Exegesis and Exposition of 1 John 1:9 - Wenstrom · 5. The conditional sentence in ancient Greece...

Exegesis and Exposition of 1 John 1:9 I. Greek text of 1 John 1:9: e)a\n o(mologw=men ta\$ a(marti/a$ h(mw=n, pisto/$ e)stin kai\ di/kaio$ i%na a)fh=| h(mi=n ta\$ a(marti/a$ kai\ kaqari/sh| h(ma=$ a)po\ pa/sh$ a)diki/a$. II. English transliteration of 1 John 1:9: Eán homologómen tás hamartías hemón pistós estin kaí díkaios hína aphé hemín tás hamartías kaí katharíse hemás apó páses adikías III. 4th of 6 3rd Class Conditional Clauses (Logical Connection: Present General Condition or Fifth Class Condition) A. 1 John 1:9 is the 4th in a series of 6 3rd class conditional statements (1 Jn. 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 2:1). B. Semantically, each of these 3rd class conditional statements present a present general condition. C. Some grammarians such as Wallace categorize this particular semantic use of the 3rd class condition as a 5th

class condition. D. We will adopt this category as well since the 3rd class condition does indeed have a broad semantic range and

the designation of the 5th class to one of these distinctions is appropriate and accurate. E. Each of these 3rd class (5th class) conditional clauses consist of 3 pairs that can be divided into 2:

1. Negative statement in the apodasis (1 Jn. 1:6, 8, 10). 2. Positive statement in the apodasis (1 Jn. 1:7, 9; 2:1).

F. The negative statements 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 reflect the Gnostic teaching whereas the positive statements in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1 reflect the apostolic teaching.

G. The clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean (e)aVn), “if” and the 1st person plural aorist active subjunctive form of the verb eipon (ei)`pon), which is eipomen (ei&pwmen), “any of us enters into making the claim.”

H. The protasis is hypothetical in force in each of these clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis. I. They reflect the concern that John has for his readers who were being exposed to the antinomian Gnostic

teaching. J. The 3 negative statements following ean eipomen, “if any of us enters into making the claim” are intended to

bring out the implications of following the opponents’ teaching. K. The clauses that have a positive statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean, “if,”

but a different verb is employed with it in each protasis: 1. 1 John 1:7: 1st person plural present (descriptive) active subjunctive form of the verb peripateo

(peripatevw), “any of us does live.” 2. 1 John 1:9: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw),

“any of us does confess.” 3. 1 John 2:1: 1st person plural aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive form of the verb hamartano (a(nartavnw),

“any of us enters into sin.” L. The 3 positive statements in the apodasis of each of these clauses that are preceded by ean, “if” only, reflect the

implications of following John’s apostolic teaching. M. As we noted, the conduct of those who adhere to the Gnostic teachings was not consistent with the holiness of

God. N. The conduct of those who practice the apostolic teaching will be consistent with the holiness of God. O. As we noted, 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 expresses the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching whereas John

presents a contrast here in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1, which expresses the implications of adhering to his apostolic teaching.

IV. 3rd Class Conditional Clause (Logical Connection: Present General Condition or Fifth Class Condition) A. So once again John employs a 3rd class conditional clause, which semantically expresses a present general

condition called a 5th class condition. B. Conditional Sentences

1. There are over 600 formal conditional sentences in the NT (i.e., with an explicit if). 2. This works out to an average of about one per page in Nestle. 3. Besides these formal conditions, there are hundreds of implicit conditions. 4. Thus, a proper understanding of conditions impacts one’s exegesis at every turn of the page.

2003 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries

1

5. The conditional sentence in ancient Greece was used as a debater’s technique to win a debate regardless of the side you took.

6. It was the technique of the premise and conclusion, dating back 2500 years ago. 7. The premise is called the protasis and the conclusion is called the apodasis. 8. The protasis is the cause that states the supposition or the premise. 9. The apodasis is the cause that states the conclusion derived from the premise. 10. If the logic between the premise and the conclusion is accurate and correct, the debater makes his point and

wins his debate regardless of which side he takes. 11. Winning a debate does not mean that the truth wins. 12. Winning a debate to the Greeks was one of the greatest pleasures and they were more interested in great

debates than anything else. 13. The key to this debating technique is the selection of a premise that suits you which results in the

conclusion necessary to win the debate. 14. There are 4 ways to select your premise in the 5th century B.C., the Age of Pericles. 15. Each premise is called a protasis and was used to give the advantage to the debater who selected it. 16. Conditional clauses may be classified on the basis of the attitude they express with reference to reality. 17. There is no necessary correspondence in tense between protasis and apodasis. 18. The variation in the mood of the apodasis has no essential bearing on the force of the condition since the

1st class condition assumes the condition to be true. 19. The context must determine the actual situation.

C. Protasis and Apodasis 1. The apodosis is grammatically independent, but semantically dependent. 2. That is, it can stand on its own as a full-blown sentence (e.g., “If I die, I die”), but it depends for its

“factuality” on the fulfillment of the protasis (“If he wins this race, he’ll be the new champion”). 3. The protasis, on the other hand, is grammatically dependent, but semantically independent. 4. That is, it does not form a complete thought (“If I go swimming tomorrow, I’ll catch a cold”), but its

fulfillment is independent of whether the apodosis is true. 5. Conditional sentences can be defined structurally or semantically.

a. Structurally: A conditional sentence has two parts: an “if” part and a “then” part. “IF” = protasis; “THEN” = apodosis.

b. Semantically: Conditions can be defined semantically in terms of the overall construction as well as the individual components.

6. There is often a tacit assumption that the protasis of a condition indicates the cause and the apodosis tells the effect.

7. But this is not the only relation the two can have. 8. In essence, there are three basic relations that a protasis can have to an apodosis:

a. Cause-effect b. Evidence-inference c. Equivalence.

9. It is a profitable exercise to examine the biblical text in light of these basic nuances. 10. Cause-Effect: The first relation the two parts can have is that of cause and effect: “IF” = cause; “THEN” =

effect. 11. The second relation the protasis can have to the apodosis is that of ground, or evidence, to inference. 12. Here the speaker infers something (the apodosis) from some evidence. 13. That is, he makes an induction about the implications that a piece of evidence suggests to him. 14. The third relation the two parts can have to one another is one of equivalence. 15. That is, we could put this formula this way: “If A, then B” means the same thing as “A = B.” (This often

looks very similar to evidence-inference.). 16. Conditional statements refer to the portrayal of reality rather than to reality itself. 17. However, within these parameters the following can be said:

a. If A, then B [not =] if B, then A (the converse not necessarily true). b. If A, then B [not =] if non-A, then non-B (reverse not necessarily false) c. If A, then B does not deny if C then B (condition not necessarily exclusive or condition not necessarily

causal). & NOT:1 18. Only the protasis is the conditional element, that is, the contingency lies with the if, not the then. 19. If the protasis is fulfilled, the apodosis is also fulfilled.


2

20. As far as it is presented, although sometimes the apodosis may be true without the protasis being true, the apodosis must be true when the protasis is true.

21. That is to say, as far as portrayal is concerned, if the protasis is fulfilled, the apodosis is true. 22. Thus, “If you put your hand in the fire, you will get burned” is saying that if you fulfill the condition, the

consequence is true. 23. So there are 2 ways to convey a conditional sentence:

a. Implicitly: without formal structural markers (e.g. ei or an). b. Explicitly: with a formal structural marker (e.g. ei or an).

24. Sometimes there is an incomplete condition where there may be an absence of either the protasis or the apodasis, which is a form of ellipsis or aposiopesis and is common to all languages.

D. Types of Conditional Sentence 1. Robertson has termed these 4 kinds of conditional sentences as follows:

a. Reality (Determined as fulfilled): Assumes the condition to be a reality and the conclusion follows logically and naturally from that assumption.

b. Unreality (Determined as Unfilled): The premise is assumed to be contrary to fact. The thing itself may be true, but it is treated as untrue.

c. Probability (Undetermined, but with the Prospect of Determination): Uses in the condition clause the mode of expectation, the subjunctive. It is not determined as is true of the 1st and 2nd class conditions.

d. Possibility (Remote Prospect of Determination): Uses optative in the protasis denoting that the condition is undetermined with less likelihood of determination than is true of the 3rd class with the subjunctive.

2. He states, “The point about all 4 classes to note it that the form of the condition has to do only with the statement, not with the absolute truth or certainty of the matter…We must distinguish always therefore between the fact and the statement of fact. The conditional sentence deals only with the statement” (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research page 1005).

3. Supposition from the viewpoint of reality. a. The protasis of a condition may present one fact as conditioning another. b. In one form of condition there is nothing implied as to whether or not this fact actually exists. c. This we call the simple condition. d. In another form of condition it is implied that this fact has not been realized, and therefore does not

exist. e. This we call contrary to fact condition.

4. Supposition from the viewpoint of probability. a. The protasis may imply that the fact suggested as a condition is a probability. b. Sometimes it is implied that there is considerable probability of its fulfillment. c. This we call the more probable future condition. d. Again the protasis may not contain any special implication of the fulfillment of the condition, viewing

it merely as a possibility. e. This we call the less probable future condition.

5. Thus we find that there are 4 classes of conditional sentences: a. 1st class condition: Premise as a supposition from the viewpoint of reality, or premise based on fact. b. 2nd class condition: Premise, which is contrary to fact. c. 3rd class condition: Premise which is more probable future, premise of probability. d. 4th class condition: Premise of less probability in a future condition often the information contained in

the premise is a wish without any implication. 6. The apodasis may have any tense, any mode and may be the following:

a. Statement b. Prediction c. Command d. Prohibition e. Suggestion f. Question.

7. Hence the apodasis may be in the: a. Indicative b. Subjunctive c. Imperative.


3

8. Chamberlain lists the following regarding conditional sentences (Exegetical Grammar, pages 195-200): a. 1st Class Conditions

(1) The protasis will always have the indicative mood, and will usually be introduced by ei (sometimes, by ean or an, due to a loss of distinction between these particles). It may use any of the tenses.

(2) The apodasis (conclusion) may have any tense and any mode. It may be a statement or a question. b. 2nd Class Conditions

(1) The protasis will always have the indicative mood, and will be introduced by ei. The tense will always be a past tense: imperfect, aorist, and pluperfect.

(2) The apodasis will take a past tense of the indicative. Usually an will occur in the apodasis to mark this condition off from a 1st class condition.

(3) If the condition refers to present time, the imperfect is used (4) If the condition refers to past time, usually the aorist tense is used (5) If it is desired to express continued action in past time, the imperfect must be used

c. 3rd Class Conditions (1) The protasis will have always have the subjunctive mood, and will usually be introduced by ean

but occasionally by ei. (2) Since the subjunctive mode alone is used, the tense is limited to present and aorist. (3) The apodasis may have any mode or any tense. (4) It may make a statement, ask a question, or give a command.

d. 4th Class Conditions (1) The protasis has the optative mood, and is introduced by ei. (2) It may use either the present or the aorist tense. (3) The apodasis has the optative mood, and the modal an.

e. Mixed Conditions (1) The protasis will belong to one class of conditions and the apodasis to another. (2) These mixed conditions arise from the fact that the writer changes his viewpoint between the

protasis and the apodasis. f. Elliptical Conditions

(1) Often the apodasis is expressed and the protasis is simply implied. (2) The protasis may be implied in several ways: (3) By the participle (4) By a verb in the imperative mood (5) The protasis may be abbreviated to the vanishing point (6) The apodasis may be omitted

9. Wallace lists the following (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament): a. 1st Class Condition: Assumed true for arguments sake. b. 2nd Class Condition: Contrary to Fact c. 3rd Class Condition: Uncertain of fulfillment, but still likely to occur d. 4th Class Condition: Possible condition in the future, usually a remote possibility

E. Wallace makes the following comments regarding the 1st Class Condition (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament): 1. The first class condition indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument. 2. The normal idea, then, is if-and let us assume that this is true for the sake of argument-then…. 3. This class uses the particle eij with the indicative (in any tense) in the protasis. 4. In the apodosis, any mood and any tense can occur. 5. This is a frequent conditional clause, occurring about 300 times in the NT. 6. There are two views of the first class condition that need to be avoided. 7. First is the error of saying too much about its meaning. 8. The first class condition is popularly taken to mean the condition of reality or the condition of truth. 9. Many have heard this from the pulpit: "In the Greek this condition means since." 10. This is saying too much about the first class condition. 11. For one thing, this view assumes a direct correspondence between language and reality, to the effect that

the indicative mood is the mood of fact. 12. For another, this view is demonstrably false for conditional statements:


4

a. In apparently only 37% of the instances is there a correspondence to reality (to the effect that the condition could be translated since)

b. Further, there are 36 instances of the first class condition in the NT that cannot possibly be translated since.

13. The force of the indicative mood, when properly understood, lends itself to the notion of presentation of reality.

14. In the first class condition the conditional particle turns such a presentation into a supposition. 15. This does not mean that the condition is true or means since! 16. But it does mean that as far as the portrayal is concerned, the point of the argument is based on the

assumption of reality. 17. First, even in places where the speaker apparently believes the argument, the particle eij should not be

translated "since." 18. Greek had several words for since, and the NT writers were not opposed to using them (e.g., ejpeiv, ejpeidhv). 19. There is great rhetorical power in if. 20. To translate eij as since is to turn an invitation to dialogue into a lecture. 21. Often the idea seems to be an encouragement to respond, in which the author attempts to get his audience

to come to the conclusion of the apodosis (since they already agree with him on the protasis). 22. It thus functions as a tool of persuasion. 23. Second, how can we tell whether a speaker would actually affirm the truth of the protasis? 24. Context, of course, is the key, but a good rule of thumb is to note the apodosis: Does the logic cohere if

both protasis and apodosis are true? 25. Often when a question is asked in the apodosis, the author does not embrace the truth of the protasis. 26. These are only simple guidelines. 27. Where in doubt, check the broader context. 28. Not infrequently conditional sentences are used rhetorically in a way that goes beyond the surface structure. 29. Hence, on one level the structure might indicate one thing, but on another level, an entirely different

meaning is in view. 30. For example, suppose a mother says to her child, "If you put your hand in the fire, you'll get burned." 31. We could analyze the condition on a structural or logical level. 32. These ought not to be ignored. 33. But the pragmatic meaning of the statement is, "Don't put your hand in the fire!" 34. It is, in effect, a polite command, couched in indirect language.

F. Wallace makes the following comments regarding the 2nd Class Condition (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament): 1. The second-class condition indicates the assumption of an untruth (for the sake of argument). 2. For this reason it is appropriately called the “contrary to fact” condition (or the unreal condition). 3. It might be better to call it presumed contrary to fact, however, since sometimes it presents a condition that

is true, even though the speaker assumes it to be untrue (e.g., Luke 7:39). 4. In the protasis the structure is eij + indicative mood with a secondary tense (aorist or imperfect usually).

The apodosis usually has a[n (but some examples lack this particle), and a secondary tense in the indicative mood.

5. There are about 50 examples of the second-class condition in the NT. 6. There are two types of second-class conditions: present contrary-to-fact and past contrary-to-fact. 7. The present contrary-to-fact condition uses the imperfect in both the protasis and apodosis. 8. It refers to something that is not true in the present time (from the speaker’s portrayal). 9. A typical translation would be If X were … then Y would be (as in “If you were a good man, then you

would not be here right now”). 10. The past contrary-to-fact uses the aorist in both the protasis and apodosis. 11. It refers to something that was not true in the past time (from the speaker’s portrayal). 12. A typical translation would be If X had been … then Y would have been (as in “If you had been here

yesterday, you would have seen a great game”). G. Wallace makes the following comments regarding the 3rd Class Condition (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-

Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament): 1. The third class condition often presents the condition as uncertain of fulfillment, but still likely. 2. There are, however, many exceptions to this.


5

3. It is difficult to give one semantic label to this structure, especially in Hellenistic Greek (note the discussion below).

4. The structure of the protasis involves the particle ejavn followed by a subjunctive mood in any tense. 5. Both the particle (a combination of eij and the particle a[n) and the subjunctive give the condition a sense

of contingency. 6. The apodosis can have any tense and any mood. 7. This is a common category of conditional clauses, occurring nearly 300 times in the NT. 8. The third class condition encompasses a broad semantic range: (a) a logical connection (if A, then B) in the

present time (sometimes called present general condition), indicating nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis; (b) a mere hypothetical situation or one that probably will not be fulfilled; and (c) a more probable future occurrence.

9. Technically, the subjunctive is used in the third class condition as well as the fifth class condition. 10. Structurally, these two are virtually identical: The fifth class condition requires a present indicative in the

apodosis, while the third class can take virtually any mood-tense combination, including the present indicative.

11. Semantically, their meaning is a bit different. 12. The third class condition encompasses a broad range of potentialities in Koine Greek. 13. It depicts what is likely to occur in the future, what could possibly occur, or even what is only hypothetical

and will not occur. 14. In classical Greek the third class condition was usually restricted to the first usage (known as more

probable future), but with the subjunctive’s encroaching on the domain of the optative in the Hellenistic era, this structural category has expanded accordingly.

15. The context will always be of the greatest help in determining an author’s use of the third class condition. 16. The fifth class offers a condition the fulfillment of which is realized in the present time. 17. This condition is known as the present general condition. 18. For the most part this condition is a simple condition; that is, the speaker gives no indication about the

likelihood of its fulfillment. 19. His presentation is neutral: “If A, then B.” 20. Because of the broad range of the third class condition and the undefined nature of the fifth class, many

conditional clauses are open to interpretation. 21. But for the most part, the present general condition addresses a generic situation in the present time

(broadly speaking), while the more probable future addresses a specific situation in the future time. H. Wallace makes the following comments regarding the 4th Class Condition (Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-

Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament): 1. The fourth class condition indicates a possible condition in the future, usually a remote possibility (such as

if he could do something, if perhaps this should occur). 2. The protasis involves eij + the optative mood. 3. The optative is also used in the apodosis along with a[n (to indicate contingency). 4. Because of the increasing use of the subjunctive and decreasing use of the optative in Hellenistic Greek, it

should come as no surprise that there are no complete fourth-class conditions in the NT. 5. Sometimes the conditional clause is mixed, with a non-optative in the apodosis (e.g., Acts 24:19). 6. On two other occasions, there is an apodosis, but a verbless one (1 Pet 3:14, 17). 7. On other occasions, no apodosis is to be supplied, the protasis functioning as a sort of stereotyped

parenthesis (e.g., 1 Cor 14:10; 15:37). 8. The semantic significance of the fourth class condition, even though it is never complete in the NT, must

not be overlooked. 9. As we have pointed out, the subjunctive has increasingly encroached on the domain of the optative in

Koine Greek, 10. Thus, the subjunctive’s semantic domain has broadened. 11. But this does not mean that there is overlap in both directions; the optative still functions within its more

narrow confines. 12. This is due to the principle that when an author chooses the rarer form (in this case, the optative), he does

so consciously. I. 1 John 1:9

1. Here in 1 John 1:9 as in 1 John 1:6, 7 and 8, the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs a 3rd class conditional statement, which semantically presents a logical connection (if A, then B) in


6

the present time that is sometimes called a present general condition, and indicates nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis.

2. In the apodasis we have a present indicative, thus this particular type of construction is known as a present general condition and is called a 5th class condition.

3. John employs the conditional particle ean (e)avn) to introduce it. 4. This 5th class conditional clause has the subjunctive mood of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw) in the

protasis and the present indicative estin (e)stin) in the apodasis. 5. As we noted, technically, the subjunctive is used in the third class condition as well as the fifth class

condition and structurally, these two are virtually identical. 6. The fifth class condition requires a present indicative in the apodosis, while the third class can take

virtually any mood-tense combination, including the present indicative. 7. Here in 1 John 1:9 we have the present indicative in the apodasis and the subjunctive mood in the protasis. 8. As we also noted the fifth class offers a condition the fulfillment of which is realized in the present time. 9. This condition is known as the present general condition and for the most part this condition is a simple

condition; that is, the speaker gives no indication about the likelihood of its fulfillment. 10. His presentation is neutral: “If A, then B.” 11. We also noted that because of the broad range of the third class condition and the undefined nature of the

fifth class, many conditional clauses are open to interpretation. 12. But for the most part, the present general condition addresses a generic situation in the present time

(broadly speaking), while the more probable future addresses a specific situation in the future time. 13. Here in 1 John 1:9 we have an example of the present general condition. 14. There is no hint of uncertainty about this event occurring, nor is it something presented as an eventuality. 15. John is simply presenting a hypothetical situation in order to teach spiritual principle with the 5th class

condition. 16. This is very important to remember when understanding the semantic usage of the present tense of the verb

estin, which as we will note is gnomic. 17. This is a spiritual principle that reflects his apostolic teaching and stands in contrast to the Gnostic

teaching, which is reflected in 1 John 1:8. 18. The protasis expresses the cause and the apodasis the effect.

a. Protasis-cause: If any believer does confess his personal sins to the Father. b. Apodasis-effect: Then the Father is as an eternal spiritual truth faithful and just with the result that He

will forgive the believer his personal sins and He will purify him from each and every wrongdoing. 19. The subjunctive is used because the subject is undefined, not because the time is future. 20. Therefore, we should not insert “should” into the translation of the word. 21. It is undefined because John is directing this spiritual principle at all of his readers including himself and is

not speaking of any one individual in particular. 22. This is because John and all his readers, as well as all believers have an indwelling sin nature (cf. Rm. 6:6;

Rm. 7:24). 23. So in 1 John 1:9 we have a present general condition in which the subject is distributive meaning, “if any

of us.” 24. The subjunctive is thus used because of the implicit uncertainty as to who is included in the 1st person

plural. 25. As we noted in the above section, the negative statements 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 reflect the Gnostic teaching

whereas the positive statements in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1 reflect the apostolic teaching. 26. The clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean

(e)aVn), “if” and the 1st person plural aorist active subjunctive form of the verb eipon (ei)`pon), which is eipomen (ei&pwmen), “any of us enters into making the claim.”

27. The protasis is hypothetical in force in each of these clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis. 28. They reflect the concern that John has for his readers who were being exposed to the antinomian Gnostic

teaching. 29. The 3 negative statements following ean eipomen, “if any of us enters into making the claim” are

intended to bring out the implications of following the opponents’ teaching. 30. The clauses that have a positive statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean,

“if,” but a different verb is employed with it in each protasis: a. 1 John 1:7: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb peripateo

(peripatevw), “any of us does live.”


