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What in the World is All This? Elder Phillip N. Conley

Evening Thoughts Febrauary 8, 2019

Language is such a natural part of our lives that we many times
don't think about where things come from or how things are com-
monly used. For example, have you ever thought about sayings and

clichés like "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse" or "That's too much
sugar to make a dime."? They are thrown about so commonly we
don't think about what they say in literal sense. Yet, when taken

literally, many of these things could be considered absurd and ridiculous. And yet -
funny enough - when we read the Scriptures, too many theological fancies have come
about by not granting the same latitude when considering language. It has never
ceased to amaze me that people will try to fable-ize Genesis 1 when the language is
literal in scope (the evening and the morning were the 1st day, etc.) and then try to

literal-ize the book of Revelation when the language is symbolic in scope (1,000
years, etc.).

When at least an equal sense of latitude is given to Scripture as we would our common
expressions, I believe we will step into less theological black holes. For example, the
word "world" is likely as misapplied as any word in Scripture due to the repetitious
usage of the verse John 3:16. It is not only expressions that have multiple senses but
singular words do as well. If I used the word "trunk" or "country," you would need

context to know if I was talking about a suitcase, elephant's snout, base of a tree, or
back of a car with the former and nationality, geographical area, or rural surroundings
with the latter. Context matters, and language is a wonderful thing with flavors, nu-

ances, and layers of usage. So, now you ask me - kind reader - "What in the world is
all this you are talking about?" How nice of you to inquire! And in pun as well! Con-
sider the word "world" as we would consider the words "trunk" or "country." At times
the word might mean the globe on which we dwell. At others, it might refer to people
in the earth, and yet at others, it might describe influences and manners that are ob-

served and found. Scripture highlights these usages quite clearly with the proper con-
text, and therefore, a verse like John 3:16 can be reasoned through with context, Scrip-
ture comparison, and a little common sense thrown in.

John 3:16 cannot use the word world to mean the globe itself based on the language
of II Peter 3. Peter describes in some detail how the Lord will set fire to the globe itself
and burn it up with the contents in it. This will happen in a moment, and all things still
within this globe will dissolve forever. Does this sound like the action of a benevolent

God toward that which He loves? Common sense answers that handily.
concludes