John 1:3,10- Panta (πάντα) and Kosmos (κόσμος)

{John 1:3} All were made through him. Without him not one was made that has been made.

{John 1:10} He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him.

This is partly in response to a post entitled "κόσμος (kosmos) in Johannine writings".

We will have to disagree with the idea that "panta" combined with "oude" in John 1:3 means any other than what the context and the rest of the scriptures indicate it to mean, that is, "all" as pertaining to the world of mankind. (John 1:10) We believe in past studies we have given ample evidence of this. Therefore, we are confident that in John 1:3, John intended his use of "panta" in that verse to be "universal" only to that which is being spoken of, that is, the world of mankind, the "beginning" of which is that spoken of in John 1:1. Throughout the New Testament, one will be strained to find where forms of the word "pas" (Strong's #3956) are used to mean the entire universe (which would include the Creator), or even the entire created universe (which would be universal only in a limited scope, since the Creator would be excluded). We do note that it is used a very few times with the exclusion of the Creator, as well as with the exclusion of the firstborn creature. Nevertheless, it is always constrained in its application by the context as well as common evidence.  Paul provides an example of this as recorded in 1 Corinthians 15:27. As yet, we have not found any place in the Bible where it means absolutely "all" in the total universe, which would include the Creator.

One should note that the usage of oude with panta in Hebrews 2:8 refers only to all that is spoken of in Psalm 8:6-9. It is not saying that God subjected absolutely everything in the universe to man.

See our resource page, God's Creation Through Jesus, for links to studies regarding God's creation through, by means of, of His firstborn son,

In examining John's use of the word often transliterated as "kosmos" in his writings, we find that he does indeed ALWAYS use it with the same reference and meaning; he never uses it to mean the entire "universe", or even the entire created universe. 

It is claimed that "When John says that Word came into the World it has one meaning but when the World rejects the Word it has a slightly different meaning, and when the Word makes the World it has yet another meaning." While it may be that John uses the word with a "slightly" different meaning, the word still is speaking of the same "world" throughout.

John 1:10
en tw kosmw een kai ho kosmos di autou
IN THE WORLD HE WAS, AND THE WORLD THROUGH HIM
1722 3588 2889 1511_3 2532 3588 2889 1223 0846_3
egeneto kai ho kosmos auton ouk egnw
CAME TO BE, AND THE WORLD HIM NOT KNEW.
1096 2532 3588 2889 0846_7 3756 1097 -- Westcott & Hort Interlinear
 
In John 1:10, one has to stretch the imagination to think that Jesus used the word "kosmos" as meaning two different "worlds". It is very clear that the world (kosmos) that God made through Jesus is the same world into which Jesus came, and it is the same world that did not recognize him. One should recognize, however, that the world that God made through His Logos became corrupted through sin (Romans 5:12-19; 2 Peter 1:4), and thus God has subjected the whole [Strong's #3856] creation  (Romans 8:22 -- referring to the world of mankind) to a bondage of vanity and corruption (Ecclesiastes 1:2,13-18; 7:13; Romans 8:20-22)  and thus this world that God made through Jesus did not recognize who Jesus was.  John is speaking of the same "world" in all three instances of John 1:10. The only difference in the usage is that the world of mankind, when God made it through Logos, was not corrupted (Ecclesiastes 7:29), but now it is corrupted through sin (Romans 5:12; 8:22; 2 Peter 1;4), and the corrupted world -- the old order corrupted through sin  (Romans 8:20-22) -- needs to pass away in order to be made new. -- 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 2:17; Revelation 20:1-5.

Most scholars give several meanings to the Greek word "Kosmos", but most often in the New Testament, this word is referring to the world of mankind here on the earth.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/kosmos.html
https://biblehub.com/greek/2889.htm

See:
Does Jehovah Speak to Jehovah? - Regarding Hebrews 1:10-12.