7

b. 1 John 1:9: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw), “any of us does confess.”

c. 1 John 2:1: 1st person plural aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive form of the verb hamartano (a(nartavnw), “any of us enters into sin.”

31. The 3 positive statements in the apodasis of each of these clauses that are preceded by ean, “if” only, reflect the implication of following John’s apostolic teaching.

32. As we noted, the conduct of those who adhere to the Gnostic teachings was not consistent with the holiness of God whereas the conduct of those who practice the apostolic teaching will be consistent with the holiness of God.

V. Conditional Particle A. As we noted above, the conditional particle ean (e)avn) is introducing the protasis of this 3rd class conditional

clause, which semantically presents a logical connection in the present time that is sometimes called present general condition, or a 5th class condition.

B. Classical, LXX and NT 1. Ean is a conditional particle is derived from ei an, which indicates that something may take place, e.g. “if.” 2. The form eian appeared after 400 B.C. along with other contractions such as kan, which is composed of kai

plus ean. 3. Ean appears over approximately 350 times in the Greek New Testament. 4. The predominant use of the word parallels its use in the LXX where it translates the Hebrew im, “if.” 5. The word is employed in 3rd and 5th class conditional clauses. 6. It is used with a relative pronoun such as hos ean, which literally means, “who if,” but is translated

“whoever.” 7. Ean is also employed with other particles including ean de kai, “even if,” ean kai, “if also,” ean men, “if

not” or “unless,” eanper, “if only,” and ean te, “whether or.” 8. The use of ean in the contracted form an seems to have led the Biblical writers to connect ean with the

relative pronoun “whosoever.” 9. This use of ean for an, which appears over 60 times in the Greek New Testament. 10. It doesn’t appear that often in the papyri except during the period from 100 B.C. to A.D. 200. 11. Deismann lists nearly 50 uses of ean in a great variety of documents while counting only 8 uses of an

(Bible Studies, page 203). 12. The papyri evidence supporting the use ean as opposed to an as a relative pronoun during the limited time

period from 100 B.C. to A.D. 200 provides philological evidence for the dating of the Greek New Testament.

C. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (page 211): 1. Conjunction

a. Used with the subjunctive to denote ‘what is expected to occur, under certain circumstances, from a given standpoint in the present, either general or specific’. (1) With present subjunctive and present in apodosis (2) Mostly with the aorist subjunctive and present in apodosis (3) With present and aorist subjunctive at the same time (4) At times the meaning of ean approaches closely that of hotan whenever, or of when

b. Used with the indicative (1) With future indicative in the same meaning (2) With present indicative (3) With aorist indicative

c. With other particles (1) Ean kai even if (2) Ean me if not, unless with present subjunctive (3) Eanper, if indeed, if only, supposing that ‘referring to still another condition’ (4) Ean te…ean te whether…or whether

2. Frequently in place of an after relatives D. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 162-163):

1. Conditional particle which makes reference to time and to experience, introducing something future, but not determining, before the event, whether it is certainly to take place; if, in case


8

a. With the subjunctive, according to the regular usage of the more ancient and elegant classic writers (1) With the subjunctive present (2) With the subjunctive aorist (3) Irregularly but to be explained as an imitation of the Hebrew sa which is also a particle of time (4) Sometimes when the particle is used with the subjunctive aorist the futurity of a thing is not so

much affirmedas imagined, it being known to be something which never could happen b. By a somewhat negligent used, met with from the time of Aristotle on, ean is connected also with the

indicative (1) With the indicative future (2) With the indicative present

c. Ean joined with other particles (1) Ean de kai but if also, but even if (2) Ean kai (3) Ean me if not, unless, except; with the subjunctive present (4) Eanper if only, if indeed (5) Ean te…ean te…whether…. Whether (6) Kan for kai ean

2. The classic use of the conditional particle ean also in the contracted form an seems to have led the biblical writers of both Testaments to connect ean with relative pronouns and adverbs instead of the potential particle an as hos ean

E. 1 John 1:9 1. As we noted above, the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs a 3rd class

conditional statement, which semantically presents a logical connection (if A, then B) in the present time that is sometimes called present general condition.

2. It indicates nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis. 3. In the apodasis we have a present indicative, thus this particular type of construction is known as a present

general condition and is called a 5th class condition. 4. John employs the conditional particle ean (e)avn) in order to introduce the protasis, which presents the cause

for the effect mentioned in the apodasis. 5. This 5th class conditional clause has the subjunctive mood of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw) in the

protasis and the present indicative estin (e)stin) in the apodasis. 6. Here in 1 John 1:9 we have an example of the present general condition. 7. There is no hint of uncertainty about this event occurring, nor is it something presented as an eventuality. 8. John is simply presenting a hypothetical situation and more importantly a spiritual principle with the 5th

class condition. 9. The subjunctive is used because the subject is undefined, not because the time is future. 10. It is undefined because John is directing this spiritual principle at all of his readers including himself and is

not speaking of any one individual in particular but is writing to all of them without exception including himself.

11. This is because John and all his readers, as well as all believers have an indwelling sin nature (cf. Rm. 6:6; Rm. 7:24).

12. So 1 John 1:9 we have a present general condition in which the subject is distributive meaning, “any of us,” and the subjunctive is thus used because of the implicit uncertainty as to who is included in the we.

13. As we noted in the above section 1 John 1:6 presents the 1st of 3 3rd class conditional clause that semantically expresses a present general condition and which have a negative statement in the apodasis.

14. This present general condition is a semantic category of the 3rd class condition and is called a 5th class condition.

15. Each of these clauses with the negative statement in the protasis contains statements in the protasis that are hypothetical in force.

16. As we have noted the negative statements 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 reflect the Gnostic teaching whereas the positive statements in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1 reflect the apostolic teaching.

17. The clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean (e)aVn), “if” and the 1st person plural aorist active subjunctive form of the verb eipon (ei)`pon), which is eipomen (ei&pwmen), “any of us enters into making the claim.”

18. The protasis is hypothetical in force in each of these clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis.


9

19. They reflect the concern that John has for his readers who were being exposed to the antinomian Gnostic teaching.

20. The 3 negative statements following ean eipomen, “if any of us enters into making the claim” are intended to bring out the implications of following the opponents’ teaching.

21. The clauses that have a positive statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean, “if,” but a different verb is employed with it in each protasis: a. 1 John 1:7: 1st person plural present (descriptive) active subjunctive form of the verb peripateo

(peripatevw), “any of us does live.” b. 1 John 1:9: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb homologeo

(o(mologevw), “any of us does confess.” c. 1 John 2:1: 1st person plural aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive form of the verb hamartano

(a(nartavnw), “any of us enters into sin.” 22. The 3 positive statements in the apodasis of each of these clauses that are preceded by ean, “if” only, reflect

the implication of following John’s apostolic teaching. 23. As we noted, the conduct of those who adhere to the Gnostic teachings was not consistent with the holiness

of God. 24. The conduct of those who practice the apostolic teaching will be consistent with the holiness of God. 25. 1 John 1:8 expresses the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching whereas John presents a contrast

here in 1 John 1:9, which expresses the implications of adhering to his apostolic teaching. F. We will translate ean, “if.” VI. Present Active Subjunctive A. Next, we have the 1st person plural present active subjunctive form of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw), which is

homologomen (o(mologw~men). B. The verb homologeo has the following cognates:

1. Anoigo (a)noivgw) (verb), “to open, be open.” 2. Exomologeo (e)comologevw) (verb), “to publicly acknowledge.” 3. Lego (levgw) (verb), “to say, speak.” 4. Homologia (o(mologiva) (noun), “acknowledgement, profession.” 5. Homologoumenos (o(mologoumevnw$) (adverb), “undeniably confessedly.” 6. Oneidizo (o)neidivzw) (verb), “to scold, reproach, revile.”

C. Classical 1. The verb homologeo appears from Sophocles onwards. 2. It is a compound word composed of the verb lego, “to say,” and homos, “the same thing,” thus it literally

means, “to say the same thing, to agree in statement.” 3. Therefore, the basic meaning of this compound verb is to agree with someone or something, or to agree to

something. 4. However, the word does have a wide range of meanings. 5. The legal connotation of the word is dominant in classical literature according to Furst (The New

International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, volume 1, page 344). 6. A man agrees with another man’s statement, concedes or confesses something such as guilt before a judge. 7. He agrees to something such as another’s wish and thus promises. 8. This agreement expresses itself in an act of commitment, promise, or confession in a court or legal contract. 9. Homologeo appears often from the 5th century B.C. and onwards where it is used to indicate that a person

“confessed” or “admitted to” a crime or “openly acknowledged” his guilt. 10. Sometimes the word means, “to agree” with someone else’s testimony in a court of law, or to the terms of a

contract in business and even to “consent” to the terms of surrender in a war. 11. This compound verb is used in the context of war meaning, “to capitulate” to another army. 12. It is used in the context of money meaning, “to accept one’s debt.” 13. The Stoics used the word as well in their system of philosophy where it meant, “living according to one’s

own common sense.” 14. Homologeo was used in a religious sense of a worshipper “confession” of sin to his god but also it was used

of one’s “profession” of the god. 15. Often the worshipper would bind himself or herself to an oath to the god in a contract.


10

16. Lydian and Phrygian inscriptions indicate that homologeo was used for confessing one’s sins to a priest who was representing the deity in the hope that the individual would be delivered from sicknesses and disasters.

17. The compound verb appears often in Hellenistic papyri in the legal sense. 18. Especially in regards to agreeing to the terms of a contract and the acknowledging of a debt or receipt of

property. 19. Josephus and Philo who were contemporaries of the apostles used this word for the public

acknowledgement of something, and the confession of God and sins. 20. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1226):

a. Agree with, say the same thing as b. Correspond, agree with, whether of persons or things c. To be coordinated d. To be suitable for e. Agree to a thing, grant, concede f. Avow g. Acknowledge h. Admit i. Allow j. Confesses that k. Agree or promise to do l. Make an agreement, come to terms m. To be agreed upon, allowed or granted by common consent

D. LXX 1. The verb homologeo appears only 3 times in the canonical texts of the LXX . 2. It is used in Job 40:14 where it is used to translate the Hebrew hiphil form of the verb yadhah (hd*y), “to

confess, admit, acknowledge.” 3. The word is used sarcastically in Job 40:8-14 where God challenges to perform a number of things that are

impossible for man to accomplish and God states that He would “praise” Job if he were able. 4. The verb homologeo appears in Jeremiah 44:25 (LXX 51:25) where it translates the Hebrew nadhar (rd^n*),

“vow,” and in this passage in Jeremiah members of Judah in captivity in Egypt had “vowed” to perform sacrificial rites to the “queen of heaven.”

5. Just as they were determined to fulfill these vows so the Lord was determined to fulfill His vow He has sworn by His name that these idolatrous individuals would never again invoke His name in the land of Egypt (Jer. 44:25-26).

E. NT 1. The compound verb homologeo appears 26 times in the Greek New Testament. 2. The apostle John employs the word 10 times in his writings (Jn. 1:20 twice; 9:22; 12:42; 1 Jn. 1:9; 2:23;

4:2-3, 15; 2 Jn. 7). 3. The word is used in Matthew 7:23 where the Lord states that He will “acknowledge” publicly that He never

knew those individuals who cast out demons in His name but did not execute the Father’s will. 4. It is used in Matthew 10:32 and Luke 12:8 where those who “acknowledge” publicly Christ before men

would be “publicly acknowledged” by Him among the angels in heaven. 5. During the 1st century the identification with Jesus Christ and acknowledging Him as the Messiah would

often mean persecution and death, being cast of out of the synagogue, which does not happen in the 21st century in America.

6. This usage appears in John 9:22 where the leaders of the Jews had agree to cast out of the synagogue anyone who “publicly acknowledged” Jesus of Nazareth as the Christ.

7. The word is attributed to John the Baptist who in response to the inquiries by the Jewish leaders as to his identity “acknowledged” that he was not the Christ.

8. John 12:42 tells us that many of the Jewish leaders would not “publicly acknowledge” Jesus as the Messiah for fear of being cast out of the synagogue and they were afraid of this because they loved the praise of men rather than the praise of God.

9. Homologeo appears in Acts 23:8 where Luke states that the Pharisees in contrast to the Sadducees “acknowledge” the existence of angels, the spirits and the resurrection.

10. In Acts 24:14 Paul “admits” to serving the Way, Christ before Felix. 11. The verb homologeo appears in Romans 10:9-10, which is a very misunderstood passage.


11

12. Rom 10:8-10, “But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart" -- that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess (homologeo) with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses (homologeo), resulting in salvation.”

13. The lordship position misunderstands salvation passages, which use “Lord” as a call to surrender one’s life to Christ’s lordship (Rom. 10:9).

14. In relation to Christ’s lordship, there are two aspects. 15. There is first of all the objective. 16. This recognizes the fact that Christ is God, the sovereign Lord of the universe. 17. Then, there is the subjective which involves personal surrender of one’s life or commitment. 18. Does Romans 10:9 call for the objective fact or the subjective commitment or both? 19. “Jesus is Lord” was the earliest declaration of faith fashioned by the church (Acts 2:36; 1 Cor. 12:3). 20. This great truth was recognized first by God in raising his Son from the dead—an act then acknowledged

by the church and one day to be acknowledged by all (Phil. 2:11). 21. Paul’s statement in vv. 9, 10 is misunderstood when it is made to support the claim that one cannot be

saved unless he makes Jesus the Lord of his life by a personal commitment. 22. Such a commitment is most important; however, in this passage, Paul is speaking of the objective lordship

of Christ, which is the very cornerstone of faith, something without which no one could be saved. 23. Intimately connected as it was with the resurrection, which in turn validated the saving death, it proclaimed

something that was true no matter whether or not a single soul believed it and built his life on it. 24. Romans 10:9 is calling for the need to confess that Jesus is God. 25. In this context Paul quotes the Old Testament a number of times and is dealing with Jewish unbelief, not

lordship issues. 26. “Lord” (kurios) certainly is used as the equivalent of Yahweh in the Old Testament. 27. It is calling for the acknowledgment that Jesus is the “I Am” of the Old Testament and therefore God. 28. That Paul refers to confessing that Jesus is Lord is also supported grammatically. 29. The passage should not be translated as does the NASB, “Jesus as Lord,” or as the KJV, “the Lord

Jesus,” but as the NIV, “Jesus is Lord.” 30. This involves a fine point of Greek grammar involving the use of what grammarians call the “double

accusative of object-complement” where one accusative is the direct object of a verb of “calling, designating, or confessing,” and the second accusative is the complement that makes an assertion about the direct object.

31. Some grammarians would call the second accusative a predicate accusative. 32. Generally, the first accusative is the object and the second is the complement, but as here in Romans 10:9,

this is not always the case. 33. Since Jesus is a proper name, even though it follows the noun Lord by way of word order, Jesus functions

as the direct object of the verb confess, and the other accusative, Lord, is its complement. 34. So the confession that is required is that “Jesus is Lord,” i.e., Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament. 35. Obviously, when a person confesses that Christ is God there is an underlying recognition or awareness that

Christ has the right to rule one’s life, but the passage is not calling for a subjective commitment to Christ’s lordship in order to be saved.

36. Instead, the passage is saying that for a person to be saved, he or she must acknowledge, believe, that Jesus was also God, God come in the flesh, the God-man and so the only one able to save.

37. The word appears in 1 Timothy 6:12 where Paul is exhorting Timothy fight the noble fight of the Christian faith, live in the eternal life that he received at salvation to which he was called when he publicly acknowledge Christ as His Savior at his baptism (water).

38. The verb homologeo is used in Titus 1:16 where Paul warns Titus of the Judaizers who “profess” to know God but their works deny that they know God intimately.

39. It is used in Hebrews 11:13 of Old Testament saints who “claimed” the promises of God. 40. The word appears in Hebrews 13:15 where it is used of “praising” the Person of God. 41. John employs the word for the “confession” of personal sins in 1 John 1:9. 42. He uses it in 1 John 2:23 of “acknowledging” that Jesus is the Christ and those who don’t “acknowledge”

Jesus as the Christ, do not have fellowship with the Father. 43. John uses homologeo in 1 John 4:2-3 and 2 John 7 where he instructs his readers in how to determine if a

certain teaching originates from the Holy Spirit or demons.


12

44. The Spirit’s teaching “acknowledges” that Jesus Christ has a not only a divine nature but a human nature and the teaching that does not “acknowledge” that He has a human nature such as the Docetic Gnosticsm originates from demons.

45. John uses it in a similar fashion in 1 John 4:15 but this time he states that those who “acknowledge” that Jesus is the Son of God has fellowship with God.

46. In both 1 John 4:2-3, 2 John 7 and 1 John 4:15 he is addressing the attacks upon the Person of Christ, the former dealt with the attacks upon the Lord’s humanity and the latter upon His deity.

47. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “homologeo, lit., "to speak the same thing" (homos, "same," lego, "to speak"), "to assent, accord, agree with," denotes, (a) "to confess, declare, admit," John 1:20; e. g., Acts 24:14; Heb 11:13; (b) "to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction," 1 John 1:9; (c) "to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts," Matt 7:23; 10:32 (twice) and Luke 12:8 (see next par.); John 9:22; 12:42; Acts 23:8; Rom 10:9-10 ("confession is made"); 1 Tim 6:12 (RV); Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:23; 4:2,15; 2 John 7 (in John's epistle it is the necessary antithesis to Gnostic doceticism); Rev 3:5, in the best mss. (some have No. 2 here); (d) "to confess by way of celebrating with praise," Heb 13:15; (e) "to promise," Matt 14:7. In Matt 10:32 and Luke 12:8 the construction of this verb with en, "in," followed by the dative case of the personal pronoun, has a special significance, namely, to "confess" in a person's name, the nature of the "confession" being determined by the context, the suggestion being to make a public "confession." Thus the statement, "every one... who shall confess Me (lit. "in Me," i. e., in My case) before men, him (lit., "in him," i. e., in his case) will I also confess before My Father...," conveys the thought of "confessing" allegiance to Christ as one's Master and Lord, and, on the other hand, of acknowledgment, on His part, of the faithful one as being His worshipper and servant, His loyal follower; this is appropriate to the original idea in homologeo of being identified in thought or language.

48. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (page 446): a. To say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent b. To concede; not to refuse, i.e. to promise; not to deny, i.e. to confess; declare c. To profess d. To praise, celebrate

49. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 568-569): a. Promise, assure b. Agree, admit c. Confess d. Declare (publicly), acknowledge, confess e. Praise

50. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): a. To express openly one’s allegiance to a proposition or person – ‘to profess, to confess, confession’

(page 419). b. To acknowledge a fact publicly, often in reference to previous bad behavior – ‘to admit, to confess’

(page 420). c. To make an emphatic declaration, often public, and at times in response to pressure or an accusation –

‘to declare, to assert’ (page 413). F. 1 John 1:9

1. The verb homologeo in 1 John 1:9 means, “to confess.” 2. The English word “confess” is more accurate a translation of this word here in 1 John 1:9 than “admit,” or

“acknowledge” because “confess” means stating somewhat formally an admission of wrongdoing, crime or shortcoming whereas “acknowledge” implies making a statement reluctantly often about something previously denied and “admit” implies acknowledging something under pressure.

3. The believer must “confess” any known sins to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship. 4. He is restored to fellowship because of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the

Cross and thus the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins. 5. God’s faithful and just character demands that we be forgiven these personal sins that we confess and

restored to fellowship because the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union satisfied or propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that the sins of human history be judged-past, present and future.

6. This confession of sin is to the Father in private and does not refer to the public acknowledgment of sin.


13

7. Homologeo here refers to the confession of personal sin to the Father in the privacy of the believer’s royal priesthood and based upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ at the Cross, the Father restores the believer to fellowship.

8. The Father is faithful in keeping His Word to restore the believer to fellowship when the believer confesses his personal sins.

9. He is just because it is only fair that the Father restore the believer to fellowship when he confesses his sins since it is the merits of Christ and His work on the Cross, which enables the Father to restore the believer to fellowship.

10. At the moment of salvation the believer received the forgiveness of his sins in the positional sense. 11. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor

for our Lord’s spiritual death), the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

12. He “experiences” the forgiveness of his sins when he confesses his personal sins to the Father after salvation.

13. Although the believer experiences the forgiveness of sins at the moment of salvation, the moment he sins, he must confess these post-salvation sins so that he can once again experience the forgiveness of sins, which is already been appropriated by him at the moment of salvation positionally and will be his for all of eternity.

14. Restoration to fellowship is contingent upon the believer confessing his personal sins to the Father in the name of the Lord Jesus who paid for the believer’s sins with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross (cf. 1 Jn 1:9).

15. The believer is adjusted to the holiness of God when he applies the principle stated by 1 John 1:9. 16. It is absolutely essential to apply 1 John 1:9 in order to experience fellowship with the Father since He is

holy and does not tolerate sin or evil. 17. The Lord Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death on the cross is the basis for the forgiveness of sins

both in the positional and experiential sense for the believer. 18. At the moment of salvation, when a person makes the non-meritorious decision to believe in Christ for

salvation, he appropriates the forgiveness of his sins-past, present and future. 19. The unbeliever does not appropriate the forgiveness of sins because he has not placed his trust in Christ for

salvation. 20. The unbeliever’s sins will never be brought up at the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers since

Christ paid the penalty for their sins with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross. 21. They will be judged according to their relative human self-righteous deeds, which do not measure up to the

absolute perfect righteousness of Christ (Rev. 20:11-15). 22. After salvation, the believer “experiences” the forgiveness of sins when he confesses any known sin to the

Father and based upon the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.

23. In the same way that the unbeliever’s sins are not brought up at the Great White Throne so the believer’s sins will never be brought up at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church since the believer’s personal sins were also paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death on the cross.

24. Positional forgiveness of sins establishes a permanent eternal relationship between God and the believer. 25. The Father saves the person who trusts in His Son Jesus Christ for salvation and this salvation is based

upon the merits of the Person of Christ who is impeccable and the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross.

