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Rosie11
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Why is the devil the lord of the world?
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Why is the devil the lord of the world when god was the one who created it
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BenYosef
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Being Jewish, we don’t subscribe to the notion of a personal “Satan the Devil.”
However, the Christian view is that Satan is quite real and personal indeed. Thus it can be confusing when one reads that the Devil is “the god of this world” at 2 Corinthians 4.4 and yet at the same time that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” for it. (John 3.16) At first blush, it reads like a contradiction regarding “the world,” right?
In reality, the “world” of 2 Corinthians is actually speaking of humanity that rebels and actively stands separate from God. This is different from the “world” of humanity that encompasses everything that is good and beautiful and that can be redeemed in it as spoken of at John 3.16. It is all context.
In Reconstructing Judaism we tend to speak of those occasions or situations in which humanity does not act as justly or as good as it can as cases where we close ourselves off from God and therefore God is absent. In the mainstream Jewish tradition this is also understood as to how evil can make itself present in the world. It is not far off from Catholicism’s understanding of how leaving God out of the picture can open a situation up to evil, the demons, and Satan to infect it.
The theological building blocks may be different, but the conclusion is the same. The world where one lets God in is the one where God blesses and dwells. The world that does not allow a place for God lies in darkness and leaves place for the adversary to fester.
However, the Christian view is that Satan is quite real and personal indeed. Thus it can be confusing when one reads that the Devil is “the god of this world” at 2 Corinthians 4.4 and yet at the same time that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son” for it. (John 3.16) At first blush, it reads like a contradiction regarding “the world,” right?
In reality, the “world” of 2 Corinthians is actually speaking of humanity that rebels and actively stands separate from God. This is different from the “world” of humanity that encompasses everything that is good and beautiful and that can be redeemed in it as spoken of at John 3.16. It is all context.
In Reconstructing Judaism we tend to speak of those occasions or situations in which humanity does not act as justly or as good as it can as cases where we close ourselves off from God and therefore God is absent. In the mainstream Jewish tradition this is also understood as to how evil can make itself present in the world. It is not far off from Catholicism’s understanding of how leaving God out of the picture can open a situation up to evil, the demons, and Satan to infect it.
The theological building blocks may be different, but the conclusion is the same. The world where one lets God in is the one where God blesses and dwells. The world that does not allow a place for God lies in darkness and leaves place for the adversary to fester.
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LateranBasilica
Guest
God is the Lord of the world.
I will also add that in the Biblical Hebrew of the Old testament the word used is adversary.
I will also add that in the Biblical Hebrew of the Old testament the word used is adversary.
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Bon_Croix
Guest
As Christians we believe that Satan has a Kingdom and Jesus has a Kingdom.
In the end, Satan’s kingdom will be crushed. Satan’s kingdom has already been dealt severe blows.
In the end, Satan’s kingdom will be crushed. Satan’s kingdom has already been dealt severe blows.
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Bon_Croix
Guest
The Jewish Pharisees believed in angels.
The Jewish Pharisees also testified that Jesus’s works were the works of Satan. So, if you believe in the Gospel, you believe that Judaism or some of its parts believed in Satan.
The Jewish Pharisees also testified that Jesus’s works were the works of Satan. So, if you believe in the Gospel, you believe that Judaism or some of its parts believed in Satan.
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LateranBasilica
Guest
Jesus defeated the devil, on the Cross. It has already been crushed.In the end, Satan’s kingdom will be crushed. Satan’s kingdom has already been dealt severe blows.
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Bon_Croix
Guest
Yes, Jesus has power over Satan, but Satan’s kingdom is still alive. The battle is not over. The devil still deceives the world.
It is up to us to rely on God, through the sacraments and the Word, to continue to crush Satan. Only by turning to Jesus can we continue to crush Satan b/c w/o Jesus, we are powerless over Satan.
It is up to us to rely on God, through the sacraments and the Word, to continue to crush Satan. Only by turning to Jesus can we continue to crush Satan b/c w/o Jesus, we are powerless over Satan.
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LateranBasilica
Guest
That is our free will, the free will God gave us, to follow the devil or follow God.Yes, Jesus has power over Satan, but Satan’s kingdom is still alive. The battle is not over. The devil still deceives the world.
It is up to us to rely on God, through the sacraments and the Word, to continue to crush Satan.
This week we celebrate the defeat of satan , by God, on the Cross, for us.
How much better can it get than that!
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Bon_Croix
Guest
If you follow Satan, you are another one of his subjects and his Kingdom increases.
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SeekSalvation
Guest
Be interesting to hear your take on John 13:27
After he took the morsel, Satan entered him. So Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.
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Bon_Croix
Guest
God allowed Satan to have a Kingdom. Satan didn’t do God’s will, yet God allows it.
Christ, by dying and rising did God’s will. Thereby, God reconciled the world to himself. God captured back or retook the world from Satan through the acts of Jesus. And it was just.
Christ, by dying and rising did God’s will. Thereby, God reconciled the world to himself. God captured back or retook the world from Satan through the acts of Jesus. And it was just.
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Dan_Defender
Guest
Jesus called Satan the Prince of this World: Satan uses material things to distract us from God. He tempts us to adore the material, the sensual and the powerful rather than to adore God. He lures us into a sense of false security of thinking we can build our own little kingdom here and now without any need of God.
