What does the Bible mean when it says 'the world' in 'love not the world'?
It means this whole world system—economics, politics, entertainment, pleasures, the good things as well as the bad. The admonition is not against enjoying good things, a nice home, or life's amenities. The warning concerns love: just as the love of money, not money itself, is the root of evil.
Les explains that the word "world" connects with "cosmopolitan," which Webster's defines as a citizen of the world. In this text, "the world" means this whole world system—economics, politics, entertainment, pleasures, the good things as well as the bad. The admonition "Love not this system" does not mean you cannot enjoy good things, have a nice home, or have some of the amenities of life. The issue is love: just as money itself is not the root of all evil but the love of money is, and that love causes people to become corrupt to get it, so the danger is loving the world system.