As Bible students, we should be more interested in the usage as found in the Bible itself. Lexicons and Greek dictionaries often give many meanings found in other Greek writings other than the Bible, or that have been attributed to words by man's doctrine, which may or may not represent the way the Bible actually uses the words. Often, due to man's doctrine, scholars may misapply various applications from non-Biblical sources to the various usages in the Bible. The basic meaning of "Kosmos" is that of order or arrangement, and most often in the Bible is related to the order of the world of mankind, the world that God created through Jesus, which world has become corrupted through sin. Indeed, we have not found any exception of this usage in John's writings, although one may find a few exceptions elsewhere in the New Testament writings. For instance, there are at least three exceptions to the usage of the word "kosmos" in Peter's writings, and yet none of which however express "kosmos" as meaning the entire universe, or even the entire created universe. (1 Peter 3:3; 2 Peter 2:5; 3:6) We need to realize that the word "universe" itself in English, while it can mean everything that exists, or everything created, most often it is limited in scope to that which is being spoken of. The word "universal", for instance, most often refers to world of mankind on the earth.

Peter, however, would have us understand that God's dealings with man is related to three worlds -- three heavens and three earths -- in which he uses the word "kosmos" as related to the first period before the flood.

World (Kosmos) #1 would be the heaven and earth that were before the flood. -- 2 Peter 3:5,6.

World (Kosmos) #2 would be the heavens and earth are now, and which are to be dissolved .-- 2 Peter 3:7,10,12.

World (Kosmos) #3 would be the new heavens and new earth. -- 2 Peter 3:13. 

I believe that Paul speaks of the third heaven and paradise in 2 Corinthians 12:2,4. See our studies: Jehovah's Plan of the Ages and The Third Heaven and Paradise.

Peter also uses a form of the word  "kosmos" as related to cosmetics. -- 1 Peter 3:3.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/kjv/aion.html
https://biblehub.com/greek/165.htm

In Romans 11:12 the word "kosmos" is used in contrast with Israel. However, in John 1:10; 12:46,47, Jesus includes Israel as of the world "kosmos", the world that was made through him, that did not recognize him and thus rejected him, for Jesus had only come to Israel. (Matthew 15:24) Nevertheless, "world", in Romans 11:12 still represents the world that was made through Jesus, but which was condemned through the sin of Adam, while Israel, as a whole, was considered a new creation (as a nation, not as individuals) of God separate from the world. The Law Covenant, however, serves to prove the sinful and crooked nature of the people of Israel; no one was justified, made straight, by keeping the Law, thus the condemnation of the world through Adam remained upon them.

See:
Seed of David
The Law Gives Everlasting Life?
The Passing Away of the Law
The Fulfilling of the Law

Of course, the world that was made through Jesus, and into which Jesus came, and which world did nor recognize Jesus, is now a world of people estranged from God. The people of the world are, by nature of Adam's sin, children of wrath, sons of disobedience, not new creatures, children of God. (Ephesians 2:1-10) The world made through Jesus, into which Jesus came, and which rejected Jesus, is indeed represented on the surface of the earth as the dwelling place of mankind, in contrast with God and the spiritual creation, as well as with the sun, moon, stars, planets, etc (except that these are represented in their being made to appear in the sky -- the heavens --  of the earth -- Genesis 1:14-18; John 1:10; Acts 17:24; Hebrews 1:10); the Bible says nothing about a "world below," nor of its creation, although some translators have forced that expression into their translation of some scriptures.

One last point, the kosmos that God made through Jesus (John 1:10) came cannot include the angels in heaven who are always able to see the face of God,  since those angels certainly recognized who Jesus was while Jesus was in the days of his flesh. Even the angels that sinned recognized who Jesus was. Thus, this gives further evidence that KOSMOS, as well as PANTA, in John 1:3,10 does not include the invisible spirit realm, but rather refers to the world of mankind only.

See: Links to Studies Related to John 1:3

Ronald R. Day, Sr.

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