God So Loved the World, Love Not the World

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15

Oh my, a seeming contradiction. God is said to love the world, then we are told not to love it. Did God change His mind?

Poor non-studiers of the Bible! The translation from Greek to English can be hazardous. Better, say some, to stick with the first quotation and just not even think about the other one.

A sincere student--a really adventurous one--will find that in each place, the definition of "world" is a translation of a different Greek word with a different meaning. Amazing how just a little study can clear things up.

Let's just suppose a person wanted to understand how to reconcile the two verses. Furthermore, let's just suppose that this person looked up both verses in a study Bible (let's just say a Scofield reference Bible), and found the original Greek words. They would get the true meanings and the so-called contradiction would disappear. Dr. William Graham has said, "Contradictions disappear when we study."

WARNING: The preceding undertaking could take minutes to perform.

If we imagine an even more dedicated seeker of accuracy, we might find an adventurous soul who would look up the major meanings of "world" in the Bible. There are only seven of them. Contradictions would be slain all over the place.

This reminds me of the words of the stable hand in the old TV show, National Velvet. In explaining a dilemma to the young lady, he uttered the simple formula, "The only way to be sure is to find out."

Study or stew? I'd rather study.