicit the negative connotation, ‘doing like bad people do.’[2]

II. DO NOT LOVE

1 John 2:15 (ESV) — 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

1 John 2:15 ESV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

Luke 16:13 (ESV) — 13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

Luke 16:13 ESV

13 No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

1 John 2:16 (ESV) —16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

1 John 2:16 ESV

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

“Lusts” means desires so strong as to result in the transgression of boundaries that God has set around legitimate desires. Flesh and eyes do the lusting. “The lust of the flesh” consists in an excessive desire to enjoy things (avid pleasure-seeking). “The lust of the eyes” consists in an excessive desire to have things (avid acquisitiveness). And “the braggadocio of livelihood” consists in showing off one’s material successes (conspicuous consumption), such boastfulness being common in the first-century Mediterranean culture of honor and shame. [3]

“Taken thus it refers to the world and the persons in it as an evil system, as a way of life that is in the power of the evil one and, therefore, is friendly to the false teachers. Then the opposition between world and “God” is parallel to that between “darkness” and “light”…

1 John 2:17 (ESV) —17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1 John 2:17 ESV

17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

John 3:16 (ESV) — 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 16:13–17 (ESV) — 13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 16:13–17 ESV

13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

John 14:6 (ESV) — 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

[1] Haas, C., Jonge, M. de, & Swellengrebel, J. L. (1994). A handbook on the letters of John (p. 55). United Bible Societies. [2] Haas, C., Jonge, M. de, & Swellengrebel, J. L. (1994). A handbook on the letters of John(p. 55). United Bible Societies. [3]Gundry, R. H. (2010). Commentary on the New Testament: Verse-by-Verse Explanations with a Literal Translation (p. 973). Hendrickson Publishers.