Bible Verses About the World
—A simple list

The World and its Ways

God Loved All the People of the World

• "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:16-17).
• "And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him" (1John 4:16-17 BSB).

Don't Love the Things of the World

• "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world —the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life— is not from the Father but from the world..." (1John 2:15-16 BSB).
• "For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me..." (Paul in 2Timothy 4:10).
• "For what good does it do a person if he gains the whole world, but loses or forfeits himself?" (Jesus in Luke 9:25 NAS).
• "You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (James 4:4).
• "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but instead I chose you out of the world —because of this the world hates you" (John 15:19, NKJV cf John 17:16 ).
• "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).
• "Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Paul in Galatians 6:14 cf Colossians 2:20).
• "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world" (John 17:14).
• ¶"Those who use the things of the world should not become attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away" (1Corinthians 7:31 NLT).

The World is Corrupt

• "God has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" (2 Peter 1:4).
• "We know that we are of God, and that the whole world is under the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true —in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life" (1John 5:19-20 BSB).
• "I have spoken these things to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world." (Jesus in John 16:33).
• "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight so that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world” (Jesus in John 18:36).

The World’s Wisdom is Foolish

• "Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this world, you should become fools so that you may become wise" (1Corinthians 3:18).
• "God chose the lowly things of this world, and the despised things, and the things that are not, to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him" (1Corinthians 1:27-29).
• "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jesus in John 8:12).
• "Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Hasn't God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased, through the foolishness of what was preached, to save those who believe" (1Corinthians 1:20-21).
• "But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every evil practice" (James 3:14-16 BSB).
• "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8).
• "Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception" (1John 4:5-6).
• "[The Word] was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him" (John 1:10 cf v1).
• "For whoever has been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith." (1John 5:4 NASB).

The World Belongs to God

• "The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein." (Psalm 24:1).

God will Judge the World

• "He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness" (Psalm 9:8).
• "Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously" (Psalm 96:10).
• "He is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness" (Psalm 96:13).
• "I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity. I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible" (Isaiah 13:11)
• "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31 KJV).
• "...Long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. Through that water the world of that time perished in the flood. And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men" (2Peter 3:5-7).

The Gospel in All the World

• "As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world" (Jesus in John 17:18).
• "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation..." (Jesus in Mark 16:15).
• "...continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope of the gospel you heard, which has been proclaimed to all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant" (Colossians 1:23).
• "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father —Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments" (1John 1:1-2 BSB).