26. The Father honors a person’s faith in His Son. 27. He restores the believer to fellowship based again upon the merits of the Person of Christ who is

impeccable and the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. 28. 1 John 1:8-10 speaks of the reality that the believer will commit personal sins in his life after salvation. 29. The presence of the old sin nature mentioned by John in 1 John 1:8 in the believer and his volition makes it

“impossible” for the believer to experience sinlessness in this life. 30. This does not mean that God condones sin after salvation but simply emphasizes the fact that God has

made provision for when the believer does sin after salvation and that provision is the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, which is referred to in 1 John 1:7 with the phrase “the blood of Jesus.”

31. The fact that John is not condoning sin but rather is teaching these things is clearly indicated in 1 John 2:1.


14

32. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

33. The confession of personal sins mentioned by John in 1 John 1:9 refers to the believer who depends upon this substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross.

34. He directs the Father’s attention to the death of Christ in order to be restored to fellowship with the Father. 35. Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death has merit with the Father because His Son was sinless. 36. The Father restores the believer to fellowship when the believer confesses any known sin to Him and this

restoration to fellowship is based solely upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the cross. 37. This means that the believer is restored based upon the merits of the impeccability of Christ’s Person and

His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. 38. The believer’s acknowledgement of his personal sins after salvation demonstrates that the believer “agrees”

with God about his sin. 39. When his thoughts, words and actions are not agreement with the will of the Father, he confesses that it is a

sin. 40. This confession demonstrates that the believer is in “agreement” with God that he is thinking, speaking or

acting in accordance with the will of the Father and thus His holy standards, which rejects all sin. 41. Fellowship with God is a moment-by-moment experience, thus the moment the believer commits any

mental, verbal or overt act of sin, he has lost his fellowship with God, who is holy, i.e. perfect in character and integrity.

42. The moment the believer confesses any mental, verbal or overt act of sin that he commits, he is at that moment restored to fellowship with God because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

43. This purifies the believer’s conscience, which is defiled by committing personal sin against God. 44. Heb 9:13-14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have

been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

45. James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

46. Titus 2:14, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

47. The moment the believer has been restored to fellowship with God, he needs to recover meaning he needs to start immediately applying the Word of God to his thought process, which is tantamount to being fully influenced by the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18) and is synonymous with letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in you (cf. Col. 3:15).

48. Therefore, once the confession of sin has taken place the believer needs to maintain and sustain his fellowship with God by obeying the Father’s will, which the Holy Spirit reveals to the believer through the communication of the Word of God.

49. Obeying the Word of Truth, which is inspired by the Spirit and reveals the Father’s will, is the means by which the believer maintains and sustains his fellowship with God.

50. The believer must appropriate this provision by confessing any known personal sin to the Father and based upon the merits the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union, the Father restores completely the believer to fellowship with Himself.

51. Failure to do so prevents the believer from enjoying and experiencing fellowship with God. 52. Ps. 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” 53. If the believer remains out of fellowship for any extended period of time, he will be under divine discipline,

which is not designed to hurt the believer but to get him to confess his sins so that he can be restored to fellowship.

54. Heb 12:4-13, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not


15

sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”

55. There are 3 categories of divine discipline for the believer when he consistently stays out of fellowship with God: a. Warning (Rev. 3:20; James 5:9) b. Intense (Ps. 38:1; 2 Th. 2:11). c. Dying (Jer. 9:16; 44:12; Phlp. 3:18-19; Re. 3:16; 1 Co. 10:13-14; Ps. 118:17-18; 1 Jo. 5:16).

56. As we noted in 1 John 1:5, the statement that “God is light” is designed to refute Gnostic teaching and in particular the Syrian form of Gnosticism, which taught that evil originated from the essence of God.

57. As language of accommodation, the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is employing a figure of speech in 1 John 1:5 called an anthropopathism by stating that God is light.

58. An anthropopathism is language of accommodation through which infinite God reveals Himself to the finite man.

59. An anthropopathism is a figure of speech and is used to ascribe human passions, actions or attributes to God.

60. In 1 John 1:5, God is figured by an inanimate thing, namely, light. 61. The apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is ascribing to God the characteristic of light

in order to explain to the human frame of reference the perfect character of God. 62. By employing this figure of light, infinite God is explaining or revealing Himself to finite man regarding

His perfect eternal character. 63. He is condescending by ascribing the characteristics of light to Himself in order that finite man can

understand something about Himself. 64. The apostle John employs the figure of light in 1 John 1:5 to describe the holiness of God, which is His

absolute perfection of character. 65. Lev 11:44a, “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am

holy.” 66. As light is the antithesis to darkness, so God is the antithesis to sin and the author of sin, Satan. 67. The most obvious characteristic of light is that it reveals thus John employs this figure in relation to sin and

the believer’s fellowship with God. 68. As physical light reveals so the absolute perfection of God’s character reveals their imperfections, i.e. sin. 69. In the context of 1 John 1:5 John employs this figure of light in order to convey to his readers that the

absolute perfection of God’s character reveals sin in their lives. 70. By ascribing the figure of light to God John is implying that you cannot hide or harbor any sin with God

and have fellowship with Him at the same time. 71. God’s holiness, i.e. His absolute perfection of character won’t permit it. 72. The holiness of God is a term refers to the aggregate of perfect features or attributes and traits that form the

nature of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 73. The figure of light used by John to describe God refers to the fact that God is totally separated from all sin

and evil. 74. Ps. 5:4, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.” 75. God’s holiness expresses His purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence. 76. The application for John’s readers is that the absolute and innate holiness or perfect character of God means

that God can have nothing to do with sin or sinners. 77. He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way

has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

78. The believer “cannot” experience fellowship with God unless he is as holy as God. 79. This is accomplished positionally at the moment of salvation when the believer received the new Christ

nature, which is perfectly holy and cannot sin because it is created in the image of Christ who is holy and is impeccable.


16

80. Eph 4:24, “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

81. God wants us to experience that which is true of us positionally, namely that we are as holy as God. 82. The believer who lives according to the standards of God’s holiness, will experience fellowship with God

but the believer who lives in his old sin nature and according to the lies of the cosmic system of Satan will not experiencing fellowship with God.

83. The believer is commanded to be holy as God is holy. 84. 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in

your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

85. God the Holy Spirit would not issue this command to the believer to be as holy as He is unless the believer had the power or capacity to be holy as Him and this capacity God has given to every believer when He gave the believer a new nature at the moment of salvation through regeneration.

86. After salvation, the believer can experience the holiness of God by remaining in fellowship, which is accomplished by applying the Word of God and having no unacknowledged sin in the stream of consciousness.

87. Experiencing the holiness of God is contingent upon the believer confessing his sins and obeying the Word of Truth.

88. This proclamation that God is light will help them to maintain their fellowship with God since it will teach them that God does not tolerate sin and therefore sin must be confessed (1 Jn. 1:9).

89. The confession of any personal sin is referred to in 1 John 1:9 and is also taught in the Old Testament. 90. Ps. 32:5, “I acknowledged (yadhah) my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will

confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” 91. The sin nature is the source of all personal sin and functions when the believer permits it to control and

influence his soul. 92. The sin nature is mentioned by John in 1 John 1:8 and is also noted many times by the apostle Paul in his

writings (Rm. 6-7). 93. The believer is responsible for his actions since he sins because he chooses to live in this sin nature that is

received at the moment of physical birth through the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden. 94. The confession of any known sin to the Father is the principle whereby the believer-priest can regain his

fellowship with God in time. 95. It is the simple confession of any known sin to God the Father by the believer under the privacy of his very

own royal priesthood. 96. The believer has an eternal relationship with God that can never be broken but on the other hand he has a

temporal relationship with God that “can” be broken. 97. The believer’s eternal relationship means that he can “never” lose our salvation (Rm. 8:38-39; 1 Pet. 1:4). 98. But his temporal fellowship with God means that we “can” lose his fellowship with God in time by sinning

or giving into the old sin nature. 99. So it is very important that the believer understand why he must confess any known to the Father and its

mechanics. 100. So the 3 steps to the confession of any known sin to the Father are as follows:

a. Confess your sins to God. b. Forget your sins. c. Apply the Word of God after confession

101. Once the believer confesses his sins to the Father, he is not to recall these sins to mind, but rather forget them.

102. This isolates the sins he has acknowledged so that he doesn’t get involved in chain sinning. 103. It is essential for the believer to understand that the confession of any known personal sins to the Father is

the 1st step to having fellowship with God. 104. The believer must not only confess his known sins to the Father but also start applying the Word of God

immediately after confessing any known sin to the Father so that he can remain in fellowship. 105. God does not care how many times the believer confesses his sins to Him. 106. He will not get exasperated with the believer if he acknowledges the same sin to Him 1000 times a day for

the Lord told Peter to forgive his neighbor 490 times (Mt. 18:21-22). 107. As a spiritual child the believer will give into the old sin nature more often than not. 108. The spiritual child does not remain in fellowship with God as long as a spiritual adult would.


17

109. The spiritual adult stays consistently in fellowship for longer periods of time. 110. The spiritual child is inconsistent and thus spends more time confessing his sins than the spiritual adult

would. 111. Regardless, both the spiritual adult and the spiritual child need to confess any known sin to the Father. 112. At salvation, the believer enters into an eternal relationship with God. 113. Simultaneously, he enters into fellowship with God in time. 114. His personal sins do “not” affect his eternal relationship with God because they were all forgiven

“positionally” at the cross since the old sin nature was crucified with Christ at the cross (Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:13).

115. Every sin in human history-past, present and future was paid for in full by the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

116. This means that the believer’s sins before and after salvation are forgiven as well as those he is committing in the present.

117. The believer “experiences” that which is true of him positionally, namely when he confesses his sins to the Father, they are forgiven.

118. There is no sin that we can commit that can cause us to lose our salvation. 119. Rom 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor

things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

120. The omnipotence of God protects the believer’s salvation. 121. No one is stronger than the omnipotence of God, not even Satan. 122. John 10:28-29, “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch

them out of My hand. My Father, who has given {them} to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.”

123. 1 Pet 1:3-5, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to {obtain} an inheritance {which is} imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

124. There is “no” bad decision that the believer can commit that can cause them to lose his salvation and thus his eternal relationship and yet, a bad decision to commit a personal sin “can” cause him to lose his temporal fellowship or relationship with God in time.

125. Fellowship with God in time is important since it provides the means to live the Christian way of life and grow spiritually.

126. So John here in 1 John 1:9 is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics who deny that they possess a sin nature and therefore do not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins because of the blood of Jesus (i.e. voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union) (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).

127. God’s character can guarantee the believer’s complete restoration to fellowship when the believer confesses his personal sins because the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God (cf. 1 John 2:1-2).

128. It is also important that the believer be specific with the Father when confessing his sins to Him. 129. For instance, if the believer’s sins are judging, lying, stealing, anger or bitterness, etc., he must confess to

the Father his sin of lying, judging, stealing, anger or bitterness, etc. 130. Homologeo has no emotional connotation attached to it. 131. It was used in classical Greek for confessing your guilt in court. 132. The Bible does not teach that we are to feel sorry for our sins. 133. God is not concerned with you emoting, but rather God interested in what His Son did at that cross of

Calvary 2000 years ago when every sin in human history, past, present and future was imputed to the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union and was judged by the justice of God the Father.

134. This is why the Scriptures state in Hebrews 8:11 that God remembers our sin no more. 135. His Son paid the penalty for those sins, which was His substitutionary spiritual death. 136. The humanity of Christ was separated from the Father during the last 3 hours on the cross. 137. There was a transaction-taking place between the Father and the Son. 138. So if the Lord paid for the believer’s sins, then why should he have to confess them?


18

139. The reason is fellowship with God. 140. No believer can remain in perpetual fellowship with God, but he can remain consistently in fellowship with

God. 141. So when the believer confesses his sins to the Father, he is pointing to what took place at the cross during

those last 3 hours in darkness. 142. So there is no emotion involved with homologeo. 143. There is no such thing as crying tears of repentance. 144. Those that teach this do not know the original language. 145. Repentance is simply a change of attitude or a change of mind. 146. It means to being going in one direction and to change your mind and go in the exact opposite direction. 147. The only issue in repentance is Christ and not a person’s sin. 148. The Scriptures never teach repentance of sins but of a change of attitude regarding Christ as one’s personal

Savior. 149. An individual’s personal sins are not an issue because the Lord Jesus Christ paid them all for at the cross. 150. The Greek word in the New Testament for repentance is the noun metanoia and means “a change of mind.” 151. The verb is metanoeo, “to change your mind, to change your attitude toward something.” 152. Metanoia is found 24 times in the Greek New Testament and metanoeo is found 35 times. 153. Metanoeo is a compound verb in the Greek, which means that it is composed of two Greek words. 154. The first is meta meaning “change,” and the second is noeo, “mind,” therefore, the correct meaning of

repentance is “to change one’s mind,” or “to change your attitude toward something.” 155. Both words have absolutely nothing to do with feeling sorry for your sins. 156. They have nothing to do with your emotions. 157. There is another word in the Greek New Testament which has an emotional connotation and that is the verb

metamelomai which looks like this in the Greek metamelomai meaning “to feel sorry, to regret, to feel sorrow.”

158. Metamelomai is found 6 times in the Greek New Testament. 159. The distinction between the two verbs metanoeo and metamelomai is obvious in the Greek New Testament. 160. Metamelomai expresses a merely emotional change while metanoeo expresses a change of choice. 161. It signifies nothing but regret resulting in feeling sorry while metanoeo deals with a change of mental

attitude. 162. Metanoeo concerns your volition and not your emotions. 163. Since our English word is a translation of the Greek of the New Testament, we need to look at the original

language. 164. There are two New Testament Greek words which are translated repentance in the modern English

translations: metanoia (and its verbal counterpart metanoeo) and metamelomai. 165. The former term is so translated fifty-eight times in the New Testament; the latter only six times. 166. Metamelomai means, “to regret, change the mind” and may connote the idea of sorrow, but not necessarily. 167. It is translated by “regret, change the mind, and feel remorse” in the NASB and NIV, and in all but one of

the passages where it is used; the primary idea is a change of mind (cf. Matt. 21:29, 32; 27:3; 2 Cor. 7:8; Heb. 7:21).

168. Metanoia, the primary word, without question, means “a change of mind.” 169. It refers to the thinking of people who thought one thing or made one decision and then, based on further

evidence or input, changed their minds. 170. So, the basic sense is “a change of mind.” 171. This is its meaning and use outside the New Testament and in the New Testament. 172. It is a change of mind that leads to a different course of action, but that course of action must be determined

by the context. 173. In a context that deals with forgiveness of sin or receiving eternal life as a gift from God, the course of

action is a change of trust because one now sees Jesus as the only means of salvation from sin. 174. Let me illustrate this for you in the Scriptures and I’ll point out when each word is used. 175. John the Baptist used the verb metanoeo in Matthew 3:2, “Now in those days John the Baptist came,

preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent (metanoeo, “change your mind”), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

176. What were John’s listeners suppose to change their minds about? 177. Mark 1:14-15, “And after John had been taken into custody (put into prison), Jesus came into

Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at


19

hand (Jesus Christ the Savior is right in front of them.); Repent (metanoeo, “change your mind”) and believe in the gospel.”

178. They were to change their minds about Christ. 179. They were unbelievers and they were to change their minds about Christ and believe in Him for salvation. 180. They were to change their minds concerning the gospel, which is the “power of God for salvation to

everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). 181. Our Lord makes an interesting comment concerning the person who changes their mind about Christ and

accepts Him as Savior. 182. Luke 15:7, “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who

repents (metanoeo, “changes their mind about Christ and accepts Him as Savior”), than over ninety-nine righteous persons (people who have accepted Christ as Savior) who need no repentance (metanoia, “change of mind about Christ”).”

183. Luke 15:10, “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (metanoeo, “changes their mind about Christ and believes in Him for salvation”).”

184. So you can see that repentance has nothing to do with emotion but is a change of mind about Christ. 185. Now, the first occurrence of metamelomai is in Matthew 21:29-32 in the parable of the two sons. 186. In the parable, one son said to his father that he would go in the vineyard while the second son said he

would not but then he metamelomai, felt badly, regretted not going and then went. 187. The first son, who said he would go, but didn’t. 188. Metamelomai occurs twice in this passage. 189. It is found in verse 29 which the New American Standard translates as “regretted,” and it is found in verse

32 where it is translated “remorse.” 190. In Matthew 27:3, metamelomai is used in connection with Judas Iscariot, an unbeliever who betrayed the

Lord Jesus Christ. 191. Matthew 27:1-3, “Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people

took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death; and they bound Him, and led Him away, and delivered Him up to Pilate the governor. Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him (Jesus), saw that He (Jesus) had been condemned, he felt remorse (metamelomai, “he felt sorry”) and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ But they said, ‘what is that to us? See that yourself.’ And he (Judas) threw the pieces of silver into the sanctuary and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.”

192. Judas felt sorry for his sin and yet he went to the Lake of Fire. 193. We know that he was not saved because the Lord Jesus Christ said so Himself in John 17:12. 194. The apostle John records our Lord’s words, “While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name

(God the Father’s) which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished (the apostles and His disciples) but the son of perdition (Judas Iscariot), that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”

195. Now, what is important to note is that Judas felt sorry for his sin for betraying the Son of God and yet he was not saved because of his emotions.

196. The apostle Peter denied Christ three times and he felt sorry and wept. 197. Matthew 26:75, “And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, ‘Before a cock crows

Peter, you will deny Me three times.” And he (Peter) went out and wept bitterly.” 198. Both men felt sorry for their sins, and yet one was saved and the other was not. 199. Each committed a terrible sin, one was saved and the other was not. 200. Emotion could not save Judas. 201. Peter wept bitterly and yet his tears did not save him but rather his faith in Christ saved him. 202. There is only one-way of salvation which excludes human works and emotion and that is to “believe on the

Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31; John 3:16, 36). 203. Judas could have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ but did not. 204. Peter did believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:13-16). 205. The word metamelomai also occurs in 2 Cor. 7:8 where the apostle Paul is talking about his first letter to

the Corinthians in which he sharply rebuked the believers in Corinth, Paul writes, “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it (metamelomai); though I did regret it (metamelomai)-for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while-I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance (metanoia, “a change of


20

mind”). For you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, in order that you might not suffer loss in anything though us. For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a change of mind (metanoia) WITHOUT REGRET (metamelomai), leading to salvation; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

206. This passage deals with confession of sin. 207. Paul was talking to people who were believers. 208. The repentance that Paul is talking about is the confession of sin and their recovery from that sin which

takes them out of fellowship yet does NOT cost them their salvation. 209. Sin is never an issue in repentance in relation to eternal salvation and relationship according to the

Scriptures but it is an issue in relation to fellowship with God in time since it prevents it from taking place. 210. Psalm 103:10, “He (God) has NOT dealt with us (you and I) according to our sins, nor rewarded us

according to our iniquities.” 211. John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” 212. Romans 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man (Adam) sin (sin nature) entered into the world,

and death (spiritual) through sin (the sin nature), and so death (spiritual) spread to all men (the entire human race), because all sinned (the Greek says, “when Adam sinned”).”

213. 1 Corinthians 15:3, “For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.”

214. Galatians 1:3-4, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who (the Lord Jesus Christ) gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of God and Father.”

215. Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” 216. Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 217. 1 Peter 2:24, “And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin (sin

nature) and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” 218. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust (you and I), in order that

He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” 219. 1 John 2:2, “He is the propitiation (satisfaction) for our sins, and not for ours only but for those of

the whole world.” 220. 1 John 3:5, “He (the Lord Jesus Christ) appeared in order to take away sins (plural; personal sins of

the entire human race)” 221. Revelation 1:4-5, “John to the seven churches in Asia (what is today western Turkey): Grace to you

and peace, from Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead (1st to be resurrected), and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Jesus Christ controls human history from His Hypostatic Union). To Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood.”

222. The only issue in repentance that the Scriptures teach is regarding the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:13-20).

223. The sins of the entire world-past, present and future were paid for by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

224. Therefore, repentance has nothing to do with a person’s sins but rather his attitude toward Jesus Christ. 225. The issue in repentance is simply, “Will you change your mind about Jesus Christ and accept Him as your

Lord and Savior?” 226. Each person must decide for himself. 227. Salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone and not more and nothing less (John 3:16-17, 36; Acts

16:31). 228. So the confession of sin to the Father is critical in order to be restored to fellowship. 229. There is no emotional connotation attached to homologeo that is used here by John in 1 John 1:9. 230. The Father wants the believer to agree with Him and call sin what it is, namely sin!

G. Gnomic Present 1. This is a gnomic present used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact. 2. It does not say that something is happening, but that something does happen. 3. The action or state continues without time limits. 4. The verb is used in proverbial statements or general maxims about what occurs at all times.


21

5. The gnomic present is distinct from the customary present in that the customary present refers to a regularly recurring action while the gnomic present refers to a general, timeless fact.

6. It is distinct from the stative present (a subcategory of the customary) in that the stative present involves a temporal restriction while the gnomic present is generally atemporal.

7. There are two predominant semantic situations in which the gnomic present occurs. 8. The first includes instances that depict deity or nature as the subject of the action. 9. Statements such as “the wind blows” or “God loves” fit this category. 10. Such gnomic presents are true all the time. 11. There is a second kind of gnomic, slightly different in definition: the use of the present in generic

statements to describe something that is true any time (rather than a universal statement that is true all the time).

12. This kind of gnomic present is more common, thus, pragmatically, it is helpful to note a particular grammatical intrusion: A gnomic verb typically takes a generic subject or object.

13. Most generics will be subjects. 14. The present tense here is used in generic statements to describe a universal statement that is true all the

time. 15. The gnomic present of the verb homologeo here in 1 John 1:9 expresses the spiritual principle that the

believer who “does” confess his personal sins to the Father, then the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer of these sins and thus He restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.

H. Simple Active Voice 1. This is a simple active voice where the believer is to produce the action of the verb homologeo, “to

confess.” 2. It expresses the volitional responsibility that the believer has to confess his sins to the Father in order to be

restored to fellowship. I. The subjunctive mood of the verb homologeo is employed in this 5th class conditional statement expressing a

spiritual principle. J. We will translate peripatomen, “any of us does confess.” VII. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess.” VIII. Possessive Personal Pronoun A. We complete the protasis of 1 John 1:9 by noting the 1st person plural genitive form of the personal pronoun

hemeis (h(mei~$), which is hemon (h(mw=n ). B. Hemeis is the plural of the 1st personal pronoun ego, which is always emphatic. C. The genitive of the personal pronoun frequently, if not usually, indicates possession. D. As such it could be treated in one of three ways:

1. As a subclass of the normal use of the personal pronoun because it, too, refers back to the antecedent 2. As a possessive genitive, since the notion of possession is not a part of the stem, but of the case ending; 3. As a possessive pronoun (see discussion there).

