Such indications of the penetration of Hellenic influences into Jewish thought explain, from a historical point of view, the use of xiir/xos, both as term and as concept, in the apostolic writings, (a) Primarily the Cosmos is the rerum natura, the sum of terrestrial things, without moral reference. Occasionally the conception is simply this (1 Co 8', there is no such thing as an idol, iv Kdjfufi ; 14'", tliere are various kinds of sounds in it) ; but normally the thought of God as Creator of the Cosmos is expressed or implied le.q. Ac 17'*, Ro P", Eph l^ He 4^).
The simple pictorial phrase, 'the heaven and the earth,' by which the OT expresses the idea of the visible creation as contrasted with the Creator, is still retained in the liturgical and rhetorical stvle (Ac 4-4 1415 1724)^ and for the sake of special emphasis (Eph li», Ph 2io, Col 116.20^ Rev 20'! 211). jo the same effect Paul uses ii ktiVis (Ro 819- 20. 21. 22_ Col lis ; cf. 2 P 34, Rev 314), but more frequently to irdvra (Eo 85 1138, 1 Co 8» 1528, etc. ; cf. He 13 28- 10 34, Rev 411).
And when the Cosmos is defined as the ' terres- trial order ' it is to be remembered that in the apostolic cosmology this includes the heavens with their inhabitants as well as tlie earth and mankind. The world created in the wpi^T&roKos includes 'all things in the heavens and upon the earth, visible and invisible' (Col P"). 'Heaven,' in the popular sense of the word, the sphere of God's immediate self -manifestation, the place of His Throne and Majesty on high (Col 3', He P), the sphere from which Christ comes (1 Co 15-") and to which Here- turns (Col 3'), the kingdom of eternal light in which believers already have an inheritance (2 Co 5', Ph 3™, Col 112), is .above all heavens' (Eph 4"). It does not belong to ' this world ' or to ' this age '. All else does. The heavens and the spiritual beings that dwell therein belong naturally and morally to the same cosmic system as the earth and its inh.-ibitants (1 Co 2«- » 4' 6*- ' 11"', Eph 2^ 6", Col I"'- 20 OS- 20).
(6) Yet the immediate interest in the Cosmos lies in its relation to man as the physical environ- ment of his life, and thus it naturally acquires the more limited significance of the terrestrial order
in association with mankind — the world of human e.\istence, into whicli sin conies (Ro 5'- "), into which Clirist comes (I Ti !'», He 10», 1 Jn 4"), where He is believed on (1 Ti 3'"). (For Jewi.sh parallels see Dalman, p. 173.) Hence also it easily comes to mean (as already in Enoch [see above]) mankind in general (1 Co 4", He ll**); and, by furtlier natunil transitions, ^vorldly possessi(m3 (1 Jn 3"), and the w hole complex of man's secular activities and relationships ( 1 Co 7'-'"*').
More characteristically tlie word is used with moral implications more or less strong. In the majority of its occurrences the idea is coloured by the dark significance of the aluii/ outos. It is the present material oriler together with its inhabitants, both demonic and human, as lying under the power of evil, destitute of God's Spirit and insen- sible to Divine influence — not merely profane and unchristian humanity, but the whole organism of e.xistence which is alienated from God by sin. It has a spirit of its own (1 Co 2'-) which is anta- gonistic to the Spirit of God ; a wisdom of its own ( j2o. 21) \vhich is foolishness with God (3'") ; a sorrow of its own (2 Co 7'°) which is opposite in character and eftect to godly sorrow ; its moral life is governed by the 'prince of the power of the air' (Eph 2'^; cf. 2 Co 4*) ; physically it lies directly under the dominion of elemental powers (ffroixeia) hostile to man (Col 2'- '", Gal 4^) ; the Christian is redeemed from it and inwardly no longer belongs to it (Gal 6''', Col 2-°) ; its kingdoms finally become the Kingdom of God and of His Christ (Rev IP'; cf.
1 Co 152«, Eph 1>», Col 1=») in the new Cosmos which arises in its jilace (Rev 2P).
But here, again, since the primary interest is in man and his salvation, the Cosmos naturally comes to mean the human race as under sin, and as the object of Christ's redeeming and reconciling work (Ro 3"'-i», 2 Co 5'», 1 Jn 2' 4»). In the later apostolic writings, especially the Johannine, it takes on a still darker hue. It is not only the world of fallen sinful humanity ; it is that portion of society, Jewish or Gentile, with its opinions, senti- ments, and influences, which is definitely antagon- istic to the Church and the Christian cause. It hates the people of Christ as Cain hated Abel (1 Jn 3''- ") ; its character and conduct are domin- ated by the ' lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the vainglory of life ' ( 1 Jn 2''), and are morally polluted ( Ja 1", 2 P 2'") ; it ofl"ers a fruitful field to anti-Christian teaching (1 Jn 4'-', 2 Jn ') ; its friendship is incompatible with loyalty to God (Ja 4^ 1 Jn 2'').