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The Letters of John
BC Weekly Digest Monday, March 30 1998 In this issue: 1 John 2:1 1 John 2:1 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:1 2:1 "My little children" John's age, maturity and love for God's redeemed is vividly expressed in this phrase. It is somewhat similar to that of Christ's in Matthew 18:10, "little ones," in that it expresses grave concern for God's children in the faith. It also indicates the disparity between the faith of John and that of those for whom this letter was intended, in that it was written to bolster their faith in the Lord. 2:1 "That you may not sin" Sin is ever present. Our struggles in this life are all there because of sin. It is the work of Satan and it is his way of challenging our faith and discouraging our allegiance to our eternal Father. We sin when we are enticed and "drawn away of our own lusts" (James 1:13-14). 2:1 "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One" Christ is willing and able to plead our case before His Father if only we are willing to confess our mistakes and ask for His help in securing our release from the consequences of sin. He is our only way of escape in times of temptation. Paul tells us that we have such in 1 Cor 10:13. God is faithful to us in that He will always provide a way of escape. It may not be the way we would choose but it is the only way; it is through Jesus (John 14:6). In contrast, the man in John 9:31 affirmed exactly what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:21 when He said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Such can only be a sobering conclusion to those who do lip service to the Master. Howard Justice ------------------------------ 1 John 2:1 1 John 2:1 (OPV) 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. But if someone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. === 2:1 "I am writing these things to you that you may not sin" A sin is an offense against God, a transgression of the law of God. To avoid sin we must know what God requires. Although Paul thought he was serving God by persecuting Christians, he actually was sinning against God because of ignorance (1 Tim 1:12-16). The writings of John help us to know what God requires. They also motivate us to do what is right by showing us how much God loves us and by warning us about the judgment of God. "Be not deceived: Evil companionships corrupt good morals. Awake to soberness righteously, and sin not; for some have no knowledge of God: I speak [this] to move you to shame" (1 Cor 15:33,34 ASV). 2:1 "But if someone sins" Sin is extremely demoralizing. Sin dishonors God, harms others, and leads to death. Forgiveness of sin is what we all need more than anything else. And God forgives us through His Son, Jesus Christ "in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trepasses, according to the riches of his grace" (Eph 1:7 ASV), "in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Col 1:14 OPV). "O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 15:55-57 ASV). 2:1 "We have an Advocate with the Father" An advocate is a mediator, someone who speaks on behalf of someone else. Job felt the need for an advocate to help him plead his case before God. "For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, that we should come together in judgment. There is no umpire betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both" (Job 9:32,33 ASV). And in the face of struggles and suffering, Job believed that God would indeed provide a Redeemer that he might be saved: "But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at last he will stand up upon the earth: And after my skin, [even] this [body], is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; Whom I, even I, shall see, on my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger" (Job 19:25-27 ASV). "For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, [himself] man, Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 2:5 ASV). 2:1 "Jesus Christ the Righteous One" To qualify as our Redeemer, to pay the price for our sins, Jesus had to be sinless Himself, so He would not be under the same condemnation. I cannot die for your sins because I must die for my own sins, unless someone pays the penalty in my place. "Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor 5:21 ASV). "For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin" (Heb 4:15 ASV). Jesus is "the Righteous One" (see also Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14). Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:2 (OPV) 2 And He is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. === 2:2 "The expiation for our sins" What does this mean? The only other place the noun form of this word is found in the New Testament is in 1 John 4:10. "This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son [to be] the expiation for our sins" (OPV). Some translations have 'propitiation'. Expiation is the act of making atonement, or the means by which atonement is made, such as an atoning sacrifice. The verb form of the word is found in two passages. Of Jesus it is said: "Wherefore it behooved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Heb 2:17 ASV). When the penitent tax collector in Luke 18:13 prays, "God, be merciful to me a sinner," it is not the usual word for 'merciful' (as in the passage above) but the passive imperative of 'expiate.' The mercy he is requesting is based on expiation. Notice that in all of the passages, expiation is related to sin. Another form of the word, meaning "that which expiates, a means of expiation," occurs two times. "But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God set forth [to be] a propitiation, through faith, in his blood, to show his righteousness because of the passing over of the sins done aforetime, in the forbearance of God" (Rom 3:21-25 ASV). This same word is found in Hebrews 9:5 where it is translated as 'mercy seat,' meaning the place of expiation. There the high priest sprinkled blood once each year