E. Greek does not have a distinct possessive pronoun but instead, it usually employs either the possessive adjective (ejmov$", sov$ , hJmevtero$ , uJmevtero$ ) or the genitive of the personal pronoun.

F. Possession can be expressed in four ways in the New Testament: 1. By the possessive adjectives 2. By the genitive of the personal pronoun 3. By the article 4. By I*dio$

G. 1 John 1:9 1. Here in 1 John 1:9 the context indicates that hemon denotes “possession.” 2. John is emphasizing the fact that the believer must confess “his” personal sins to the Father in order to

experience the forgiveness of those sins and thus be restored to fellowship with God. 3. This emphatic personal pronoun stresses the believer is responsible for his own sins. 4. He is volitionally responsible to confess his sins to the Father. 5. He is not to ignore the fact that he has committed sin or deceive himself that he has not sinned.

H. We will translate hemon, “our.”


22

IX. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our.” X. Accusative Direct Object A. The object of the verb homologeo here in 1 John 1:9 is composed of 2 words in the Greek text:

1. Accusative feminine plural definite article tas (taV$). 2. Accusative feminine plural form of the noun hamartia (a(martiva), which is hamartías (a(martiva$).

B. Classical 1. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 77):

a. A failure, fault b. Error of judgment c. Guilt, sin

2. The verb hamartano, which appears from Homer onwards and means, “to miss the mark, lose, not share in something, be mistaken” is a cognate of the noun hamartia.

3. Both the noun and the verb have the root hamart-, with its meaning of fail. 4. The verb is used in both a literal and figurative sense. 5. In the figurative sense the verb signified a lack of intellect and in the literal sense it referred to improper

acts. 6. The noun hamartia is used in the same way and was used very early on in the metaphorical or figurative

sense. 7. It conveyed the incorrect action’s origin and nature. 8. The word often concerns itself with the action. 9. In legal terminology and in philosophical language hamartia is a comprehensive term, which includes

offenses of all types from simple misunderstandings to capital crimes. 10. Any action deserving punishment or which must be atoned for is designated hamartia. 11. In legal terminology the noun hamartia was used of deliberate offenses. 12. Dr. Gunther in Colin Brown's Dictionary of New Testament Theology, states that "hamartia becomes a

collective term with a relatively indefinite sense: offending against right feeling. It can mean anything from stupidity to law-breaking, anything that offends against the orthon, the right, that does not conform to the dominant ethic, to the respect due to the social order and to the polis."

13. He also notes "hamartia is always used in the New Testament of man's sin which is ultimately directed against God."

14. The Complete Biblical Library commenting on the word's New Testament usage, states that "sin by nature is hatred directed against God and it is the source of evil acts."

15. For the Greeks, guilt was rooted in man’s innermost being. 16. Man knows that he is in trouble and is surrounded by fate and infatuation. 17. Guilt is the cause of suffering as in the case of Oedipus. 18. Both fate and guilt are bound together. 19. The Greeks did not use hamartia of sin as in the Biblical sense since a firm Godward orientation of guilt

and fate is entirely missing in the Greek mind. 20. Hellenism destroyed the connection between guilt and fate. 21. The Stoics intellectualized the concept of guilt and rationalized it as well. 22. They contended that one can overcome guilt through better understanding and proper conduct. 23. Of course, these doctrines are all based upon the faulty premise that man is inherently good. 24. This of course contradicts the Bible’s estimation of the entire human race.

C. LXX 1. The concept of sin is linguistically expressed in many ways in the OT. 2. Hamartia was first used as a religious term in the LXX, and was used most often used to translate the

Hebrew word chatta'ah, pronounced ghatah-tah. 3. The frequency in which, this word was used by the LXX translators to translate this Hebrew term was

because along with hamartena, it has almost the same literal sense as the Hebrew chatta’ah. 4. Chatta'ah is from the Hebrew verb chata' meaning, "to miss the mark or goal," which is precisely the

meaning of the verb’s cognate hamartano. 5. This Hebrew verb in the Old Testament was used for sin against a fellow human being or a sin against God. 6. It conveyed sinning in a general sense and also in a nonreligious sense or sin in a moral sense.


23

7. Chatta'ah's flexibility in the Old Testament was transferred to hamartia in the LXX and from the LXX over into the New Testament.

8. Almost all of the Hebrew terms for sin and guilt are covered in the New Testament Greek by the words hamartia and adikia.

9. Thus, hamartia is used for the Hebrew ‘awon, “harm, trouble, injustice, deceit,” and for the noun pesha’, transgression, revolt.”

10. There are a wide variety of words in the OT used to express different types of sin. 11. Unfortunately, this only slightly reflected in the English translations, which don’t bring out the distinctions

between these various Hebrew terms. 12. Regardless, although there is a diversity of meaning, there is unity within the total concept of sin that

appears in the OT. 13. The Hebrew chatta’ah, “sin, sin offering,” assumed a prominent role in the Hebrew Bible. 14. The inclusive aspect latent within this word is transferred in the LXX to the Greek term hamartia, which

like chatta’th covers the entire spectrum of definitions found in many Hebrew words. 15. Thus, hamartia reflects both diversity in meaning and unity of definition since it typifies the broad concept

of sin in the Hebrew Bible. D. NT

1. The noun hamartia appears 173 times in the Greek New Testament. 2. The word appears the majority of the time in the book of Romans, followed by Hebrews, the Synoptics, 1

John and Acts. 3. Hamartia signifies primarily a failure to achieve a standard whether culpable or unintentional in the

broadest sense, both as deed and as the nature of the deed. 4. The word hamartia is used in the plural for acts of personal sin, whether, mental, verbal or overt (Mt. 1:21;

Mk. 2:10; Lk. 7:48; Jn. 8:24; Eph. 2:1; 1 Jn. 1:9). 5. It is used in the singular at times for personal sin (Jn. 8:34; 16:8; 1 Jn. 1:7). 6. The majority of the time that hamartia is employed in the singular it signifies the indwelling old Adamic

sin nature, which is the source of personal sin (Jn. 8:34; Rm. 6:1-2; 1 Jn. 1:8). 7. The Christian has been saved from the guilt and penalty of sin (Luk. 7:50; 1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; Eph.

2:5,8; 2 Tim. 1:9) and is safe. 8. The Christian is being saved from the habit and dominion of sin (Rom. 6:14; 8:2; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 2:19-20;

Phil. 1:19; 2:12-13; 2 Thess. 2:13). 9. He is said to be “dead to sin” according to Romans 6:2, 10 in the positional sense since under the doctrine

of retroactive positional truth when Christ died, God considers the believer to have died with Him. 10. God wants the believer to experience that, which is true of him positionally. 11. God desires that believers have fellowship with Him but the believer’s hinders this through his own bad

decisions. 12. Decisions where the believer gives into the old sin nature instead of choosing to live in the new Christ-

nature. 13. Also, the Christian will be saved at the Lord's return, from all the bodily infirmities that are the result of sin

and God's curse upon the sinful world (Rom. 8:18-23; 1 Cor. 15:42-44), and brought into entire conformity to Christ (Rom. 13:11; Heb. 10:36; 1 Pet. 1:5; 1 John 3:2).

14. Every one in the human race possesses an old sin nature as a result of Adam’s original sin in the garden. We are all born in the slave market of sin.

15. The entire human race is a slave to the sin nature. 16. John 8:34-36, “Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the

slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”

17. Rom 3:10-18, “as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."


24

18. Rom 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 19. At the moment of physical birth 2 imputations take place for every member of the human race:

a. Imputation of soul life. b. Imputation of Adam’s original sin to the genetically formed old sin nature.

20. Rom 5:12, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (when Adam sinned).”

21. The parents create biological life through copulation whereas God creates soul life. 22. There are no biological accidents. 23. The real you is in your soul, which was created by God. 24. You physical body is merely a temporary residence for the soul. 25. Biological life plus soul life equals a human being, a living soul. 26. The biological life created by the parents is corrupt because the old Adamic nature resides in its genetic

structure. 27. This is why our physical bodies decay and die, returning to the dust of the ground. 28. The soul either goes to heaven if it’s a believer or to Torments in Hades and eventually the lake of fire if it

is an unbeliever. 29. This is why we need resurrection bodies since our present physical bodies will be done away with. 30. This Biblical concept that the old Adamic nature is found in the physical body is noted in Romans 6:6-7,

“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him} in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.”

31. So the old Adamic or sin nature is a product of our parents. 32. The male in copulation passes it along. 33. The old sin nature has been passed by your father who received it from his father, and all the way to the 1st

Man: Adam. 34. Because of the imputation of Adam’s original sin to the genetically formed old sin nature, every member of

the human race is born physically alive but spiritually dead. 35. Adam’s original sin plus Adam’s sin nature equals spiritual death. 36. Spiritual death means that every member of the human race is separated from God, having no relationship,

fellowship or capacity to love, serve and obey God. 37. This what we call in theology real spiritual death where Adam’s original sin is imputed to the genetically

formed old sin nature. 38. Thus, the need for everyone to become born-again by believing on the Lord Jesus. 39. Paul mentions the old sin or Adamic nature when he uses the term “old self.” 40. Eph 4:22, “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being

corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.” 41. Col 3:9, “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its {evil} practices.” 42. Paul also employs the expression “the flesh.” 43. Rom 7:5, “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were {aroused} by the Law, were

at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” 44. Rom 8:5, “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but

those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” 45. Rom 8:7, “because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the

law of God, for it is not even able {to do so},” 46. Rom 8:8, “and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” 47. Eph 2:3, “Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the

flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” 48. The old sin nature manifests itself in 3 ways:

a. Mental attitude sins b. Verbal sins c. Overt acts of sin.

49. Sin is any mental, verbal or overt activity that is contrary to the perfect character and standards of God. 50. Sin results in spiritual death (Rom. 6:23). 51. Synonyms for personal sins:

a. “Falling short” (Rom. 3:23) b. “Transgressions”: Rebellion against or overstepping the Law (Psa. 51:1) c. “Acting unfaithfully”: Self will over God’s will (Josh. 22:20)


25

d. “Trespasses” (Eph. 2:1) e. “Lawlessness and rebellion”: Failure to keep the Mosaic Law (1 Tim. 1:9-10) f. “Unbelief”: Rejection of Christ as Savior (John 8:24; 16:9).

52. No one is perfect (Rom. 3:10, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10). 53. Sin is disobedience to the will of God and is anything contrary to the character and integrity of God. 54. Personal sin is always directed toward God (Psa. 51:4). 55. This is why we are never to “confess” our sins to other people. 56. The sin nature produces many manifestations of personal sins. 57. Gal 5:19-21, “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,

idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

58. The sin nature contains: a. An area of weakness b. An area of strength c. Trends toward legalism d. Lust patterns.

59. The area of weakness is the source of temptation for personal sin. 60. The area of strength is the source of human good, which God hates. 61. Mental attitude sins are the most destructive to the spiritual life since the spiritual centers around your

thinking. 62. Mental attitude sins include:

a. Pride b. Envy c. Jealousy d. Bitterness e. Hatred f. Vindictiveness g. Implacability h. Guilt feelings i. Fear j. Worry k. Anxiety l. Self-pity.

63. The area of strength produces human good or “dead works” (Heb. 6:1). 64. Both believers and unbelievers can produce human good. 65. The believer who is not filled by means of the Spirit produces human good. 66. Human good cannot please God. 67. Anything that an unbeliever can do is not the Christian way of life. 68. A believer can only please God when he is filled with or more accurately “influenced by means of” the

Spirit. 69. God only accepts divine good or good done in His power. 70. God will reward the believer for producing divine good and He will not reward the believer who produces

human good (1 Cor. 3:11-14). 71. All human good is evil and is despised by God (Isa. 64:6). 72. The volitional decision of Adam to eat the forbidden fruit in the garden is responsible for each human being

having an old sin nature (Gen. 3:6-8). 73. Adam’s decision separated the entire human race from God (Gen. 3:2-3; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:22). 74. God imputed Adam’s sin to the entire human race (Rom. 5:12, 16-19). 75. Adam’s decision resulted in his spiritual death, which is separation from God. 76. Spiritual death was passed on to the entire human race because of Adam’s negative volition towards God’s

command. 77. Sinful, imperfect man cannot have a relationship with a holy and perfect God. 78. Spiritual death means that we cannot have a relationship with God. 79. But, God in His omniscience knew that Adam would sin. 80. Therefore, God designed a plan in eternity past to deal with man’s problem with sin.


26

81. This plan is called the salvation plan of God and is based upon His policy of grace. 82. The Plan: God the Father would send His Son to the Cross to die for the sins of the entire human race. 83. The question we must ask ourselves is why would God impute an old sin nature to every member of the

human race? 84. The answer is revealed in 2 passages:

a. Rom 11:32, “For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” b. Gal 3:22, “But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus

Christ might be given to those who believe.” 85. Not only is Satan and his armies the enemy of the believers but also the old sin nature. 86. But God has made a provision for these 3 great enemies. 87. He has given the believer eternal life, which resides in that new Christ-nature. 88. This eternal life was imputed to every believer at the moment of salvation. 89. Believers now have an alternative to living in the old Adamic nature. 90. It is identified by such names as:

a. “New creature” b. “New creation” c. “New man” d. “New self.”

91. 2 Cor 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, {he is} a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

92. Gal 6:15, “For neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” 93. Eph 2:15, “by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, {which is} the Law of commandments {contained}

in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, {thus} establishing peace.”

94. Eph 4:24, “and put on the new self, which in {the likeness of} God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

95. Col 3:10, “and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him.”

96. The unbeliever does not have this alternative because he has not trusted in the Lord Jesus as his Savior. 97. Believers have no excuse for not being in fellowship with God because they have this new nature that

according to 1 John 3:9 can never sin because it was created in righteousness and holiness from the truth according to Ephesians 4:24.

98. The old sin nature can never please God, but the new nature can never sin and thus pleases God. 99. Believers sin because they choose to live in the old Adamic nature rather than the new Christ-nature. 100. The old sin nature or otherwise known as the old Adamic-nature produces sin and temporal spiritual death

in the believer whereas the new nature or the new Christ-nature gives the believer life. 101. The 1st man, Adam, brought sin and death into the human race resulting in a curse. 102. The Last Adam, Christ, brought life and blessing to the human race. 103. 1 Cor 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” 104. 1 Cor 15:45, “So also it is written, "The first MAN, Adam, BECAME A LIVING SOUL." The last

Adam {became} a life-giving spirit.” 105. The entire human race boils down to these 2 men: Adam and Christ. 106. Adam brought death and a curse upon the human race whereas Christ brought life and blessing to the

human race. 107. Rom 5:12-21, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin,

and so death spread to all men, because all sinned--for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like {that which came} through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment {arose} from one {transgression} resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift {arose} from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there


27

resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

108. The believer has a battle raging within him since he has 2 natures, which are diametrically opposed to one another, therefore, he must choose between the 2.

109. The new Christ-nature sets the believer free from the old Adamic nature. 110. The believer utilizes the new Christ-nature by being in fellowship with God, which is accomplished by the

believer through the application of the Word of God. 111. The believer is restored to fellowship by applying 1 John 1:9, which is also taught in Psalm 32:5. 112. According to these 2 passages, the believer simply must confess his sins to the Father and God is faithful

and just to forgive the believer his sins and purify him from all unrighteousness (unknown sins). 113. The believer who obeys the Father’s will, which is revealed by the Holy Spirit through the communication

of the Word of God will experience fellowship with God whereas disobedience results in loss of fellowship.

114. So this battle between the flesh and the Spirit rages in the believer. 115. The human soul is the battleground in the angelic conflict. 116. The battle in the believer’s soul is related to whether he lives for self in the old sin nature or lives for God

in the new nature. 117. Paul relates this battle in his own life as a believer. 118. Rom 7:14-25, “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For

what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I {would} like to {do} but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not want {to do} I agree with the Law, {confessing} that the Law is good. So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin, which dwells in me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good {is} not. For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wants to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

119. The believer who remains in fellowship with God permits the Holy Spirit to reproduce the life and character of Christ in the believer’s life whereas the disobedient believer hinders this work of the Spirit and grieves the Spirit.

120. Gal 5:17, “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”

121. It all comes down to the believer’s decisions. 122. God has created men like the angels in the sense that they are both free moral agents. 123. Men have volition and God in His perfect integrity will never coerce our volitional decisions since the

Divine Decree states that the function of volition in both men and angels will co-exist with the sovereign will of God.

124. If the believer does not want to live in the old sin nature, then we must choose not to. 125. If he does want to live in the new nature, then we must choose to do so. 126. God can’t do it for the believer. 127. So it boils down to an absolute principle. 128. We either are either in fellowship or not. 129. The believer is either living according to new Christ nature and divine viewpoint or he is living according

to the old Adamic nature and Satan’s cosmic viewpoint. 130. The believer is either disobedient to the Father’s will or obedient to it. 131. Gal 5:16, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.” 132. Therefore, it is essential that the believer acknowledge any known sin to the Father if we want to live in the

new Christ-nature.


28

133. The believer is experiencing fellowship with God when he is living in the new Christ-nature and when he is living in the new Christ nature he is then enjoying and experiencing eternal life, which produces peace and happiness regardless of the circumstances whether prosperous or adverse.

134. When the believer is out of fellowship with God he is temporally dead. 135. Temporal death is being out of fellowship with God in time. 136. When the believer lives in the old nature then he is temporally dead or in other words, he is separated from

God in time, or out of fellowship with God in time. 137. The old nature separates the believer from God, but the new nature joins him to God. 138. The confession of any known sin to the Father is the principle whereby the believer-priest can regain our



temporal relationship with God that can be broken. 141. The believer’s eternal relationship means that he can never lose our salvation (Rm. 8:38-39; 1 Pet. 1:4). 142. But his temporal fellowship with God means that we can lose his fellowship with God in time by sinning or

giving into the old sin nature. 143. So it is very important that the believer understand why he must acknowledge any known to the Father and

its mechanics. 144. So the 3 steps to the acknowledgment of any known sin to the Father are as follows:

a. Admit your sins to God. b. Forget your sins. c. Apply the Word of God after confession.

145. Once the believer has confessed his sins to the Father, he is not to recall these sins to mind, but rather forget them.

146. This isolates the sins he has confessed so that he doesn’t get involved in chain sinning. 147. It is essential for the believer to understand that the confession of any known personal sins to the Father is

the 1st step to having fellowship with God. 148. The believer must not only confess his known sins to the Father but also start applying the Word of God

immediately after confessing any known sin to the Father so that he can remain in fellowship. 149. God does not care how many times the believer confesses his sins to Him. 150. He will not get exasperated with the believer if he acknowledges the same sin to Him 1000 times a day for

the Lord told Peter to forgive his neighbor 490 times. 151. As a spiritual child the believer will give into the old sin nature more often than not. 152. The spiritual child does not remain in fellowship with God as long as a spiritual adult would. 153. The spiritual adult stays consistently in fellowship for longer periods of time. 154. The spiritual child is inconsistent and thus spends more time confessing sins more than the spiritual adult. 155. Regardless, both the spiritual adult and the spiritual child need to confess any known sin to the Father. 156. At salvation, the believer enters into an eternal relationship with God. 157. Simultaneously, he enters into fellowship with God in time. 158. His personal sins do not affect his eternal relationship with God because they were all forgiven




161. The believer “experiences” that which is true of him positionally, namely when he acknowledges his sins to the Father they are forgiven.

162. There is no sin that the believer can commit that can cause him to lose his salvation. 163. Rom 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor


164. The omnipotence of God protects the believer’s salvation. 165. No one is stronger than the omnipotence of God, not even Satan.


29

166. John 10:28-29, “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given {them} to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.”


168. There is no bad decision that the believer can commit that can cause them to lose his salvation and thus his eternal relationship.

169. Yet, a bad decision to commit a personal sin can cause him to lose his temporal fellowship or relationship with God in time.


171. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “hamartia is, lit. "a missing of the mark," but this etymological meaning is largely lost sight of in the NT. It is the most comprehensive term for moral obliquity. It is used of "sin" as (a) a principle or source of action, or an inward element producing acts, e. g., Rom 3:9; 5:12,13,20; 6:1,2; 7:7 (abstract for concrete); 7:8 (twice), 9,11,13, "sin, that it might be shown to be sin," i. e., "sin became death to me, that it might be exposed in its heinous character": in the last clause, "sin might become exceeding sinful," i. e., through the holiness of the Law, the true nature of sin was designed to be manifested to the conscience; (b) a governing principle or power, e. g., Rom 6:6, "(the body) of sin," here "sin" is spoken of as an organized power, acting through the members of the body, though the seat of "sin" is in the will (the body is the organic instrument); in the next clause, and in other passages, as follows, this governing principle is personified, e. g., Rom 5:21; 6:12,14,17; 7:11,14,17,20,23,25; 8:2; 1 Cor 15:56; Heb 3:13; 11:25; 12:4; James 1:15 (2nd part); (c) a generic term (distinct from specific terms such as No. 2 yet sometimes inclusive of concrete wrong doing, e. g., John 8:21,34,46; 9:41; 15:22,24; 19:11); in Rom 8:3, "God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh," lit., "flesh of sin," the flesh stands for the body, the instrument of indwelling "sin" [Christ, preexistently the Son of God, assumed human flesh, "of the substance of the Virgin Mary"; the reality of incarnation was His, without taint of sin (for homoioma, "likeness," see LIKENESS)], and as an offering for sin," i. e., "a sin offering" (so the Sept., e. g., in Lev 4:32; 5:6,7,8,9), "condemned sin in the flesh," i. e., Christ, having taken human nature, "sin" apart Heb 4:15, and having lived a sinless life, died under the condemnation and judgment due to our "sin"; for the generic sense see further, e. g., Heb 9:26; 10:6,8,18; 13:11; 1 John 1:7,8; 3:4 (1st part; in the 2nd part, "sin" is defined as "lawlessness," RV), 8,9; in these verses the KJV use of the verb to commit is misleading; not the committal of an act is in view, but a continuous course of "sin," as indicated by the RV, "doeth." The apostle's use of the present tense of poieo, "to do," virtually expresses the meaning of prasso, "to practice," which John does not use (it is not infrequent in this sense in Paul's Epp. e. g., Rom 1:32, RV; 2:1; 5:21; 4:9); 1 Peter 4:1 (singular in the best texts), lit, "has been made to cease from sin," i. e., as a result of suffering in the flesh, the mortifying of our members, and of obedience to a Savior who suffered in flesh. Such no longer lives in the flesh, "to the lusts of men, but to the will of God"; sometimes the word is used as virtually equivalent to a condition of "sin," e. g., John 1:29, "the sin (not sins) of the world"; 1 Cor 15:17; or a course of "sin," characterized by continuous acts, e. g., 1 Thess 2:16; in 1 John 5:16 (2nd part) the RV marg., is probably to be preferred, "there is sin unto death," not a special act of "sin," but the state or condition producing acts; in v. 17, "all unrighteousness is sin" is not a definition of "sin" (as in 3:4), it gives a specification of the term in its generic sense; (d) a sinful deed, an act of "sin," e. g., Matt 12:31; Acts 7:60; James 1:15 (1st part); 2:9; 4:17; 5:15,20; 5:16 (1st part). Notes: (1) Christ is predicated as having been without "sin" in every respect, e.g., (a), (b), (c) above, 2 Cor 5:21 (1st part); 1 John 3:5; John 14:30; (d) John 8:46; Heb 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22. (2) In Heb 9:28 (2nd part) the reference is to a "sin" offering. (3) In 2 Cor 5:21, "Him... He made to be sin,” indicates that God dealt with Him as He must deal with "sin," and that Christ fulfilled what was typified in the guilt offering. (4) For the phrase "man of sin" in 2 Thess 2:3, see INIQUITY, No. 1.”

172. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 30-31): a. A failing to hit the mark b. An error of the understanding c. A bad action, evil deed


30

d. Equivalent to to hamartein, a sinning, whether it occurs by omission or commission, in thought and feeling or in speech and action

e. That which is done wrong, committed or resultant sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act

f. Error, craft g. Some particular evil deed h. Collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many i. Abstract for the concrete

173. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 43-44): a. The action itself as well as its result, every departure from the way of righteousness, both human and

divine b. In Johannine literature hamartia is conceived as a condition or characteristic quality, sinfulness and is

opposed to aletheia, truth. c. Paul thinks of sin almost in personal terms as a ruling power; as personal principle it dwells in man d. In Hebrew sin appears as the power that deceives men and leads them to destruction, whose influence

and activity can be ended only by sacrifices e. Special sins

174. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 17): a. Error; offence, sin b. A principle of cause of sin c. Proneness to sin, sinful propensity d. Guilt or imputation of sin e. A guilty subject, sin-offering, expiatory victim

175. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): a. To act contrary to the will and law of God – ‘to sin, to engage in wrongdoing, sin’ (page 773). b. A state of sinfulness as an integral element of someone’s nature – ‘sinfulness, being evil’ (page 755). c. The moral consequence of having sinned – ‘guilt, sin’ (page 776).

E. 1 John 1:9 1. The noun hamartia is used here in 1 John 1:9 with reference to personal sins, whether mental, verbal or

overt. 2. The definite article and the plural form of the word also indicate this. 3. The believer must confess his sins to the Father in order to experience the forgiveness of sins and thus be

restored to fellowship. 4. As we noted, the believer already had his sins forgiven positionally when he accepted Christ as Savior who

paid the penalty for every sin in human history-past, present and future. 5. Thus, when the believer confesses any known sin to the Father, he experiences that which is true of him

positionally, namely that he has the forgiveness of his sins. 6. The source of personal sins is the indwelling old Adamic sin nature. 7. The believer commits acts of sins because he obeys the desires of the indwelling old Adamic sin nature,

which wage war against the soul of the believer (1 Pet. 2:11). 8. Disobedience to the will of the Father results in mental, verbal or overt acts of sin, which results in loss of

fellowship with God in time. 9. So here in 1 John 1:9 John is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics and deny

that one possesses a sin nature and therefore does not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins because of the merits of the blood of Jesus, which is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).

10. God’s character can guarantee the believer’s complete restoration to fellowship in time when the believer confesses his personal sins because of the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God (cf. 1 John 2:1-2).

F. As we noted this articular accusative construction tas hamartías functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb homologeo.

G. Anaphoric Definite Article 1. The definite article is anaphoric here in 1 John 1:9.


31

2. This means that the article points back to the anarthrous construction of hamartia in 1 John 1:7 where the noun hamartia referred to personal sins as indicated by the distributive use of the adjective pas, which preceded it.

3. It reminds the reader of the Greek text of this passage that the noun hamartia has been previously mentioned in the context.

4. We will not translate the definite article here since it would make for a clumsy translation but for the sake exposition it must be understood that the article is anaphoric.

H. We will translate tas hamartías, “sins.” XI. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins.” XII. Comparative Passages A. Leviticus 26:40-42, “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their forefathers, in their

unfaithfulness which they committed against Me, and also in their acting with hostility against Me -- I also was acting with hostility against them, to bring them into the land of their enemies -- or if their uncircumcised heart becomes humbled so that they then make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and I will remember also My covenant with Isaac, and My covenant with Abraham as well, and I will remember the land.”

B. 1 Kings 8:47, “if they take thought in the land where they have been taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who have taken them captive, saying, "We have sinned and have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly'.”

C. 2 Chronicles 6:37-38, “if they take thought in the land where they are taken captive, and repent and make supplication to You in the land of their captivity, saying, "We have sinned, we have committed iniquity and have acted wickedly'; if they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which You have given to their fathers and the city which You have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Your name.”

D. Nehemiah 1:6, “let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father's house have sinned.”

E. Nehemiah 9:2-38, “The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. Now on the Levites' platform stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Chenani, and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah, said, "Arise, bless the LORD your God forever and ever! O may Your glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise! "You alone are the LORD. You have made the heavens, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them and the heavenly host bows down before You. "You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham. "You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give him the land of the Canaanite, of the Hittite and the Amorite, of the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite -- to give it to his descendants. And You have fulfilled Your promise, for You are righteous. "You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea. Then You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and all the people of his land; For You knew that they acted arrogantly toward them, and made a name for Yourself as it is this day. You divided the sea before them, so they passed through the midst of the sea on dry ground; And their pursuers You hurled into the depths, like a stone into raging waters. And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go. Then You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven; You gave them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. So You made known to them Your holy sabbath, and laid down for them commandments, statutes and law, through Your servant Moses. You provided bread from heaven for them for their hunger, You brought forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, and You told them to enter in order to possess the land which


32

You swore to give them. But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Your commandments. They refused to listen, and did not remember Your wondrous deeds which You had performed among them; So they became stubborn and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness; And You did not forsake them. Even when they made for themselves a calf of molten metal and said, "This is your God Who brought you up from Egypt,' and committed great blasphemies, You, in Your great compassion, did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, to guide them on their way, nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go. You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them, Your manna You did not withhold from their mouth, and You gave them water for their thirst. Indeed, forty years You provided for them in the wilderness and they were not in want; Their clothes did not wear out, nor did their feet swell. You also gave them kingdoms and peoples, and allotted them to them as a boundary. They took possession of the land of Sihon the king of Heshbon and the land of Og the king of Bashan. You made their sons numerous as the stars of heaven, and You brought them into the land which You had told their fathers to enter and possess. So their sons entered and possessed the land. And You subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and You gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, to do with them as they desired. They captured fortified cities and a fertile land. They took possession of houses full of every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled and grew fat, and reveled in Your great goodness. But they became disobedient and rebelled against You, and cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who had admonished them so that they might return to You, and they committed great blasphemies. Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their oppressors who oppressed them, but when they cried to You in the time of their distress, You heard from heaven, and according to Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors. But as soon as they had rest, they did evil again before You; Therefore You abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they ruled over them. When they cried again to You, You heard from heaven, and many times You rescued them according to Your compassion, and admonished them in order to turn them back to Your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to Your commandments but sinned against Your ordinances, by which if a man observes them he shall live. And they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck, and would not listen. However, You bore with them for many years, and admonished them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not give ear. Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. Nevertheless, in Your great compassion You did not make an end of them or forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God. Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness, do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You, which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria to this day. However, You are just in all that has come upon us; For You have dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly. For our kings, our leaders, our priests and our fathers have not kept Your law or paid attention to Your commandments and Your admonitions with which You have admonished them. But they, in their own kingdom, with Your great goodness which You gave them, with the broad and rich land which You set before them, did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds. Behold, we are slaves today, and as to the land, which You gave to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, behold, we are slaves in it. Its abundant produce is for the kings whom You have set over us because of our sins; They also rule over our bodies and over our cattle as they please, so we are in great distress. Now because of all this we are making an agreement in writing; And on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.”

F. Job 33:27-28, “He will sing to men and say, I have sinned and perverted what is right, and it is not proper for me. He has redeemed my soul from going to the pit, and my life shall see the light.”

G. 2 Sam 12:13, “Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.”

H. Psalms 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

I. Psalms 51:2-5, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.”


33

J. Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

K. Daniel 9:4-20, “I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed and said, "Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land. Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame, as it is this day -- to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. Open shame belongs to us, O Lord, to our kings, our princes and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His teachings, which He set before us through His servants the prophets. Indeed all Israel has transgressed Your law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the curse has been poured out on us, along with the oath which is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against Him. Thus He has confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great calamity; for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what was done to Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us; yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Your truth. Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it on us; for the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds, which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice. And now, O Lord our God, who have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself, as it is this day -- we have sinned, we have been wicked. O Lord, in accordance with all Your righteous acts, let now Your anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become a reproach to all those around us. So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name. Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God.”

L. Matthew 3:6, “and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.” M. Mark 1:5, “And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they

were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” N. Acts 19:18, “Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.” O. 1 Cor 11:28-32, “But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of

the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.”

P. 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

Q. Heb 12:12-14, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that {the limb} which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”

XIII. Apodasis of a 5th Class Condition A. As we noted at the beginning of our exegesis and exposition of 1 John 1:9, the apostle John under the

inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs a 3rd class conditional statement, which semantically presents a logical connection (if A, then B) in the present time that is sometimes called a present general condition, and indicates nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis.


34

B. In the apodasis we have a present indicative, thus this particular type of construction is known as a present general condition and is called a 5th class condition.

C. The 5th class condition expresses the spiritual principle that if any believer does confess his personal sins to the Father, then the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins and purify him from all unrighteousness meaning the unknown sins.

D. The protasis of 1 John 1:9: “if any of us does confess our sins.” E. So we will now note the apodasis of this 5th class conditional statement. F. The word “then” is not employed by John in the apodasis but it is clearly implied. XIV. Present Active Indicative A. Next, we have the 3rd person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (ei)miv), which is estin

(e&stin). B. Classical

1. Liddel and Scott list the following classical meanings (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, pages 487-489): a. As the substantive verb

(1) Of persons, exist (2) Of the real world, be; of circumstances, events, to happen (3) Be the fact or the case (4) Followed by the relative pronoun (5) Hen is statements used with plural masculine and feminine usage at the beginning of a sentence,

there was (6) Esti impersonal, c. inf. It is possible; esto in argument, let it be granted

b. Most frequently, to be, the copula connecting the predicate with the subject, both being in the same case: hence, signify, import; with numerals, are; periphrasis with the participle to represent the finite verb

c. Einai is frequently modified in sense by the addition of adverbs or the cases of nouns without or with prepositions (1) Einai with adverbs, where the adverb often merely represents a noun and stands as the predicate (2) Gen. to express descent or extraction; to express the material of which a thing is made; to express

the class to which a person or thing belongs; to express that a thing belongs to another; to express one’s duty, business, custom, nature, and the like; in LXX, to be occupied about

(3) With the dative, have; with two datives; with asmenos, boulomenos added, be (4) With prepositions, to be

2. The verb eimi means “to be, to exist, to live, to reside,” or “to occur.” C. LXX

1. The verb eimi appears often in the LXX in the participial form on, as an attribute of God. 2. The background for this practice lies in the LXX translation of Exodus 3:14 where God replies to Moses’

question about God’s name by saying, “I am the self-existing one (ho on).” 3. Because of this translation, Philo and Josephus used the same expression to refer to God. 4. The book of Revelation also employed on to refer to God (Rv. 1:4, 8; 11:17; 16:5). 5. Eimi is also found in the LXX as a copula where it unites the subject and the predicate. 6. In Greek the reader may have difficulty deciding which is the subject and which is the predicate nominative

since the word order is relatively unimportant. 7. Context often decides this issue or the definite article will indicate the subject.

D. NT 1. Eimi appears in more than 30 different grammatical forms in approximately 2450 passages of the NT

distributed throughout all the NT writings. 2. In most passages eimi is used as a copula between subject and predicate. 3. It is also used in periphrasis. 4. Eimi can also be used alone as a full predicate and in such cases normally means, “be present, exist, live,

stay,” or impersonally “there is, it happens, it is.” 5. In connection with prepositions eimi designates the origin, the affiliation, the alignment, or generally the

place of things or persons.


35

6. Eimi is used often with ego in the Gospel of John for the Lord Jesus Christ’s great “I am” statements, which acknowledge His deity.

7. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following major usages of the word (pages 175-180): a. Predicate b. Copula c. With adverbs d. With prepositions e. With the oblique cases of substantives or of pronouns f. Omitted due to ellipsis

8. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature lists the following major usages (pages 222-226): a. As predicate to be b. As a copula, uniting subject and predicate c. Used with prepositions d. Eimi with genitive e. Present participle form in Acts 13:1. 9. The Analytical Greek-Lexicon Revised (page 118): a. A verb of existence, to be, to exist b. It is possible, proper c. A simple copula to the subject and predicate, and therefore in itself affecting the force of the sentence

only by its tense, mood d. Forming a frequent circumlocution with the participles of the present and perfect of other verbs e. Ontos, adverb, really, in truth, truly f. Ousia, substance, property, goods, fortune

10. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): a. To possess certain characteristics, whether inherent or transitory – ‘to be’ (page 149). b. To be identical with – ‘to be’ (page 150). c. To exist, in an absolute sense – ‘to be, to exist’ (page 157). d. To occur, of an event – ‘to be, to happen’ (page 161). e. To be in a place – ‘to be’ (page 724). f. To mark an event as being possible in a highly generic sense – ‘to be possible’ (page 668). g. Belong to a particular class – ‘to be’ (page 593). h. To correspond to something else in certain significant features – ‘to correspond to, to stand for, to be a

figure of, to represent’ (page 593). 11. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 1, pages 392-393):

a. As a copula eimi places subject and predicate in relation to each other b. In the Gospels the formula ego eimi sometimes appears without explicit determination of the predicate

which must be determined by the context c. The formula tout’ estin has an explanatory function, that is, that means, namely d. Periphrastic eimi serves the grammatically necessary function of connecting the perfect participle with

the future e. Eimi appears in connection with adverbs f. Eimi can be an independent predicate (normally imperfect) and means in narrative connections, live,

exist g. With prepositions

h. With genitive expressing relationship of possession or affiliation E. 1 John 1:9

1. The verb eimi is employed here in 1 John 1:9 as a substantive verb and functions as the subject. 2. It is used of persons and specifically here of God the Father. 3. The copula is used to equate the subject (God the Father) who is implied and the predicate nominative,

which is pistos, “faithful,” which of course refers to the Father’s character. 4. This as we will note is a convertible proposition meaning that both nouns have an identical referent. 5. God is faithful and faithful is God are identical statements.

F. Gnomic Present 1. This is a gnomic present used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact. 2. It does not say that something is happening, but that something does happen.


36

3. The action or state continues without time limits and is used in proverbial statements or general maxims about what occurs at all times.

4. The gnomic present is distinct from the customary present in that the customary present refers to a regularly recurring action while the gnomic present refers to a general, timeless fact.

5. It is distinct from the stative present (a subcategory of the customary) in that the stative present involves a temporal restriction while the gnomic present is generally atemporal.

6. There are two predominant semantic situations in which the gnomic present occurs. 7. The first includes instances that depict deity or nature as the subject of the action. 8. Statements such as “the wind blows” or “God loves” fit this category. 9. Such gnomic presents are true all the time. 10. There is a second kind of gnomic, slightly different in definition: the use of the present in generic

statements to describe something that is true any time (rather than a universal statement that is true all the time).

11. This kind of gnomic present is more common, thus, pragmatically, it is helpful to note a particular grammatical intrusion: A gnomic verb typically takes a generic subject or object.

12. Most generics will be subjects. 13. The gnomic present of the verb eimi here in 1 John 1:9 is used to make an absolute statement regarding the

character and nature of the Father, which is true of course of the Son and the Spirit. 14. The gnomic present indicates that the character and nature of the Father is as an eternal spiritual truth,

faithful and righteous. G. Stative Active

1. This is a stative active voice indicating the subject exists in the state indicated by the verb. 2. Therefore, the stative active voice of the verb estin indicates that the character of the Father is as an eternal

spiritual truth existing eternally in a state of being faithful and just. H. This is also a declarative indicative indicating that the statement that the character of the Father, is as an eternal

spiritual truth, faithful and just, is a dogmatic statement of Bible doctrine. I. We will translate estin, “is, as an eternal spiritual truth.” XV. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth.” XVI. Predicate Nominative Adjective A. We continue with our exegesis of 1 John 1:9 with the (predicate) nominative masculine singular adjective pistos

(pistov$). B. The adjective pistos has the following cognates:

1. Pisteuo (pivsteuvw) (verb), “to believe, to be confident in, to be convinced by.” 2. Pistis (pivsti$) (noun), “faith, doctrine, trust, confidence, belief.” 3. Pistoo (pivstovw) (verb), “to make faithful, to prove oneself faithful in something, to show oneself faithful.” 4. Apistos (a)pivstov$ ) (adjective), “unbelieving, faithless, unfaithful, incredible, untrustworthy.” 5. Apisteo (avpistevw) (verb), “to disbelieve, to distrust, to disobey, to be unfaithful, to betray a trust.” 6. Apistia (avpistiva) (noun), “unfaithfulness, distrust, a state of unbelief.” 7. Oligopistia (ovligopisto$ ) (noun), “little faith.” 8. Oligopistos (ovligopistiva) (adjective), “one of little faith, lacking trust.”

C. Classical 1. The adjective pistos basically means, “faithful, reliable, trustworthy.” 2. In classical literature, the word was used to describe persons who were “reliable, loyal.” 3. Pistos was also used of things that were “trustworthy, certain, genuine.” 4. It was also used substantively in the phrase to piston, “the faithful one.” 5. The term denotes a “pledge, security.” 6. The adjective pistos was used of those who stood in a contractual agreement and were described as

“trustworthy, faithful.” 7. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 1408):

a. Of persons, faithful, trusty; trustworthy, worthy of credit; genuine b. Of things, trustworthy, sure; deserving belief, credible


37

c. As substantive, pledge, security, warrant D. LXX

1. The adjective pistos was employed to translate the following Hebrew terms in the LXX: a. Àmun (wWma*), “faithful” (Prv. 14:5; 20:6). b. Èmunah (hnWmA$), “faithfulness” (Dt. 32:4). c. Àman (wmâ*), niphal: “be faithful, be firm” (Nm. 12:7; 1 Sm. 2:35; Is. 22:23). d. Àman (wmâ&), haphel: “something trustworthy” (Dn. 2:45-Aramaic). e. Èmesh (vm#a#), “truthful” (Prv. 14:25). f. Yether (rt#y#), “remainder, excellent” (Prv. 17:7). g. Tsaddiq (qyR!x)̂, “righteous” (Jb. 17:9).

2. Pistos is used to describe God as “faithful” (Dt. 7:9; cf. Is. 49:7). 3. The Lord is described as a rock because His faithfulness is immutable. 4. Therefore, He keeps His covenants with those who trust Him such as with David (Ps. 89:28 [LXX 88:28]). 5. At the same time, God chooses “faithful” men to execute His will such as Samuel (1 S. 2:35; 3:20 [LXX 1

K. 2:35; 3:20]). 6. Abraham is described in Nehemiah 9:8 as possessing a “faithful” heart in his relationship with the Lord. 7. In non-canonical portions of the LXX, the prophecies of Isaiah are described as “reliable” (Sir. 48:22). 8. Those who testify of God are described as pistos (Is. 8:2).

E. NT 1. The adjective pistos appears 68 times in the Greek New Testament. 2. Often the word in the Greek New Testament means, “faithful” and is used to describe believers (e.g.

Moses, Abraham, Antipas, Onesimus, Paul and Silvanus) in their relationship with the Lord (Mt. 24:45; 25:21, 23; Lk. 12:42; 16:10, 11, 12; 19:17; Acts 16:15; 1 C. 4:2; 4:17; Gal. 3:9; Eph. 1:1; 6:21; Col. 1:2, 7; 4:7, 9; 1 Tm. 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tm. 2:2; Heb. 3:2, 5; 1 Pet. 5:12; Rev. 2:10, 13; 17:14).

3. Our Lord uses the word where He tells Thomas to be “believing” in His resurrection from the dead (Jn. 20:27).

4. The adjective pistos means “faithful” when used to describe God and Christ (1 C. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:24; 2 Thess. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 2:17; 10:23; 1 Pet. 4:19; 1 Jn. 1:9; Rev. 1:5; 3:14; 19:11).

5. Pistos is used many times to describe the Scriptures as “true, trustworthy, and dependable” (1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim. 2:11; Tit. 1:9; 3:8; Rev. 21:5; 22:6).

6. Several times in the Greek New Testament the word is used as a substantive to describe those who have trusted Christ for salvation and thus should be translated “believer, believers” (Acts 10:45; 16:1; 2 C. 6:15; 1 Tim. 4:3; 10, 12; 5:16; 6:2; Tit. 1:6; 1 Pet. 1:21).

