Dictionary of Bible Themes: 5541 society, negative aspects of

5541 society, negative aspects of

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Dictionary of Bible Themes » 5000 Humanity » 5200 Human civilisation » 5540 society » 5541 society, negative aspects of

Often pictured as an immoral city or a world of evil, it is regarded as corrupt and godless, hostile to true faith and therefore destined for judgment.

The city as a symbol of corrupt society

Revelation 18:2-3 Babylon stands for the corrupt Roman state and also for godless society in general. See also Genesis 11:1-9; Genesis 19:1-13; Ezekiel 22:1-5; Matthew 23:37-39 pp Luke 13:34-35; Revelation 14:8

“The world” as a description of society alienated from, and hostile to, both God and his people

Galatians 3:22 The Greek word translated “world” often means not the physical world, but the world of human life. See also John 15:18; Ephesians 6:12; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9

Fallen society becomes pluralistic

Israel was continually threatened by the pluralism of the surrounding societies

Joshua 23:6-8 See also Exodus 23:32-33; Joshua 24:14-23; 1 Kings 11:1-6; Kings 18:16-40 Baal was a name used for a variety of local Canaanite deities; Ezra 9:1-2; Isaiah 2:6-8; Daniel 3:1-12

Pluralism was also a feature of the societies of the NT

Acts 17:16-23 See also 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 John 5:21

Pluralism is to be resisted and faith in one God and Saviour maintained

1 Timothy 2:5 See also Isaiah 43:10-11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12

Fallen society becomes secular

Life in a godless society becomes spiritually futile and morally depraved

Romans 1:21 See also Romans 1:18-32; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Revelation 18:1-3

Israel ignores warnings about becoming a society which has forgotten God

Psalm 81:11-12 See also Jeremiah 3:19-21; Hebrews 3:7-11

Israel became an example of a society which, though outwardly religious, lived without reference to God

Amos 5:21-24 Amos here summarises, and rejects, current religious practices in Israel in the 8th century B.C. See also Amos 2:6-7; Amos 5:4-15 Bethel and Gilgal were popular national shrines, where religion had taken the place of righteousness and relationship; Amos 8:4-10