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LateranBasilica
Guest
There is always repentance, forgiveness and Mercy shown by God. We can turn our lives around at any minute we want, and start following God.If you follow Satan, you are another one of his subjects and his Kingdom increases.
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De_Maria
Guest
When Adam and Eve obeyed the Devil over God’s word, they essentially gave themselves to him. Thus, all their children became slaves of sin and death. Until Jesus came to bring us back.Why is the devil the lord of the world?
The devil remains the Lord of those who have not turned to Christ.
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c1949
Guest
I think the explanation revolves around the idea of ‘world.’ The devil/Satan roams the earth seeking the ruin of souls. We have the sense of it, that the devil does not reside in heaven with God but we might experience the temptation to sin by the influence of an external being.
The book of Job puts the devil on the stage of Job’s life and we can see how God permits Satan to have some influence over people.
It is not enough that we run headlong into sin all of our own will, but a devil may be tempting us.
On EWTN radio, they have been running one-minute meditations from Peter Herbeck (Renewal Ministries) how the devil tries to find our weak points and exploit them to lead us INTO temptation and sin.
I looked through the audio archives of Renewal ministries and here is a 15 min audio that might shed some light on the subject
The book of Job puts the devil on the stage of Job’s life and we can see how God permits Satan to have some influence over people.
It is not enough that we run headlong into sin all of our own will, but a devil may be tempting us.
On EWTN radio, they have been running one-minute meditations from Peter Herbeck (Renewal Ministries) how the devil tries to find our weak points and exploit them to lead us INTO temptation and sin.
I looked through the audio archives of Renewal ministries and here is a 15 min audio that might shed some light on the subject
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sevenswords
Guest
The Devil is Lord over those who serve him, the majority serve him. Jesus said we can not serve two masters, hence he is the lord over those outside of grace.
So he is Lord because we made him so, remember when the Israelite’s wanted a king instead of God? they got a king who became their lord.
So he is Lord because we made him so, remember when the Israelite’s wanted a king instead of God? they got a king who became their lord.
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BenYosef
Guest
Because I am Jewish, I don’t have any definitive personal stands on New Testament Scripture.
Also, as a long-standing member of the Catholic-Jewish dialogue, I tend to lean toward the Catholic understanding as the nominal Christian view even though it does represent my own. Because of our historical connection and because of the fact that the Church does not engage in the proselytizing of Jews, I do stand with the Church on the basic view of New Testament exegesis even though I do not personally subscribe to it.
Also, as a long-standing member of the Catholic-Jewish dialogue, I tend to lean toward the Catholic understanding as the nominal Christian view even though it does represent my own. Because of our historical connection and because of the fact that the Church does not engage in the proselytizing of Jews, I do stand with the Church on the basic view of New Testament exegesis even though I do not personally subscribe to it.
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De_Maria
Guest
How do you read Job?Being Jewish, we don’t subscribe to the notion of a personal “Satan the Devil.”…
Job 1:8 The Lord said to the satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him, blameless and upright, fearing God and avoiding evil.”
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BenYosef
Guest
How do Jews understand Job 1.8? Simple.
In Hebrew, ha satan simply means “the adversary,” meaning someone who contends in argument or challenges another. In this specific case in Job, it is merely an angel who is bringing up questions of logic in an argument about Job’s righteous standing before God.
If this were some type of evil archenemy as the Christian entity Satan the Devil is supposed to be, how does such evil get entry into the holiness of heaven? Why would the righteousness of God allow for such a thing? Could such competition exist between the Almighty and the nothingness of a mere creation which had gone rogue?
While Jesus’ teaching about being on guard of the evil of “the Devil” is not to be disregarded, Jews do not view the Devil in an anthropomorphic, personal manner. We view such as the personification of the evil which all humanity is capable of doing and which exists when we do not make room for God.
In the end, whether one personifies Satan or not, we do well to be on guard of the reality of such evil and work together to bring about the redemptive work that Jesus spoke about at Matthew 25.34-40 in which we can all be the hands of God serving each other as brethren. Only in this way can we fight the evils of the world that are all too real and will consume us if we do not fight them together.
In Hebrew, ha satan simply means “the adversary,” meaning someone who contends in argument or challenges another. In this specific case in Job, it is merely an angel who is bringing up questions of logic in an argument about Job’s righteous standing before God.
If this were some type of evil archenemy as the Christian entity Satan the Devil is supposed to be, how does such evil get entry into the holiness of heaven? Why would the righteousness of God allow for such a thing? Could such competition exist between the Almighty and the nothingness of a mere creation which had gone rogue?
While Jesus’ teaching about being on guard of the evil of “the Devil” is not to be disregarded, Jews do not view the Devil in an anthropomorphic, personal manner. We view such as the personification of the evil which all humanity is capable of doing and which exists when we do not make room for God.
In the end, whether one personifies Satan or not, we do well to be on guard of the reality of such evil and work together to bring about the redemptive work that Jesus spoke about at Matthew 25.34-40 in which we can all be the hands of God serving each other as brethren. Only in this way can we fight the evils of the world that are all too real and will consume us if we do not fight them together.
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SeekSalvation
Guest
BenYosef, do you believe you go somewhere upon death? If so, where?
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