The dilemma has cosmic significance

I have been surfing on https://biblia.com/books/message/Eph1.3 and I happened to see this apparent translation into English project. Notice in the block of text below how he translates (κόσμου 2889) kosmos to be the more localized earth. 

The God of Glory

Eph.1:3(MESSAGE) 

                    3–6  How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.[1] 

Now look at the Wuest NT at the same place (he translates (κόσμου 2889) kosmos to be the more pervasive universe, 

• “even as He selected us out for himself in Him before the foundations of the universe were laid”[2]

My preferred word for this is universe, not earth. I think the writer used (κόσμου 2889) kosmos* here for a reason.

*kosmos (κόσμος, *2889), “a harmonious arrangement or order,” then, “adornment, decoration,” came to denote “the world, or the universe, as that which is divinely arranged.” The meaning “adorning” is found in 1 Pet. 3:3. Elsewhere it signifies “the world.” Cf. kosmios, decent, modest, 1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Tim 3:2. See WORLD.[3]




Moving on to Eph 2:2 where we see

(κόσμου 2889) kosmos again...

In the Greek Interlinear NT with the NRSV Eph.2:1-2(NRSV), is:

From Death to Life

2

•

You

were

dead

through

the

trespasses

•

and

sins

Kai

hymas

ontas

nekrous

tois

paraptōmasin

hymōn

kai

tais hamartiais

kai

sy

eimi

nekros

o

piptō

sy

kai

o amartanō

2532

5209

5607

3498

3588

3900

5216

2532

3588 266

2

in

which

you

once

lived

,

following

the

course

of

this

world

en

hais

pote

periepatēsate

kata

ton

aiōna

toutou

tou kosmou

en

os

pou

pateō

kata

o

aiōn

outos

o kosmos

1722

3739

4218

4043

2596

3588

165*

5127

3588 2889*

 

following

the

ruler

of

the

power

of

the

air

,

the

spirit

that

is

now

kata

ton

archonta

tēs

exousias

tou

aeros

tou

pneumatos

nyn

kata

o

archō

o

ousia

o

aēr

o

pneuma

nyn

2596

3588

758

3588

at

work

among

those

who

are

disobedient

.[4]

tou energountos

en

tois huiois

tēs apeitheias

o ergon

en

o uios

o peithō

3588 1754

1722

3588 5207

3588 543

* aion (αἰών, *165), “an age, era” (to be connected with aei, “ever,” rather than with ao, “to breathe”), signifies a period of indefinite duration, or time viewed in relation to what takes place in the period.
The force attaching to the word is not so much that of the actual length of a period, but that of a period marked by spiritual or moral characteristics. This is illustrated in the use of the adjective [see Note (1) below] in the phrase “life eternal,” in John 17:3, in respect of the increasing knowledge of God.
The phrases containing this word should not be rendered literally, but consistently with its sense of indefinite duration. Thus eis ton aiona does not mean “unto the age” but “for ever” (see, e.g., Heb. 5:6). The Greeks contrasted that which came to an end with that which was expressed by this phrase, which shows that they conceived of it as expressing interminable duration.
The word occurs most frequently in the Gospel of John, the Hebrews and Revelation. It is sometimes wrongly rendered “world.” See COURSE, ETERNAL, WORLD. It is a characteristic word of John’s gospel.[5]
*kosmos (κόσμος, *2889), “a harmonious arrangement or order,” then, “adornment, decoration,” came to denote “the world, or the universe, as that which is divinely arranged.” The meaning “adorning” is found in 1 Pet. 3:3. Elsewhere it signifies “the world.” Cf. kosmios, decent, modest, 1 Tim. 2:9; 1 Tim 3:2. See WORLD.[6]

You are welcome to have your own opinion about the above project, but at least consider my observations.  Thank you for taking your time to consider this.

[1]Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

[2] Wuest, K. S. (1961). The New Testament: an expanded translation (Eph 1:3–14). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

[3]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament
    Words (Vol. 2, p. 685). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

[4]The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). Eph 2:1–2(NRSV). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers. 


[5]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 14). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson. 
  
[6]Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 685). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.

Brought to you by: Rick Livermore online reader https://ricklivermoreonlinereader.blogspot.com I am a fan of Awaken Church 4132 E Pecos Rd, Gilbert, Arizona 85295 https://twitter.com/AwakenAZ https://www.facebook.com/AwakenChurchAZ/