to make atonement for his own sins and for the sins of the people. Expiation is necessary because of sin. "All have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). "The wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23). We all deserve to die because of our sins. Because God is holy and righteous, He cannot condone sin in any way. Justice demands that the penalty for sin be paid. Because God is loving and merciful, He has provided a means of expiation. Through an atoning sacrifice the penalty for sin can be paid, and the sinner can be forgiven without compromising the justice and righteousness of God. The animal sacrifices man has offered to God from the beginning were only symbolic, "For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins" (Heb 10:4 ASV). Only a man can pay the price for the sin of another man. And he must be a man who is not himself under the same condemnation. He must be a man without sin, since a man who is a sinner must die for his own sins. God sent His Son to be the expiation for our sins, to pay the price for our sins, that we might go free. "Him who knew no sin he made [to be] sin on our behalf; that we might become the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor 5:21 ASV), "who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed" (1 Pet 2:24 ASV). It would be unjust if this sinless man were forced to pay the price for the sins of others. But it is not unjust when one person voluntarily gives his own life that someone else might live. Many times one person has lost his own life in the process of saving the life of someone else. We honor such people because they gave the ultimate demonstration of love. The Scriptures make very clear that Jesus chose to bear the penalty for our sins because He loves us. He said: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11 ASV), "Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father" (John 10:17, 18 ASV). 2:2 "And not for ours only, but also for the whole world" "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9 ASV). God is willing to extend His mercy to all who are willing to repent, which means to turn away from evil and to determine to live according to the will of God. This is why Jesus told His disciples, after His resurrection, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned" (Mark 16:15,16 ASV). Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:2 The question has been asked: What is the difference between the meaning of expiation and propitiation, and is one or the other to be preferred as a translation in this verse? === There are two aspects of this question: (1) the English meaning of the two words, (2) the meaning of the original word in Greek. (1) THE MEANING OF THE ENGLISH WORDS Propitiate means "to appease and make favorable." Propitiation is "1: the act of propitiating 2: something that propitiates; specif: an atoning sacrifice." Expiate means "1. obs: 2a: to atone for b: to pay the penalty for c: to make amends for" Expiation means "1: the act of making atonement 2: the means by which atonement is made." (Merriam-Webster, New Collegiate Dictionary, 1963). I found this more complete definition of expiation in "Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary," Unabridged, World, 1949: "The act of atoning for a crime; the act of making satisfaction for an offense, by which the guilt is done away and the right or necessity of punishing the crime is canceled." Thus both words include the idea of atonement, of a penalty being paid and satisfaction being given for sin. Propitiation emphasizes the turning away of the wrath or displeasure of the one sinned against, whereas expiation emphasizes the removal of the grounds for punishment. (2) THE MEANING OF THE WORD FAMILY IN GREEK The question then is which emphasis most clearly represents the meaning of the HILASKOMAI word group as used in the NT. In the article in 'Theological Dictionary of the New Testament,' Kittel - Bromiley, Vol. 3, page 300ff it is indicated that in all examples of the use of HILASKOMAI from the classical period, the idea of retribution or appeasement is found. But that by the time of the LXX (300 B.C.) the meaning had been expanded by association to including the ideas of purging from sin and expiation. Thus as used in the LXX and in the NT the word has a dual meaning: "the action in which God is propitiated and sin expiated" (page 317). In the passive aorist the idea of propitiation is almost completely pushed into the background, and the meaning becomes "grant mercy" or "be merciful" as in Luke 18:13. The emphasis on one or the other of the dual meanings can shift depending on the context. Since all passages in the NT emphasize what is done to sin rather than what is done to the one who is sinned against, it seems to me that the broader word, expiate, more precisely expresses the meaning of the word family as used in the NT. Expatiation emphasizes the removal of the grounds for punishment, while also carrying the meaning of the price being paid that is required to satisfy the one sinned against. Some translations use the word 'appeasement'. Then, however, the essential idea of atonement is lost. Appeasement often has a negative connotation as well. For example, one might compromise his principles to appease someone who was making unreasonable demands. Roy Davison ------------------------------ 1 John 2:2 1 John 2:2 2:2 "He is the expiation for our sins" Jesus' whole purpose for coming to this world and laying down His life was to give mankind a way of escape from sin through His blood (Rom 3:25; 5:9; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14). Without His sacrifice, mankind would be doomed to an eternal hell (Rev 21:8). 2:2 "And not for ours only, but also for the whole world" This statement is similar to that of John 3:16 in that it informs us that it is possible for all man to receive the redemptive effect of the Savior's blood. It is only available through baptism (Gal 3:26,27) and not by simply saying, "Lord, save me" (Matt 7:21-23). Howard B. Justice