7. The word is used of God in 2 Cor. 1:18 of God who is described by Paul as “trustworthy.” 8. The adjective is employed as an adverb in 3 Jn. 5 and means, “faithfully.” 9. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “pistos, a verbal adjective, akin to peitho (see FAITH), is

used in two senses, (a) passive, "faithful, to be trusted, reliable," said of God, e. g., 1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Cor 1:18 (KJV, "true"); 2 Tim 2:13; Heb 10:23; 11:11; 1 Peter 4:19; 1 John 1:9; of Christ, e. g., 2 Thess 3:3; Heb 2:17; 3:2; Rev 1:5; 3:14; 19:11; of the words of God, e. g., Acts 13:34, "sure"; 1 Tim 1:15; 3:1 (KJV, "true"); 4:9; 2:11; 1:9; 3:8; 21:5; 22:6; of servants of the Lord, Matt 24:45; 25:21,23; Acts 16:15; 1 Cor 4:2,17; 7:25; Eph 6:21; Col 1:7; 4:7,9; 1 Tim 1:12; 3:11; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 3:5; 1 Peter 5:12; 3 John 5; Rev 2:13; 17:14; of believers, Eph 1:1; Col 1:2; (b) active, signifying "believing, trusting, relying," e. g., Acts 16:1 (feminine); 2 Cor 6:15; Gal 3:9 seems best taken in this respect, as the context lays stress upon Abraham's "faith" in God, rather than upon his "faithfulness." In John 20:27 the context requires the active sense, as the Lord is reproaching Thomas for his want of "faith." See No. 2. With regard to believers, they are spoken of sometimes in the active sense, sometimes in the passive, i. e., sometimes as believers, sometimes as "faithful." See Lightfoot on Galatians, p. 155. Note: In 3 John 5 the RV has "thou doest a faithful work," for KJV, "thou doest faithfully." The lit. rendering is "thou doest (poieo) a faithful thing, whatsoever thou workest (ergazo)." That would not do as a translation. To do a "faithful" work is to do what is worthy of a "faithful" man. The KJV gives a meaning but is not exact as a translation. Westcott suggests "thou makest sure (piston) whatsoever thou workest" (i. e., it will not lose its reward). The change between poieo, "to do," and ergazo, "to work," must be maintained. Cf. Matt 26:10 (ergazo and ergon).

10. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 664-665): a. Passively, trustworthy, faithful, dependable, inspiring trust or faith; of persons; of God; of things,

especially words


38

b. Actively, trusting, cherishing faith or trust; believing, full of faith, faithful; believing (in Christ), a (Christian) believer; believers

11. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 314): a. Faithful, true, trusty b. Put in trust c. True, veracious d. Credible, sure, certain, indubitable e. Believing, yielding belief and confidence f. Christian believer g. In a true hearted manner, right-mindedly

12. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (page 514): a. Trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution

of commands, or the discharge of official duties b. Easily persuaded; believing, confiding, trusting; one who is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and

the author of salvation 13. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2):

a. Pertaining to trusting – ‘one who trusts in, trusting’ (page 377). b. Pertaining to being trusted – ‘faithful, trustworthy, dependable, reliable’ (page 377). c. Pertaining to being sure, with the implication of being fully trustworthy- ‘sure’ (page 670).

14. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 3): a. Of persons, and things, faithful, dependable, credible, trustworthy b. Faithful in the sense of believing c. Believing d. Believers e. Christians

F. 1 John 1:9 1. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective pistos is used in the passive sense to describe the Father as “faithful.” 2. This adjective refers of course to an attribute of the Triune God. 3. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the adjective “faithful,” “strict or thorough in the

performance of duty; true to one’s word, promises, vows; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; reliable, trusted, or believed; adhering or true to fact or an original.”

4. They also state, “faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty or obligation.

5. If we paraphrase these definitions, we could say that the Father forgives the believer his sins experientially when the believer confesses his sins to the Father because: a. The Father is true to His promise in His Word to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son. b. The Father is steady in allegiance to His promise of the forgiveness of sins.

6. Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God as related to moral beings (Deut. 7:9; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 1:9).

7. Faithfulness is one of the relative attributes of God. 8. There are 2 categories of divine attributes:

a. Absolute b. Relative

9. God’s absolute attributes are those attributes, which are outside of man’s frame of reference. 10. His absolute attributes belong to the nature of God apart from His connection with the creation. 11. God’s absolute attributes cannot be comprehended. 12. His relative attributes can be understood. 13. They are related to our frame of reference. 14. His relative attributes are related to things in our frame of reference such as:

a. Time b. Space c. Creation d. Moral beings

15. God is absolute and man is relative. 16. God transcends time, space, creation and moral beings. 17. Man is confined to time.


39

18. The Attributes of God related to Moral Beings: a. Veracity and Faithfulness b. Mercy and Goodness (Ex. 22:27; 34:6; Psa. 116:5; 1 Pet. 2:3). c. Justice and Righteousness

19. What does John mean when he states that God is faithful or in other words, to what is God faithful? 20. As we will note God is faithful to His promises found in the Old Testament, which speak of the forgiveness

of sins. 21. The promise of the forgiveness of sins is of course rooted in the Old Testament. 22. Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not

remember your sins.” 23. Ps 103:12-13, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”

24. Isa 53:11, “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities.”

25. Ezek 36:24-26, “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

26. Jer 31:34, “They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

27. Mic 7:18-20, “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old.”

28. God is faithful to His promises in the Old Testament to forgive sins. 29. This is what John is referring to here in 1 John 1:9. 30. The voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union paid

the penalty for every sin in human history-past, present and future and is the basis for the forgiveness of sins.

31. 1 John 2:12, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake.”

32. Our Lord in the institution of the Lord’s Table speaks of this promise of the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross, which is denoted by the phrase “My blood.”

33. Matt 26:28, “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

34. As we noted the reference to our Lord’s “blood” in Scripture is a representative analogy for His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death.

35. Therefore, the promise of the forgiveness of sins is related to this substitutionary spiritual death of Christ, which is denoted in 1 John 1:7 as the “blood of Jesus.”

36. 1 John 1:7, “On the other hand, if any of us does live in the light (in the presence of the Father by living according to the standards of His holiness) just as He Himself is, as an eternal spiritual truth, in essence that light (holy), then, we, as an eternal spiritual truth, do experience fellowship with one another (with the Father) and furthermore, the blood of Jesus, His Son, as an eternal spiritual truth, does cause us to be purified from each and every sin.”

37. The apostle Paul refers to it as well. 38. Eph 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of His grace.” 39. Col 1:14, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 40. Therefore, the Father is faithful to His promise to forgive sin, and which forgiveness of sins was based

upon the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, which is referred to as the “blood of Jesus” in 1 John 1:7 and “My blood” in Matthew 26:28 and “His blood” in Ephesians 1:7.


40

41. The apostles proclaimed that this promise of the forgiveness of sins is appropriated through faith in the Lord Jesus because in Him is the fulfillment of all the promises that were made through the Old Testament prophets.

42. 2 Cor 1:18-20, “But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us -- by me and Silvanus and Timothy -- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

43. Acts 2:14-41, “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this, which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET. Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

44. Acts 10:34-44, “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) you yourselves know the thing, which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God


41

raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.”

45. Acts 13:16-39, “Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance -- all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.’”

46. Acts 26:1-18, “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: ‘In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you


42

persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”

47. It is through faith alone in Christ alone that an individual receives the forgiveness of sins. 48. This forgiveness of sins is based entirely upon the merits of the Lord Jesus and His finished work on the

cross and for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven. 49. Rom 4:1-17, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has

found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

50. Eph 2:1-9, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

51. Rom 11:6, “But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace.”

52. Gal 2:16, “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

53. Gal 3:5-9, “So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.’ So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.”


43

54. Titus 3:5-7, “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

55. The believer is no longer under judgment because of his faith in Christ at the point of salvation. 56. John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already,

because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 57. John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has

eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” 58. The believer is no longer under condemnation because of his union with Christ through the baptism of the

Spirit. 59. Rom 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 60. Col 2:13-14, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He

made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

61. God remembers the believer’s sins no more because of the merits of Christ and His substitutionary spiritual death.

62. Heb 10:17, “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”

63. Heb 8:12, “FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

64. Ps 51:1-9, “For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones, which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.”

65. The New Covenant to Israel is mentioned by our Lord in instituting the Communion Service in Luke 22:20 and by Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:25.

66. The believer is restored to fellowship with God when he confesses his sins to the Father because the Father is faithful to His covenant and His promise to provide for the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon the substitutionary spiritual death of our Lord on the cross.

67. The believer’s sins are forgiven positionally because God is faithful to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

68. As we noted, in Christ all the promises of the Old Testament prophets are fulfilled including the forgiveness of sins.

69. The believer experiences, that which is true of himself positionally when he confesses his personal sins to the Father.

70. God is faithful to His covenant and promise to forgive the believer’s sins because He was propitiated meaning He is totally and completely satisfied with the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross as the payment for every sin in human history-past, present and future.

71. 1 John 2:1-2, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

72. So the believer who confesses his personal sins to the Father is in a sense reminding the Father of His covenant promise to forgive sins.

73. This is of course is from the human perspective since God does not need to be reminded. 74. The Father is true to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son.


44

75. His steadfast fidelity to His promise in His Word to forgive sins obligates the Father to forgive the believer his sins when he confesses them since the believer has met the requirements of the agreement at the moment of salvation when he expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

G. Predicate Nominative 1. The adjective pistos, “faithful” functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as a predicate nominative and is

making an assertion about the Father. 2. The predicate nominative is approximately the same as the subject and is joined to it by an equative verb,

whether stated or implied. 3. The equation of subject and predicate nominative does not necessarily or even normally imply complete

correspondence. 4. Rather, the predicate nominative normally describes a larger category (or state) to which the subject

belongs. 5. It is important to keep in mind, however, that there are two distinct types of subject - predicate nominative

constructions, which we will note. 6. The verbs used for this “equation” are, most frequently, eimi, ginomai, and huparcho. 7. In addition, the passives of some transitive verbs can also be used. 8. The usual relationship between the two is that the predicate nominative describes the class to which the

subject belongs. 9. This is known as a subset proposition where subject is a subset of predicate nominative. 10. But there is another, less frequent semantic relationship between subject and predicate nominative. 11. Sometimes called a convertible proposition, this construction indicates an identical exchange. 12. That is to say, both nouns have an identical referent. 13. The general principle for distinguishing subject from predicate nominative is that the subject is the known

entity. 14. This principle is valid for both kinds of subject - predicate nominative constructions. 15. In Greek equative clauses, the known entity (subject) will be distinguished from the predicate nominative

in one of three ways: a. The subject will be a pronoun, whether stated or implied in the verb. b. The subject will be articular. c. The subject will be a proper name.

16. The significance of the following three rules is that when only one nominative substantive has such a grammatical “tag,” the semantic relationship will be that of particular (subject) to class (predicate nominative).

17. That is, the construction will be a subset proposition. 18. When both substantives bear such grammatical tags, the “pecking” order is as follows:

a. The pronoun has greatest priority: It will be the subject regardless of what grammatical tag the other substantive has.

b. Articular nouns and proper names seem to have equal priority. In instances where one substantive is articular and the other is a proper name (or where both are articular), word order may be the determining factor.

19. Second, the semantic relationship in such instances is that of a convertible proposition. 20. That is to say, when both substantives meet one of the three qualifications for subject, then they become

interchangeable. 21. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective pistos, “faithful” functions grammatically as the predicate nominative

since the subject is a pronoun, “He (God the Father),” which is implied in the verb eimi. 22. The pronoun has the greatest priority and will be the subject regardless of what grammatical tag the other

substantive has. 23. This is a convertible proposition where the subject (“He”-God the Father) is interchangeable with the

predicate nominative pistos, “faithful”. 24. This means that both words have an identical referent meaning we could say not only that “God is faithful,”

but also that “faithful is God.” 25. There is a complete interchange between the pronoun “He” and the predicate nominative “faithful.”

H. Anarthrous First Predicate Position of the Adjective 1. The adjective pistos, “faithful” is a positive adjective. 2. The positive adjective focuses on the properties of a noun in terms of kind, not degree. 3. In a sense, it infers an absolute notion.


45

4. As a predicate nominative the adjective makes an assertion about God the Father who is the object of the assertion.

5. We have what is called an anarthrous adjective noun construction, which is composed of an anarthrous adjective followed by a noun.

6. The adjective pistos is in the anarthrous first predicate position to the subject “He,” (God the Father) who is implied in the copula eimi.

7. As we noted we have an equative clause where the subject, “He,” which is implied in the copula eimi, is interchangeable with the anarthrous adjective pistos, “faithful.”

8. An equative clause makes an assertion about the subject, thus its main verb whether expressed or implied is the copula.

9. In equative clauses the general rule is that an anarthrous adjective related to an anarthrous noun is normally predicate and this is especially true when the order is noun-adjective.

10. Here in 1 John 1:9 the anarthrous adjective pistos is predicate and is making an assertion about the anarthrous subject, namely, God the Father who is implied in the verb eimi.

I. We will translate the anarthrous adjective pistos, “faithful.” XVII. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful.” XVIII. Comparative Passages A. Deuteronomy 7:9, “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His

covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”

B. Lamentations 3:23, “They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.” C. Isa 49:7, “Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel and its Holy One, to the despised One, to the One

abhorred by the nation, to the Servant of rulers, ‘Kings will see and arise, princes will also bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel who has chosen You.’”

D. Hos 11:12, “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit; Judah is also unruly against God, even against the Holy One who is faithful.”

E. 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

F. Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”

G. Hebrews 11:11, “By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.”

H. 1 Cor 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

I. 2 Cor 1:18-20, “But as God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us -- by me and Silvanus and Timothy -- was not yes and no, but is yes in Him. For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

J. 1 Thess 5:24, “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” K. 2 Thess 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” L. Heb 10:23, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is

faithful.” M. 1 Peter 4:19, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a

faithful Creator in doing what is right.” N. Rev 1:5, “and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings

of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood.” O. Rev 3:14, “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the

Beginning of the creation of God.” P. Rev 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful

and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.”


46

XIX. Conjunction A. Next, we have the connective use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which means, “and.” B. The conjunction kai is used much more commonly in the NT than in literary Greek and with over 9,164

occurrences, it is, after o&, the most frequently occurring particle in the NT and 3 times more frequent than the next particle in frequency (dev ).

C. A.T. Robertson list 3 major uses of kai which appear in the NT as in all Greek (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, pages 1180-1181): 1. Adjunctive: also 2. Ascensive: even 3. Connective: and

D. Dana and Mantey list general classifications for the word (A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament, pages 250-252): 1. Transitional or continuative: and 2. Adjunctive: also 3. Ascensive: even 4. Emphatic: indeed, verily, really, in fact, yea, certainly

E. Liddel and Scott list the following classical usage and meanings (pages 857-858): 1. Even, also, just 2. Also 3. Frequently in apodosi, after temporal conjunction 4. With adverbs to give emphasis 5. With words expressing a minimum, even so much as, were it but, just 6. Just 7. Even, just, implying assent 8. Kai ei, even if, of a whole condition represented as an extreme case, opp. kai ei, although, notwithstanding

that, of a condition represented as immaterial even if fulfilled 9. Before a participle, to represent either kai ei, or ei kai.., although, albeit 10. Kai gar, for also, for in fact

F. Karl-Heinz Pridik list the following NT meanings for the word (Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament volume 2, pages 227-228): 1. In place of a temporal conjunction: as, after 2. In place of a relative pronoun: and 3. In place of a linking construction with hoti, a participle, or an infinitive with accusative: and 4. With a result, equivalent to and so/and then (in place of a dependent clause with that/so that) 5. With a purpose 6. With the main clause after a preceding dependent clause: then 7. Connecting a pair of words in place of some other constructions: for 8. Linking a question 9. Not for linking something new, but for deepening, explaining, or completing what has been said already, in

the sense of indeed/namely, or in combination with houtos: indeed 10. In an adversative relationship meaning but/and yet or although 11. Kai...kai most often emphasizes the additional and the special character of the combination, as in

(emphatic) and or both...and; also in contrast of terms or clause, as in on the one hand...on the other hand/and yet

G. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings and usage (pages 315-316): 1. It serves as a copulative i.e., to connect

a. Connects single words or terms b. Connects numerals; and so that (contrary to the more common usage) the greater number precedes. c. It joins to partitive words the general notion; so that it is equivalent to and in general, and in a word, in

short 2. Connects clauses and sentences

a. It links statement to statement b. It joins affirmative to negative sentences c. It annexes what follows from something said before (kai consecutive), so as to be equivalent to and so


47

d. With a certain rhetorical emphasis, it annexes something apparently at variance with what has been previously said; so that it is equivalent to and yet

e. It begins an apodosis, which is thus connected with the protasis f. It begins a question thrown out with a certain impassioned abruptness and containing an urgent

rejoinder to another’s speech, who then is he that etc., then there is no one who etc. g. It introduces parentheses

3. It annexes epexegetically both words and sentences (kai, epexegetical or ‘explicative’), so that it is equivalent to and indeed, namely

4. It connects whole narratives and expositions and thus forms a transition to new matters 5. Kai...kai, a repetition which indicates that of two things one takes place no less than the other: both...and, as

well...as, not only...but also 6. Te…kai 7. It marks something added to what has already been said, or that which something already said holds good;

accordingly it takes on the nature of an adverb, also a. Also b. Even c. Before a comparative it augments the gradation, even, still d. With a participle, although

8. Joined with pronouns and particles, also a. With comparative adverbs it augments the gradation, even, still b. Added to words designating cause, it marks something which follows of necessity from what has been

previously said c. After the interrogative ti, kai points the significance of the question, and may be rendered besides,

moreover d. Alla kai, but also e. De kai, and de..kai, but also, and also

H. Bauer, Gingrich and Danker list the following NT usages and meanings (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, pages 391-393): 1. Connective and

a. To connect single words: and (1) General (2) With numerals, with the larger number first (3) Adding the whole to the part and in general (4) The expression connected by kai can be united in the form of a hendiadys (5) A colloquial feature is the coordination of two verbs, one of which should be a participle

2. To connect clauses and sentences a. General b. As a connective where more discriminating usage would call for other particles c. It is also coordination rather than subordination when kai connects an expression of time with that

which occurs in the time d. Introducing an apodasis due to Hebr. Influence e. Connecting negative and affirmative clauses f. To introduce result, which comes from what precedes: and then, and so; especially after the imper. Or

expression of an imperatival nature; introduces a short clause that confirms the existence of something that ought to be

g. Emphasizing a fact as surprising or unexpected or noteworthy: and yet, and in spite of that, nevertheless

h. To introduce an abrupt question, which may often express wonder, ill-will, incredulity i. To introduce a parenthesis

3. Explicative 4. After polus and before a second adjective 5. Introducing something new with loose connection 6. Kai. kai both...and, not only..., but also 7. As an adverb also, likewise

a. Simply b. Ascensive: even


48

c. In sentences denoting a contrast d. With expressions that introduce cause or result e. After interrogative f. Used with a relative, it often gives greater independence to the following relative clause g. Used pleonastically with preposition h. With double names ho kai who is also called

I. The following is a comprehensive list of the word’s meanings when used by itself: 1. Connective or transitional: and 2. Adjunctive also 3. Ascensive: even 4. Emphatic: in fact, indeed 5. Epexegetic: namely, and so, that is 6. Correlative: both...and, not only...but also 7. Disjunctive: or 8. Consecutive: so that, resulting in or from, and then, and so 9. Intensive (after interrogative): then 10. Adversative: and yet, however, but 11. Temporal: as, after, until

J. The context ultimately determines the word’s meaning. K. 1 John 1:9

1. The conjunction kai is used here in 1 John 1:9 to connect two predicate nominative adjectives, which both make assertions regarding the character and nature of God the Father: a. Pistos (pistov$), “faithful.” b. Dikaios (dikaivo$), “just.”

2. These two words are attributes of the Triune God. 3. Therefore, the conjunction kai is expressing the “correlation” between the Father’s attribute of faithfulness

and His attribute of justice. 4. It expresses the perfect agreement between God the Father’s being faithful to forgive the believer his sins

when he confesses them to Him and His being just to forgive the believer his sins when he confesses these sins to the Father.

5. The Father can be both faithful to His covenant promise to forgive the believer his personal sins and just to forgive these personal sins because the Father’s righteous demands that the believer’s personal sins be judged have been propitiated or in other words, satisfied by the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross permits the Father

L. We will translate kai, “and.” XX. Predicate Nominative Adjective A. The adjective dikaios (divkaio$) has the following cognates:

1. Dikaiosune (dikaio$uvnh) (noun), “righteousness, equity, justice.” 2. Dikaioo (dikaiovw) (verb), “to justify, vindicate, acquit, pronounce as righteous, to set free.” 3. Dikaioma (dikaivwma) (noun), “requirement, commandment, righteous deed.” 4. Dikaios (dikaivw$) (adverb), “justly, rightly, properly, uprightly.” 5. Dikaiosis (dikaivwsi$) (noun), “acquittal, justification.” 6. Dikastes (dikasthv$) (noun), “judge.” 7. Dike (divkh) (noun), “penalty, punishment, judicial sentence.” 8. Dikaiokrisia (dikaiokrisiva) (noun), “righteous judgment.” 9. Adikeo (a)dikevw) (verb), “do wrong, injure, hurt, act unjustly.” 10. Adikia (a)dikiva) (noun), “injustice, wrong, unjust.” 11. Adikos (a)diko$) (adjective), “unjust, unrighteous.” 12. Adikos (a)diko$) (adverb), “unjustly, unfairly, without reason.” 13. Ekdikeo (e)kdikevw) (verb), “to avenge, take revenge, punish.” 14. Ekdikesis (e)kdikhsi$) (noun), “vengeance, punishment, vindication.” 15. Ekdikos (e)kdiko$) (adjective), “an avenger, the one who punishes or adjures.” 16. Katadikazao (katadikavzw) (verb), “condemn, find guilty, pronounce sentence against.”


