The Golden Rule of Interpretation
“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.”–Dr. David L. Cooper (1886-1965),founder of The Biblical Research Society
Thayers
Cosmos: the inhabitants of the
5. world: θέατρον ἐγενήθημεν τῷ κόσμῳ καί ἀγγέλοις καί ἀνθρώποις,
1 Corinthians 4:9 (Winers Grammar, 127 (121)); particularly
the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human race (first so in Sap. (e. g. )):
Matthew 13:38;
Matthew 18:7;
Mark 14:9;
John 1:10, 29 ( L in brackets); ;
Romans 3:6, 19;
1 Corinthians 1:27f (cf. Winer's Grammar, 189 (178)); ;
2 Corinthians 5:19;
James 2:5 (cf. Winer's Grammar, as above
); 1 John 2:2 (cf. Winer's Grammar, 577 (536)); ἀρχαῖος κόσμος, of the antediluvians,
2 Peter 2:5; γέννασθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον,
John 16:21; ἔρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον (
John 9:39) and εἰς τόν κόσμον τοῦτον, to make its appearance or come into existence among men, spoken of the light which in Christ shone upon men,
John 1:9;
John 3:19, cf. 12:46; of the Messiah,
John 6:14;
John 11:27; of Jesus as the Messiah,
John 9:39;
John 16:28;
John 18:37;
1 Timothy 1:15; also ἐισέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον,
Hebrews 10:5; of false teachers,
2 John 1:7 (yet here L T Tr WH ἐξέρχεσθαι εἰς τόν κόσμον; (so all texts
in 1 John 4:1));
to invade, of evils coming into existence among men and beginning to exert their power: of sin and death,
Romans 5:12 (of death, Wis. 2:24; Clement of Rome, 1 Cor. 3, 4 [ET]; of idolatry, Wis. 14:14). ἀποστέλλειν τινα εἰς τόν κόσμον,
John 3:17;
John 10:36;
John 17:18; 1 John 4:9; φῶς τοῦ κόσμου,
Matthew 5:14;
John 8:12;
John 9:5; σωτήρ τοῦ κόσμου,
John 4:42;
1 John 4:14 (σωτηρία τοῦ κόσμου Wis. 6:26 (25); ἐλπίς τοῦ κόσμου, Wis. 14:6; πρωτόπλαστος πατήρ τοῦ κόσμου, of Adam, Wis. 10:1); στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου (see στοιχεῖον, 3 and 4); ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, among men,
John 16:33;
John 17:13;
Ephesians 2:12; ἐν κόσμῳ (see Winer's Grammar, 123 (117)),
1 Timothy 3:16; εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου, to dwell among men,
John 1:10;
John 9:5;
John 17:11, 12 R G;
1 John 4:3; εἶναι ἐν κόσμῳ, to be present,
Romans 5:13; ἐξελθεῖν, ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to withdraw from human society and seek an abode outside of it,
1 Corinthians 5:10; ἀναστρέφεσθαι ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, to behave oneself,
2 Corinthians 1:12; likewise εἶναι ἐν τῷ κόσμου τούτῳ,
1 John 4:17.
6. "
the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ" (cf. Winer's Grammar, 26):
John 7:7;
John 14:27 (); ;
1 Corinthians 1:21;
1 Corinthians 6:2;
1 Corinthians 11:32;
2 Corinthians 7:10;
James 1:27;
1 Peter 5:9;
2 Peter 1:4;
2 Peter 2:20;
1 John 3:1, 13; 1 John 4:5; 1 John 5:19; of the aggregate of ungodly and wicked men in O. T. times,
Hebrews 11:38; in Noah's time, ibid. 7; with οὗτος added,
Ephesians 2:2 (on which see αἰών, 3); εἶναι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου and ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου (see εἰμί, V. 3rd.),
John 8:23;
John 15:19;
John 17:14, 16;
1 John 4:5; λαλεῖν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, to speak in accordance with the world's character and mode of thinking
, 1 John 4:5; ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, i. e. the devil,
John 12:31;
John 14:30;
John 16:11; ὁ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ he that is operative in the world (also of the devil
), 1 John 4:4; τό πνεῦμα τοῦ κόσμου
b
. of all mankind, but especially of believers, as the object of God’s love
J 3:16, 17c; 6:33, 51; 12:47.
William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature : A Translation and Adaption of the Fourth Revised and Augmented Edition of Walter Bauer’s Griechisch-Deutsches Worterbuch Zu Den Schrift En Des Neuen Testaments Und Der Ubrigen Urchristlichen Literatur (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 446.