Biblical Concept: Worldly

(Parentheses are mine.)

Prologue:

2 Corinthians 4:4 ⁴ in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. (The power behind worldliness.)

Galatians 4:3 ³ So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world. (Worldly = bondage.)

Ephesians 2:2 ² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (The power behind worldliness.)

Ephesians 6:12 ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (The power behind worldliness.)

Hebrews 2:5 ⁵ For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. (The power behind worldliness.)

Matthew 4:8-9 ⁸ Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; ⁹ and he said to Him, "All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me." (The power behind and the size of worldliness.)

______

Worldly:

1 Timothy 4:7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

1 Timothy 6:20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called "knowledge "—

2 Timothy 2:16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness,

Titus 2:12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,

Jude 1:19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.

1 John 2:15-17 ¹⁵ Do not love the world, nor 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 lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

Romans 12:2 ² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 1:20 ²⁰ Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

1 Corinthians 2:12 ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God,

1 Corinthians 3:19 ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. For it is written, "He is the one who catches the wise in their craftiness";

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ³² But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; ³³ but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, ³⁴ and his interests are divided. And the woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own benefit; not to put a restraint upon you, but to promote what is seemly, and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

Colossians 2:8 ⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. (Religion = worldliness.)

Colossians 2:20-23 ²⁰ If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, ²¹ "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" ²² (which all refer to things destined to perish with the using)-- in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? ²³ These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (Religion = worldliness.)

1 Timothy 6:17 ¹⁷ Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

2 Timothy 4:10 ¹⁰ for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. (World lovers were less help to Paul.)

James 1:27 ²⁷ This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 4:4 ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (See 4:1-5.)

Psalm 17:14 ¹⁴ From men with Thy hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life; And whose belly Thou dost fill with Thy treasure; They are satisfied with children, And leave their abundance to their babes. (See the Psalm.)

Matthew 13:22 ²² "And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Luke 12:30-31 ³⁰ "For all these things the nations of the world eagerly seek; but your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹ "But seek for His kingdom, and these things shall be added to you.

John 12:25 ²⁵ "He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal.

John 14:27 ²⁷ "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. (The world gives a form of peace—politically correct, green, socialist, globalist.)

2 Peter 2:20 ²⁰ For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. (See the chapter.)

John 15:18 ¹⁸ "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. (Hating Jesus Christ is a world sport. See Psalm 2.)

John 15:19 ¹⁹ "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (Hating Christians is a world sport.)

_______

Addendum:

2 Corinthians 5:19 ¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. (Christ has overcome worldliness.)

1 Corinthians 6:2 ² Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts?

Galatians 6:14 ¹⁴ But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Philippians 2:15 ¹⁵ that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Contrast: Get oriented to God and enjoy life - Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 and 3:22 and 5:18-20 and 9:7-10.

1 Timothy 6:7 ⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

Hebrews 11:38 ³⁸ (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. (See the context.)

James 2:5 ⁵ Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

1 John 3:13 ¹³ Do not marvel, brethren, if the world hates you.

Isaiah 13:11 ¹¹ Thus I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud, And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.

Matthew 5:14 ¹⁴ "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (Evangelize the world. Worldly the world will not have effect.)

Matthew 16:26 ²⁶ "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Matthew 18:7 ⁷ "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!

Matthew 25:34 ³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (The kingdom purpose of the world.)

John 1:10 ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. (Irony)

John 3:19 ¹⁹ "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.

John 8:22-23 ²² Therefore the Jews were saying, "Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, 'Where I am going, you cannot come '?" ²³ And He was saying to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world.

John 12:31 ³¹ "Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.

John 12:46 ⁴⁶ "I have come as light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

John 17:14-18 ¹⁴ "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. ¹⁸ "As Thou didst send Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

John 18:36 ³⁶ Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm."

2 Corinthians 7:10 ¹⁰ For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

1 Peter 5:9 ⁹ But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

2 Peter 1:4 ⁴ For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. (See 1:1-9.)

John 16:33 ³³ "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

A-Z