49

17. Hupodikos (u(povdiko$) (adjective), “guilty, brought to trial, liable to punishment.” B. Classical

1. Dikaios is linked with the stem word divkh. 2. The adjective is multifaceted in classical writings. 3. It denotes connection with tradition or custom, and therefore, applied to a person, indicates “one who

conforms, who is civilized, who observes custom” (Homer, Odyssey, 6, 119 ff.). 4. It denotes obligations to men and to God, and therefore, indicates “one who fulfills obligations towards

men,” the fulfillment of religious duties being often linked therewith. 5. The righteous man (dikaios) was originally one whose behavior fitted into the framework of his society and

who fulfilled his rightful obligations towards the gods and his fellow-man (Homer Odyssey 13, 209). 6. Dikaios describes persons who, according to social standards, are “civilized, upright,” or “decent.” 7. In Josephus, dikaios can include both the fear of God and goodwill to men (Antiquities, 2.6.4; 11.3.6;

12.43). 8. Dikaios is a dominant term in the legal sphere. 9. It echoes the language of the courts and can mean “lawful, just.” 10. But by far the most important role this term is its function in the realm of ethics, which naturally is bound

to law. 11. It denotes an existing and controllable habit of the man himself, and in the further development of the

concept, in the history of ethics, we are always concerned with an existing state, which man expresses. 12. As a legal term meaning vis-à-vis the law, conforming to the existing, static, social order. 13. It is particularly common as a neuter noun in the sense of “that which is [legally and ethically] right”

(Aristotle, Eth. Nic. 1129a, 34). 14. Dikaion came to mean “a legal claim,” while dikaia means “the contracts and obligations existing between

men.” 15. A man is righteous “who observes legal norms.” 16. This is true in relation to judicial processes, and civil duties. 17. The dikaios observes the laws. 18. Josephus employs the word to describe the heroes whom he extols (Antiquities, 7, 110; 9, 216). 19. His usage of the word is no different than the Hellenistic usage of the word. 20. It has 2 senses in the writings of Josephus which coincide with the Hellenistic usage:

a. Faithful to the law b. Virtuous

21. Philo employs the word in the list of virtues (Leg. All. II, 18). 22. Both Josephus and Philo used dikaios in reference to “things” as “proper, right,” or “fitting.” 23. This usage becomes even more common as papyri confirm. 24. Nevertheless, its forensic nature seems always in the background. 25. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 429):

a. Of persons, observant of custom or rule; of social rule, well-ordered, civilized; good citizen b. Observant of duty to gods and men, righteous c. Ho dikaios, euphem. Of a sacred snake d. Equal, even, well-balanced e. Legally exact, precise f. Lawful, just, right g. Adverbially, justly h. Of persons and things, meet and right, fitting i. Normal j. Real, genuine k. Really, truly l. Adverbially, with reason

C. LXX 1. Dikaios occurs extensively in the LXX where it appears approximately 180 times in the LXX. 2. Dikaios is used primarily to translate the Hebrew term tsaddiq (qyD!x)̂, “just, righteous” (Dt. 4:8; 2 Chr.

12:6; Ez. 18:5) and is used to translate many other Hebrew terms: a. ‘Emeth (tm#a#$) (noun), “faithfulness, reliability, firmness, truth.” b. Din (/yD!) (noun), “legal matter.”


50

c. Chesedh (ds#j#) (noun), “grace, grace-love.” d. Tahor (rwhF*) (adjective), “clean, pure.” e. Yashar (rv*y*) (noun), “straight, reliable, upright, level.” f. Yosher (rv#y) (noun), “straightness, uprightness.” g. Mishpat (fP*vm!) (noun), “judgment, justice, ordinance.” h. Nadhiv (byd!n*) (adjective), “willing, ready, noble.” i. Naqi (yq!n*) (adjective), “exempt, free, innocent.” j. Naqam (sq*n*) (noun), “vengeance.” k. Tsedheq (qd#x#) (noun), “righteousness.” l. Tsedhaqah (hq*d*x=) (noun), “righteousness, justice.” m. Shalem (sl@v*) (adjective), “complete, peaceable.” n. Tamim (sym~t*) (adjective), “complete, without blemish, faultless.”

3. The Old Testament’s understanding colors the meaning of the Greek rather than vice versa. 4. Its meaning in the New Testament is also shaped by the Hebrew rather than the Hellenistic understanding. 5. Dikaios moves away from its ethical and forensic moorings to a relational position. 6. The dikaios one is the one who “fulfills his duties towards God and the theocratic society, meeting God’s

claim in this relationship.” 7. God is dikaios “just” not only in His judgments but also in His “uprightness.” 8. The association of God’s “just” character with His salvation forms the foundation of the New Testament

understanding of the word. 9. God is dikaios, not merely as the righteous Judge who exercises perfect justice, but also as the One who

provides salvation. 10. God is called dikaios in Hellenistic Judaism since He is the One who is infallibly consistent in the

normative self-determination of His own nature. 11. He maintains unswerving faithfulness in the fulfillment of His promises and covenant agreements. 12. The Messiah is called dikaios, “righteous” because His entire nature and action are in conformity with the

norm of the divine will. 13. The Synagogue is fond of the designation “the Messiah our righteousness.” 14. There are several passages, which relate to the concept of a righteous Messiah (Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15; Zech.

9:9). 15. Righteousness is a mark of the Messianic reign.

D. NT 1. The adjective dikaios appears 82 times in the NT. 2. The word appears most often in Matthew and the writings of Paul. 3. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2):

a. Pertaining to being in accordance with what God requires – ‘righteous, just’ (page 744). b. Pertaining to being in a right relationship with someone – ‘being in a right relation with, one who has

been put right with, righteous’ (page 543). c. Pertaining to being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified – ‘proper, right’ (page 627).

4. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 148-149): a. Righteous, observing divine and human laws; one who is such as he ought to be b. In a wide sense, upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God c. That which regard for duty demands, what is right d. Innocent, faultless, guiltless e. Preeminently, of him whose way of thinking, feeling, and acting is wholly conformed to the will of

God, and who therefore needs no rectification in heart or life; in this sense Christ alone can be called dikaios; of God, holy, just, righteous

f. Contextually, approved of God, acceptable to God g. In a narrower sense, rendering to each his due; and that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on

others, whether expressed in words or show by the manner of dealing with them; so of God recompensing men impartially according to their deeds; what is agreeable to justice and law

5. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 102): a. Used of things, just, equitable, fair b. Of persons, just, righteous, absolutely c. Righteous by account and acceptance


51

d. In ordinary usage, just, upright, innocent, pious e. The Just One, one of the distinctive titles of the Messiah

6. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 195-196): a. Of men, upright, just, righteous b. Of God c. Of Jesus who, as the ideal of righteousness in sense 1 and 2 is called simply ho dikaios d. Of things, innocent, righteous e. The neuter denotes that which is obligatory in view of certain requirements of justice

7. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “dikaios was first used of persons observant of dike, "custom, rule, right," especially in the fulfillment of duties towards gods and men, and of things that were in accordance with right. The Eng. word "righteous" was formerly spelt "rightwise," i. e., (in a) straight way. In the NT it denotes "righteous," a state of being right, or right conduct, judged whether by the divine standard, or according to human standards, of what is right. Said of God, it designates the perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard for all men). See RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is used (1) in the broad sense, of persons: (a) of God, e. g., (John 17:25; Rom. 3:26; 1 John 1:9; 2:29; 3:7); (b) of Christ, e. g., (Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14; 2 Tim. 4:8; 1 Pet. 3:18; 1 John 2:1); (c) of men, (Matt. 1:19; Luke 1:6; Rom. 1:17; 2:13; 5:7). (2) of things; blood (metaphorical), (Matt. 23:35); Christ's judgment, (John 5:30); any circumstance, fact or deed, (Matt. 20:4) (v. 7), in some mss.; (Luke 12:57; Acts 4:19; Eph. 6:1; Phil. 1:7; 4:8; Col. 4:1; 2 Thes. 1:6); "the commandment" (the Law), (Rom. 7:12); works, (1 John 3:12), the ways of God, (Rev. 15:3).”

E. 1 John 1:9 1. The adjective dikaios here in 1 John 1:9 is used to make an assertion about the character and nature of God

the Father. 2. It describes the attribute of the Father’s justice. 3. The adjective pistos, “faithful” is related to the promise of the forgiveness of sins whereas the adjective

dikaios, “just” is related to the execution of that promise. 4. The Father, because of His perfect, immutable nature, always administers perfect justice. 5. Here in 1 John 1:9, John describes the Father’s as dikaios, “just” because the Father executes the

judgments of His government that are in perfect agreement with His perfect character and nature and that are also based upon the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

6. Therefore, He is dikaios, “just” to execute the law of the forgiveness of sins that is based upon the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

7. It also denotes the agreement between the Father’s nature and His acts. 8. The adjective dikaios here in 1 John 1:9 should be translated “just,” rather than “righteous” since the

former more accurately expresses the meaning of the word in the Greek. 9. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the adjective “righteous,” “characterized by

uprightness or morality; morally right or justifiable; acting in an upright, moral way; virtuous.” 10. They define the adjective “just,” “guided by truth, reason, justice and fairness; done or made according to

principle; equitable; proper; based on right; rightful, lawful; agreeable to truth or fact; true; correct; given or awarded rightly; deserved; as a sentence, punishment, reward; in accordance with standards or requirements; proper or right; especially in Biblical use, righteous.”

11. If we paraphrase the definition of “just” we could say that the Father is dikaios, “just” to forgive the believer his personal sins when he confesses them to the Father because: a. The Father is guided by His attribute of truth, which proclaims the forgiveness of sins to those who

have believed in His Son. b. The Father is guided by His attribute of justice, which executes the judgment of the forgiveness of sins

because the righteous demands of the Father have been propitiated by the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross.

c. The Father always operates according to His perfect principles. d. The Father is equitable because His righteous demands have been propitiated by the merits of the

voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross.

e. The Father always does everything based upon what is right, rightful and lawful and it is right, rightful and lawful to forgive the believer’s his sins when he confesses them because the Father’s righteous


52

demands that the believer’s sins be judged have been propitiated by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

f. The Father always does what is agreeable to His attribute of truth, which proclaims the forgiveness of sins to those who have expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

g. The Father rightly rewards the believer with the forgiveness of his sins experientially when he confesses them to the Father because the Father’s righteous demands that the believer’s sins be judged has been propitiated by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

h. The Father always operates according to His perfect standards and principles because of perfect holy character and nature.

12. The Father is dikaios, “just” to forgive the believer his sins experientially because the Father always fulfills His promise and His covenant agreement to forgive sins based upon the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

13. Those who have expressed faith alone in Christ alone enter into that covenant promise and agreement that provides the forgiveness of sins.

14. The believer’s confession of sins to the Father points the Father’s attention to His covenant agreement and promise to forgive sin.

15. The believer’s confession of his personal sins to the Father obligates the Father to execute His promise of the forgiveness of sins because the believer has met the requirements of this agreement at the moment of salvation when he expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

16. The believer experiences the forgiveness of his sins because of the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross have propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that these sins be judged.

17. Positionally, the believer sins have been forgiven at the moment of salvation but he experiences the forgiveness of sins not only at the moment of salvation but also after salvation when he confesses his sins to the Father.

18. The justice and righteousness of God are relative attributes related to both men and angels. 19. What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes. 20. The righteousness of God demands that the believer’s sins be judged. 21. The Father, because of His attributes of mercy and love did not want to judge the believer for his sins but

rather provided a Substitute, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ. 22. Every sin in human history-past, present and future was judicially imputed to the impeccable humanity of

Christ in hypostatic union and He was judged for these sins. 23. The penalty for these sins was separation from the Father. 24. This occurred the last 3 hours on the cross. 25. Matt 27:46, “About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘ELI, ELI, LAMA

SABACHTHANI?’ that is, ‘MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?’” 26. The impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union paid the penalty with His voluntary substitutionary

spiritual death on the cross. 27. Voluntary refers to the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ chose to go to the cross even though it meant that in

His human nature He would suffer loss of fellowship with the Father. 28. Substitutionary means that Christ died in our place as our perfect sacrifice for sin. 29. Spiritual death refers to separation from the Father. 30. The Father was propitiated or in other words, totally and completely or perfectly satisfied with the

voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

31. Therefore, the Father can forgive every sin committed in human history-past, present and future because of the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

32. The Lord’s death has merit with the Father because the Son remained experientially pure in His human nature or in other words, He remained impeccable.

33. The Father’s righteousness demanded a perfect individual to make atonement for the sins of the entire human race.

34. This was typified in the selection of animal for the Levitical sacrifices (Lev. 1-5). 35. The Father provided this perfect, impeccable individual, namely His Son.


53

36. So the righteousness of God demanded that the sins of every person in history-past, present and future should be judged and the justice of God executed that judgment upon the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

37. The covenant promise of the forgiveness of sins is made possible without compromising the divine integrity because the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that sin be judged.

38. The forgiveness of sin is based upon the “blood of Jesus,” which again is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross.

39. The believer enters into this promise of the forgiveness of sins through faith alone in Christ alone. 40. Eph 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of His grace.” 41. Col 1:14, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 42. Matt 26:28, “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of

sins.” 43. Acts 2:38, “Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for

the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 44. Acts 5:31, “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant

repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” 45. Acts 10:43, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in

Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 46. Acts 13:38, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is

proclaimed to you.” 47. Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion

of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'”

48. The Father rightly and lawfully forgives the believer his sins when the believer confesses these sins to the Father because the believer has met the requirements of this covenant promise through faith alone in Christ alone.

49. The believer is justified through faith alone in Christ alone. 50. The believer receives the forgiveness of sins at the moment of salvation because he has been justified by

his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of His merits as a Person and the merits of His work on the cross, the believer is justified and receives the forgiveness of sins.

51. Paul in Romans 4 teaches this principle of justification by faith. 52. Rom 4, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For

if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS


54

HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

53. It is only fair of the Father to forgive the believer his sins when the believer confesses these sins to Him because the believer has met the requirements of this covenant promise through faith alone in Christ alone.

54. The Father is operating in accordance with His own perfect, holy standards and requirements when He forgives the believer his sins since the believer has expressed faith in Christ who propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that sin be judged.

55. The believer is not only saved and receives positionally the forgiveness of all his sins-past, present and future based upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the cross but he also receives the forgiveness of sins experientially and is restored to fellowship after salvation based upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the cross.

56. Since God’s righteous demands have been met that sin be judged with the death of Christ and His justice has been served through the death of Christ, the Father is free to extend the forgiveness of sins to anyone who expresses faith alone in Christ alone.

57. The Father is not only faithful in extending that offer of forgiveness but He is also just in the execution of that offer as well.

58. It is also essential to understand that the advocacy of the Son at the Father’s right also serves to assure the believer that his sins are forgiven experientially when he confesses them to the Father (1 John 2:1).

59. The Son’s presence at the right hand of the Father serves as a protection for the believer against the accusations of Satan regarding the believer’s sins (Zech. 3:1-2; 1 Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 12:10).

60. The Son acts as a defense attorney for the believer when the believer commits an act of sin and the Lord is offering intercessory prayer to the Father on behalf of the believer as part of His Great High Priesthood.

F. Predicate Nominative 1. The adjective dikaios, “just” functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as a predicate nominative and is

making an assertion about the Father. 2. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective dikaios, “just” functions grammatically as the predicate nominative since

the subject is a pronoun, “He (God the Father),” which is implied in the verb eimi. 3. The pronoun has the greatest priority and will be the subject regardless of what grammatical tag the other

substantive has. 4. This is a convertible proposition where the subject (“He”-God the Father) is interchangeable with the

predicate nominative dikaios, “just” meaning that both words have an identical referent meaning we could say not only that “God is just,” but also that “just is God.”

5. There is a complete interchange between the pronoun, “He” and the predicate nominative “just.” G. Anarthrous Second Predicate Position of the Adjective

1. The adjective dikaios, “just” is a positive adjective. 2. The positive adjective focuses on the properties of a noun in terms of kind, not degree. 3. In a sense, it infers an absolute notion. 4. As a predicate nominative the adjective makes an assertion about God the Father who is the object of the

assertion. 5. We have what is called an anarthrous noun adjective construction, which is composed of an anarthrous

noun followed by an adjective. 6. The adjective dikaios is in the anarthrous second predicate position to the subject “He,” (God the Father)

who is implied in the copula eimi. 7. As we noted we have an equative clause where the subject, “He,” which is implied in the copula eimi, is

interchangeable with the anarthrous adjective dikaios, “just.” 8. An equative clause makes an assertion about the subject, thus its main verb whether expressed or implied is

the copula.


55

9. In equative clauses the general rule is that an anarthrous adjective related to an anarthrous noun is normally predicate and this is especially true when the order is noun-adjective.

10. Here in 1 John 1:9 the anarthrous adjective dikaios is predicate and is making an assertion about the anarthrous subject, namely, God the Father who is implied in the verb eimi.

H. We will translate the anarthrous adjective dikaios, “just.” XXI. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just” XXII. Comparative Passages A. Old Testament

1. Deut 10:18, “He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the alien by giving him food and clothing.”

2. Deut 32:4, “The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.”

3. Job 5:15-27, “And the poor from the hand of the mighty. So the helpless has hope, and unrighteousness must shut its mouth. Behold, how happy is the man whom God reproves, so do not despise the discipline of the Almighty. For He inflicts pain, and gives relief; He wounds, and His hands also heal. From six troubles He will deliver you, Even in seven evil will not touch you. In famine He will redeem you from death, And in war from the power of the sword. You will be hidden from the scourge of the tongue, and you will not be afraid of violence when it comes. You will laugh at violence and famine, and you will not be afraid of wild beasts. For you will be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you. You will know that your tent is secure, for you will visit your abode and fear no loss. You will know also that your descendants will be many, and your offspring as the grass of the earth. You will come to the grave in full vigor, like the stacking of grain in its season. Behold this; we have investigated it, and so it is. Hear it, and know for yourself.”

4. Job 29:14, “I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban.” 5. Job 34, “Then Elihu continued and said, ‘Hear my words, you wise men, and listen to me, you who

know. For the ear tests words As the palate tastes food. Let us choose for ourselves what is right; Let us know among ourselves what is good. For Job has said, ‘I am righteous, But God has taken away my right; Should I lie concerning my right? My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression. What man is like Job, Who drinks up derision like water, who goes in company with the workers of iniquity, and walks with wicked men? For he has said, "It profits a man nothing when he is pleased with God. Therefore, listen to me, you men of understanding. Far be it from God to do wickedness, And from the Almighty to do wrong. For He pays a man according to his work, and makes him find it according to his way. Surely, God will not act wickedly, and the Almighty will not pervert justice. Who gave Him authority over the earth? And who has laid on Him the whole world? If He should determine to do so, If He should gather to Himself His spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust. But if you have understanding, hear this; Listen to the sound of my words. Shall one who hates justice rule? And will you condemn the righteous mighty One, Who says to a king, "Worthless one,' To nobles, "Wicked ones'; Who shows no partiality to princes Nor regards the rich above the poor, For they all are the work of His hands? In a moment they die, and at midnight People are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away without a hand. For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, And He sees all his steps. There is no darkness or deep shadow where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For He does not need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment. He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and sets others in their place. Therefore He knows their works, And He overthrows them in the night, and they are crushed. He strikes them like the wicked In a public place, because they turned aside from following Him, And had no regard for any of His ways; So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, And that He might hear the cry of the afflicted -- When He keeps quiet, who then can condemn? And when He hides His face, who then can behold Him, That is, in regard to both nation and man? --So that godless men would not rule nor be snares of the people. For has anyone said to God, 'I have borne chastisement; I will not offend anymore; Teach me what I do not see; If I have done iniquity, I will not do it again'? Shall He recompense on


56

your terms, because you have rejected it? For you must choose, and not I; Therefore declare what you know. Men of understanding will say to me, and a wise man who hears me, Job speaks without knowledge, and his words are without wisdom. Job ought to be tried to the limit, because he answers like wicked men. For he adds rebellion to his sin; He claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God.’”

6. Ps 9:16-20, “Higgaion Selah. The wicked will return to Sheol, even all the nations who forget God. For the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted perish forever. Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men. Selah.”

7. Ps 33:5, “He loves righteousness and justice; The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.” 8. Ps 37:28, “For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His godly ones; They are preserved

forever, but the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.” 9. Ps 72:2, “May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.” 10. Ps 89:14, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Lovingkindness and truth go

before You.” 11. Ps 97:2, “Clouds and thick darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of

His throne.” 12. Ps 99:4, “The strength of the King loves justice; You have established equity; You have executed

justice and righteousness in Jacob.” 13. Ps 111:7, “The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are sure.” 14. Isa 30:18, “Therefore the LORD longs to be gracious to you, and therefore He waits on high to have

compassion on you. For the LORD is a God of justice; How blessed are all those who long for Him.” 15. Isa 42:1-4, “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have

put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry out or raise His voice, nor make His voice heard in the street. A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish; He will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”

16. Isa 61:8, “For I, the LORD, love justice, I hate robbery in the burnt offering; And I will faithfully give them their recompense and make an everlasting covenant with them.”

17. Jer 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things," declares the LORD.”

18. Dan 4:37, “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

19. Zech 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

B. New Testament 1. Matt 12:18-21, “BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM

MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE.”

2. Luke 7:29, “When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John.”

3. John 5:30, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

4. John 17:25, “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.”

5. Acts 3:14, “But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you.”

6. Acts 7:52, “Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.”


57

7. Acts 22:14, “And he said, ‘The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear an utterance from His mouth.’”

8. Rom 3:26, “for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

9. 2 Tim 4:8, “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

10. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

11. 1 John 2:29, “If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

12. 1 John 3:7, “Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.”

13. Rev 15:3, “And they sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, ‘Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations!’”

14. Rev 16:5, “And I heard the angel of the waters saying, ‘Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things.’”

15. Rev 16:7, “And I heard the altar saying, ‘Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.’”

16. Rev 19:2, “BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.”

XXIII. Dependent Adverbial Conjunctive Result Clause A. John then employs the conjunction hina (i%na) with subjunctive mood of the verb aphe (a)fh~|) in order to express

a dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause. B. Dependent (Hypotactic) Clause

1. There are 2 categories of clauses: a. Paratactic: When 2 or more clauses are connected in a coordinate relation constituting a compound

sentence. b. Hypotactic: When 1 clause is subordinate to another constituting a complex sentence.

2. When 2 or more clauses are connected in a coordinate relation, they constitute what is known as a compound sentence.

3. The distinctive feature of the compound sentence is that in its structure no clause is subordinate to another, but all are in coordinate or paratactic relation (parataktoV$, “arranged alongside”).

4. When one clause is subordinate to another, the relation is called hypotactic (uJpotakto$, “arranged under”), and the technical name for the sentence is complex.

5. The common practice of the Greek language was that each clause be connected with the preceding by some connective word.

6. The term for the lack of such a connective is asyndeton (sVsuVndeto$), “not bound together.” 7. A dependent clause is a clause that stands in a substantival or subordinate (hypotactic) relationship to

another clause, either an independent clause or another dependent clause. 8. Here we have a hypotactic clause, which means that it is dependent upon verse 11 to make sense. 9. Robertson provides the following is a list of hypotactic or dependent sentences (A Greek Grammar of the

New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, pages 950-1001): a. Relative b. Causal c. Comparative d. Local e. Temporal f. Final and consecutive g. Wishes h. Conditional i. Indirect discourse


58

10. Dependent clauses can be analyzed in terms of structural form or syntactical function. C. There are three broad syntactical functions to dependent clauses:

1. Substantival 2. Adjectival 3. Adverbial.

D. This function of the dependent substantival clause can be expressed by the following structural forms: 1. Infinitival clauses: contain an infinitive. 2. Participial clauses: contain a participle. 3. Conjunctive clauses: introduced by a subordinate conjunction. 4. Relative clauses: introduced by

a. A relative pronoun (o{ [who, which]) b. A relative adjective (oi|o [such as, as], o{so [as much/many as]) c. A relative adverb (e.g., o{pou [where], o{te [when]).

E. Substantival Clause: In this usage the dependent clause functions like a noun and can be expressed by the following structural forms: 1. Substantival infinitive clause 2. Substantival participial clause 3. Substantival conjunctive clause 4. Substantival relative pronoun clause

F. Basic Uses of Substantival Clauses 1. Subject

a. Substantival infinitive (e.g., Heb 10:31) b. Substantival participle (e.g., John 3:18) c. o{ti + indicative mood (e.g., Gal 3:11) d. i{na + subjunctive mood (e.g., 1 Cor 4:2) e. Relative pronoun o{ (e.g., Matt 13:12)

2. Predicate Nominative a. Substantival infinitive (e.g., Rom 1:12) b. Substantival participle (e.g., John 4:26) c. i{na + subjunctive (e.g., John 4:34)

3. Direct Object a. Substantival infinitive (e.g., 1 Tim 2:8) b. Substantival participle (e.g., Phil 3:17) c. o{ti + indicative (e.g., John 3:33) d. i{na + subjunctive (e.g., Matt 12:16) e. Relative pronoun o{ (e.g., Luke 11:6)

4. Indirect Discourse a. Substantival infinitive (e.g., Luke 24:23; 1 Cor 11:18) b. Substantival participle (e.g., Acts 7:12; 2 Thess 3:11) c. o{ti + indicative (e.g., Matt 5:17; John 4:1)

5. Apposition a. Substantival infinitive (e.g., Jas 1:27) b. o{ti + indicative (e.g., Luke 10:20) c. i{na + subjunctive (e.g. John 17:3)

G. Adjectival Clauses: The dependent clause may function like an adjective and modify a noun, noun phrase, or other substantive and can be expressed by the following structural forms: 1. Epexegetical infinitive clause 2. (Attributive) adjectival participial clause 3. Conjunctive clause 4. Relative pronoun and relative adjective clauses

H. Basic Uses of Adjectival Clauses: Every adjectival clause describes, explains, or restricts a noun, pronoun, or other substantive. It has no functional subcategories. The following structural forms express this basic function: 1. Epexegetical infinitive (e.g., Rom 1:15) 2. Adjectival participle (e.g., 2 Cor 3:3) 3. o{ti + indicative mood (e.g., Luke 8:25)


59

4. i{na + subjunctive mood (e.g., John 2:25) 5. Relative pronoun clause (e.g., Eph 6:17; 1 John 2:7)

I. Adverbial Clause: In this usage the dependent clause functions like an adverb in that it modifies a verb and can be expressed by the following structures: 1. Infinitival clause 2. Adverbial Participial clause 3. Conjunctive clause 4. Relative pronoun and relative adverb clause

J. Basic Uses of Adverbial Clauses 1. Cause (all four constructions)

a. Infinitive (e.g., Jas 4:2) b. Adverbial participle (e.g., Rom 5:1) c. o{ti + indicative (e.g., Eph 4:25) d. Relative pronoun oi{tine" (e.g., Rom 6:2)

2. Comparison (conjunctive and relative clauses) a. Kaqw$ + indicative (e.g., Eph 4:32) b. Relative adjective o{so" (e.g., Rom 6:2)

3. Concession (all four constructions except infinitive clauses) a. Adverbial participle (e.g., Phil 2:6) b. eij kaiv + indicative (e.g., Luke 11:8) c. Relative pronoun oi{tine" (e.g., Jas 4:13–14)

4. Condition (all four constructions except infinitive clauses) a. Adverbial participle (e.g., Heb 2:3) b. Conjunctive clause: c. Relative adjective o{soi (e.g., Rom 2:12)

5. Complementary (infinitive and conjunctive clauses) a. Infinitive (e.g., 1 John 3:16) b. i{na + subjunctive (e.g., Luke 6:31; John 8:56)

6. Location (conjunctive and relative adverb clauses) a. ou| + indicative (e.g., Rom 4:15) b. Relative adverb o{pou (e.g., Mark 4:5)

7. Manner/Means (all four constructions except conjunctive clauses) a. Articular infinitive (e.g., ejn tw'/ + infinitive in Acts 3:26) b. Adverbial participle (e.g., Acts 16:16) c. Relative pronoun o{n (e.g., Acts 1:11)

8. Purpose (all four constructions) a. Infinitive (e.g., 1 Tim 1:15) b. Adverbial participle (e.g., 1 Cor 4:14) c. i{na + subjunctive (e.g., 1 Pet 3:18) d. Relative pronoun oi{tine$ (e.g., Matt 21:41)

9. Result (all four constructions) a. Infinitive (e.g., Gal 5:7) b. Adverbial participle (e.g., John 5:18) c. i{na + subjunctive (e.g., Rom 11:11) d. Relative adverb o{qen (e.g., Heb 8:3)

10. Time (all four constructions) a. Articular infinitive (e.g., proV tou' + infinitive in Matt 6:8) b. Adverbial participle (e.g., Matt 21:18, 23) c. o{te + indicative (e.g., Matt 19:1) d. Relative pronoun clause (e.g., ajf j h|$ … in Col 1:9; ejn w| … in Mark 2:19)

K. 1 John 1:9 1. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na) with the

subjunctive mood of the verb aphe (a)fh~) in order to express a dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause.


60

2. It is dependent or hypotactic because it stands in subordinate relation to the previous declarative statement in the apodasis of this 5th class conditional clause: estin kai dikaios (e)stin kaiV divkaio$), “then, He is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just.”

3. This dependent clause is adverbial meaning that it functions like an adverb modifying or amplifying the verb homologomen, “any of us does confess.”

4. This dependent adverbial clause is expressed by a conjunctive clause. 5. This conjunctive clause is used to express the result of the previous declarative statement. 6. Purpose is simply intended result whereas result is accomplished purpose. 7. The mood of the verb is virtually always subjunctive in the hina clause. 8. Both the aorist and the present tenses are frequent in these clauses. 9. Here we have the conjunction hina employed with the aorist subjunctive verb aphe to express this result

clause. 10. Here in 1 John 1:9, this dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause is expressed by the conjunction hina

and the subjunctive mood of the verb aphe. XXIV. Conjunction A. So the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs the conjunction hina (i%na) with the

subjunctive mood of the verb aphe (a)fh~|) in order to express a dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause. B. Classical, LXX and NT

1. In classical Greek hina is an adverb, expressing where or in what place. 2. It is also used as a final conjunction. 3. The usage develops from local direction as an adverb to mental direction or intention as a conjunction

meaning, “in order that.” 4. As a conjunction it is used to introduce clauses expressing purpose or the end in view. 5. In the LXX hina usually introduces purpose clauses and simply means, “why.” 6. It is also has a consecutive use as well in the LXX. 7. In the NT the conjunction hina can introduce the following types of clauses:

a. Purpose b. Purport c. Result d. Epexegetical e. Inferential f. Temporal g. Interrogative h. Imperative i. Elliptical

C. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon Revised, page 830): 1. Adverb of place, in that place, there; of circumstance, at which, when 2. Final Conjunction, that, in order that

D. A.T. Robertson concludes that hina has 3 usages in the Greek New Testament (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in Light of Historical Research, pages 981-984): 1. Final 2. Sub-Final 3. Consecutive

E. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (pages 201-202): 1. That, in order that 2. That not, lest 3. So that, so as that 4. The circumstance that

F. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 302-304): 1. Adverb of place, where, in what place, to what place, whither 2. In place of the infinitive 3. Final conjunction denoting purpose and end, to the intent that, to the end that, in order that, with the issue

that, with the result that, so that G. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 1, pages 188-190):


61

1. Final, in order that 2. Consecutive, so that 3. Imperatival, that 4. In place of the infinitive in complementary or object clauses, especially in verbs of willing, striving,

requesting, commanding and causing 5. Appears in place of the infinitive in subject clauses with impersonal verbs 6. Appears in place of the complementary infinitive with the adjectives 7. Epexegetical, that, by which 8. Causal, temporal or relative 9. Elliptical

H. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): 1. Markers of purpose for events and states (sometimes occurring in elliptical contexts – ‘in order to, for the

purpose of, so that’ (page 785). 2. A marker of result, though in some cases implying an underlying or indirect purpose – ‘so as a result, that,

so that’ (page 783). 3. A marker of the content of discourse, particularly if and when purpose is implied – ‘that’ (page 801). 4. Markers of identificational and explanatory clauses – ‘that, namely, that is, namely that’ (page 813).

I. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 376-378): 1. In final sense to denote purpose, aim or goal, in order that, that 2. With subjunctive, future indicative, present indicative, optative, after a demonstrative, in order to show 3. Very often the final meaning is greatly weakened or disappear altogether 4. As a substitute for an infinitive that supplements a verb or an accusative with infinitive 5. As a substitute for the infinitive of result 6. Elliptically 7. But this has happened that, where the verb to be supplied must be inferred from the context 8. With subjunctive as a periphrasis for the imperative 9. Without a finite verb, which can be supplied from the context 10. For emphasis

J. 1 John 1:9 1. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na) functions

as a marker of result. 2. It is employed with the subjunctive mood of the verb aphe (a)fh~) in order to express a dependent adverbial

conjunctive result clause. 3. We must understand the context of the passage if we are to determine whether or not the conjunction hina

is expressing a purpose or result. 4. As we have noted 1 John 1:6-10 is dealing with the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching and the

implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching. 5. As we have noted, 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 address the implications of following the Gnostic teaching whereas

1 John 1:7 and 9 and 2:1 address the implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching. 6. So John is dealing with the implications of following the Gnostic and the apostolic teaching. 7. Therefore, if John is addressing the implications of following the doctrine of either group, we are not

dealing with the purpose of adhering to the Gnostics or the apostles teaching but rather the results of adhering to either the Gnostic or the apostolic teaching.

8. To implicate involves a logical consequence. 9. The conjunction hina and the subjunctive mood of aphe express the “consequences” of or “implications” of

the believer confessing his sins to the Father, namely, forgiveness of sins. 10. The focus is upon the “outcome” of the action rather than on its intention.

K. We will translate hina, “with the result that.” XXV. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that” XXVI. Aorist Active Subjunctive A. Next, we have the 3rd person singular aorist active subjunctive form of the verb aphiemi (a)fivmhi), which is aphe

(a)fh~).


62

B. The verb aphiemi has the following cognates: 1. Anesis (a&nesi$) (noun), “rest, relaxation, remission.” 2. Aphesis (a&fesi$) (noun), “release, forgiveness, deliverance, suspension of punishment.” 3. Paresis (pavresi$) (verb), “to hand over, to offer, present.” 4. Suniemi (sunivhmi) (verb), “to understand, comprehend, perceive.”

C. Classical 1. The verb aphiemi is attested since Homer and is derived from the preposition apo, “from,” and the verb

hiemi, “to put in motion, send.” 2. Thus, the word literally means, “to send off, to send away, to send forth,” but is used with the sense of “to

hurl, to let go, release.” 3. The word meant a “voluntary release of a person or thing over which one has legal or actual control.” 4. Aphiemi is employed in classical Greek in both a literal and figurative sense. 5. The word in the literal sense had 2 usages:

a. With personal object: To send forth, send away (of a woman, to divorce; of a meeting, to dissolve, end), to let go, to leave, dispatch.

b. With impersonal object: To loose (e.g. a ship into the sea), to discharge (e.g. arrows), to give up. 6. In the figurative sense, it means, “to let alone, permit, let pass, neglect, give up.” 7. The word means, “to lose one’s life” as in the writings of Josephus (Ant. 1, 12, 3). 8. In the legal sense, it meant, “to release from a legal bond, to acquit, to exempt from guilt.” 9. Herodotus used the word of divorcing a woman (5.39). 10. The verb in the papyri corresponds to the word’s use in classical literature. 11. The word was commonly used in the papyri to refer to the release of a person from some legal relationship

such as a marriage, an office, or a debt. 12. Aphiemi was also employed in classical literature in the sense of remitting a debt or guilt of sin. 13. It was also used in the legal sense of pardoning, forgiving, or canceling a financial debt or criminal

proceedings. 14. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English, New Edition, pages 289-290):

a. Send forth, discharge, of missiles, to throw oneself upon, give oneself up to it, let loose one’s tongue, make utterance, give vent to, shed tears, change color in all ways, of liquids, and plants, putting forth, of a spider, put forth, produce; passively, to be emitted; of troops, to be let go, launched against the enemy; let fall from one’s grasp; give up or hand over to

b. Send away, of persons, let go, loose, set free, release from a thing, in legal sense, acquit of a charge or engagement; passively, to be released from duty; let go, dissolve, disband, of an army or fleet; put away, divorce; dismiss; disown; release from a debtor; dedicate; of things, slackened its force, put away wrath, give up, leave off, give up the ghost, loose ship for a place; in legal sense, remit him a charge, excuse him a flogging

c. Leave alone, pass by; neglect; let the boat be carried away d. Suffer, permit one to do a thing e. Break up, march, sail; to give up doing

D. LXX 1. The LXX employs aphiemi in the same manner as classical Greek. 2. But unlike the classical usage, the Old Testament speaks of God as the one who forgives and this is never

so in classical literature although it is used in Josephus. 3. In the Old Testament, the relationship between man and God is conceived of in legal terms, which is

foreign to Greek thought. 4. The object of forgiveness is sin and God is the one who forgives, which was never the case with Greek

thought. 5. It depicts the “releasing” of debtors in the Year of Jubilee in Deuteronomy 15:2. 6. When the word or one of its cognate forms describes forgiveness of sin it usually translates one of three

Hebrew terms: a. Nasa (ac*n*) (verb), “to forgive, to exempt from guilt or punishment, pardon” (Ps. 32:1 [33:1]). b. Salach (jl^s*) (verb), “to pardon, forgive” (Lev. 4:20f.; Nm. 14:19). c. Kaphar (rp^K*) (verb), “to cover, atone, forgive” (Ps. 78:38; Is. 22:14).

7. These last 2 words (salach and kaphar) are exclusively reserved for the “forgiveness” of God, while nasa also served to describe human forgiveness.


63

8. The forgiveness of sin is a central concept throughout the Scriptures. 9. The Old Testament often speaks of forgiveness from God whereas no other religion knows of such a

complete and free forgiveness. 10. Ex 34:6-7, “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God,

compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.’”

11. Dan 9:9, “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him.”

12. The forgiveness of God originates from His very nature. 13. The Old Testament possesses a variety of rich language to describe God’s forgiveness. 14. He is proclaimed as a merciful and forgiving God (Ps. 103:12; Is. 38:17; 43:25; Jer. 31:34; Mic. 7:19; cf.

Lk. 15:11-24). 15. The Levitical animal sacrifices depicted the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable

humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, which is the basis for the forgiveness of sins. 16. The blood of the animal portrayed the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity

of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, which is the basis for the forgiveness of sins. 17. Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” 18. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor


19. 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

20. The burnt offering in Leviticus 1:2-17 depicts the doctrine of propitiation with emphasis on the work of Christ.

21. The gift offering Leviticus 2:1-16 depicts propitiation with emphasis on the Person of Christ. 22. The peace offering recorded in Leviticus 3:1-17 portrays the doctrine of reconciliation. 23. The sin offering in Leviticus 4:1-35 depicts the confession of sin after salvation by the believer with

emphasis on the unknown sins of the believer. 24. The trespass offering in Leviticus 5-6:7 depicts the confession of sin after salvation by the believer with

emphasis on the known sins of the believer. 25. God never intended for the Levitical offerings to be perpetuated. 26. The entire system in the Levitical offerings was set aside once the reality came in. 27. The Levitical offerings found their fulfillment in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ were just a shadow

of the reality of our Lord and His saving work (Heb. 10:1-2). 28. The lamb was the center of the Levitical offerings. 29. The Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ was the real deal (Heb. 9:11-15). 30. All the Levitical sacrifices were to cease after our Lord’s work on the Cross. 31. He was the literal fulfillment of the Levitical offerings and the literal Lamb of God that took away sins

(John 1:29). 32. Animal’s blood cannot take away sin (Heb. 10:4), but our Lord’s substitutionary spiritual death did. 33. The Levitical Priesthood had to step aside for the Royal Priesthood of Church Age believers following our

Lord’s death and resurrection, ascension and session. 34. The Levitical Priesthood will be reactivated following the 2nd Advent and for the duration of the

Millennium (Ezek. 40-46). 35. The Mosaic Law and the Levitical sacrifices do not apply to us here in the Church Age but simply teach us

about the Person and Work of Christ although they were not written specifically to us here in the Church Age.

36. So in summary, the Levitical offerings were designed to teach the Jews in Israel about the Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

37. These offerings looked forward to the future when the Lamb of God would come to die for the sins of the whole world.

38. The New Covenant provided Israel with the forgiveness of sins (Jer. 31:31-34), which will be necessary for the future restoration of the nation of Israel during the 2nd Advent and subsequent millennial reign of Christ.


64

39. Jer 31:31-34, ‘Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

40. The New Covenant is unconditional meaning that it is based upon the faithfulness of God rather than the faithfulness of Israel (Jer. 31:31-37).

41. The New covenant is related to the restoration of the nation during the 2nd Advent and subsequent millennial reign of Christ.

42. There were additional blessings added to the unconditional Abrahamic covenant. 43. Before the covenant nation could enjoy the covenanted blessings it must walk in obedience to the laws of

God. 44. The obedience required was outlined for the nation in the Mosaic Law, which was given alongside the

Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 17:19) to define what God expected as a prerequisite for blessing. 45. The nation of Israel as we have noted was unable to fulfill the obedience the Law required. 46. The Mosaic Law cannot justify an individual before God (Rom. 3:20-28; Gal. 2:16). 47. It could not provide eternal salvation for men (Gal. 3:21-26). 48. The Mosaic Law could not provide the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:3). 49. It could not solve the problems of the old sin nature (Rom. 8:2-3). 50. God characterized the nation of Israel as being stiff-necked (Jer. 17:23). 51. They were hardened and obstinate (Ezek. 3:7). 52. If the nation was to experience the blessings of the covenant they would need forgiveness for their sins,

they would need to be regenerated (born-again), a new heart characterized by obedience, and empowerment from the Holy Spirit.

53. A covenant that guarantees Israel these divine provisions is given in Jeremiah 31:31-34. 54. The Passover lamb also taught forgiveness to Old Testament Israel. 55. Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread as a unit constituted the most important of the 3 great annual

feasts or festivals of Israel. 56. It was indifferently called the feast of the Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread, but where the object

was to mark the distinction between the Passover as a sacrifice and as a feast following the sacrifice, the latter was designated the feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:5-6).

57. The Passover is documented in Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23. 58. The Hebrew word pesah (from pasah, to “leap over,” figuratively to “spare, show mercy”) denotes an

overstepping. 59. The paschal sacrifice by virtue of which the passing over was effected (Ex. 12:21, 27, 48; 2 Chron. 30:15). 60. The paschal meal was on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan (post-exilic; Abib, exilic), and the 7 days

following are called the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:5-6). 61. Hence the expression “the morrow of the Passover” for the 15th day of Nisan (Num. 33:3; Josh. 5:11). 62. The whole feast, including the paschal eve, is called the festival of Unleavened Bread (Ex. 23:15; Lev.

23:6; Ezra 6:22; Luke 22:1, 7; Acts 12:3; 20:6); but the simple name “Passover” (Hebrew: pesah) is the one commonly used by the Jews to the present day for the festival of Unleavened Bread (2 Chron. 30:15; 35:1, 11; Mark 14:1; Greek: pascha).

63. The Passover commemorated the final plague in Egypt in which the 1st born of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites were spared by the blood on the doorposts and lintel (Ex. 12:11, 21, 27, 43, 48).

64. Thereafter the event was observed as a feast to the Lord (12:14). 65. The 2nd Passover was observed in the wilderness of Sinai (Num. 9:1-5). 66. The Passover marked the birth of Israel as a Client Nation to God (Ex. 12:2) and was to be observed by

them forever as a memorial. 67. It was observed in the 1st month (Abib; Deut. 16:1; the 1st month is called Nisan in post-exilic times: Neh.

2:1; Esth. 3:7) on the 14th day at twilight between 3-6pm (Lev. 23:5).


65

68. The head of every Jewish family chose a male lamb without blemish on the 10th Abib (Ex. 12:3l 1 Pet. 1:18-19) and killing it on the 14th Abib (12:6) with none of its bones broken (literally fulfilled at the cross by Christ).

69. The lamb typified the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union who was proclaimed by John the Baptist as “the lamb of God” (John 1:29).

70. The blood was to be sprinkled on the doorposts and lintel of the house with hyssop (typifying the sinner being cleansed from sin through faith alone in Christ alone since hyssop was a symbol of purification), so that when the Lord passed over that night and saw the blood He would spare the 1st born in the house.

71. The lamb was to be roasted and served up whole (portraying the perfect obedience of Christ to the Father’s plan for the Incarnation which was the cross), and eaten with unleavened bread (typifying the impeccability of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union) and bitter herbs (portraying the bitterness of slavery in Egypt), and none of it left until the morning.

72. Those who ate of it were to do so with their loins girded, their shoes on their feet, and their staff in their hand, ready to leave Egypt (12:8-11).

73. Neither the uncircumcised person nor the hired servant could eat (Ex. 12:48). 74. The shedding of the blood of the lamb typified the substitutionary spiritual death of the humanity of Christ,

which was to take place approximately 1400 years later at Calvary. 75. The application of the blood of the animal to the doorposts and lintel demonstrated the Jew’s faith in the yet

future work of the coming Messiah on the cross thus portraying faith alone in Christ alone. 76. The unblemished lamb typified the impeccability of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union. 77. The historical Personage of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is our literal Passover (1 Cor. 5:7). 78. Egypt typified the cosmic system of Satan and eschatologically, the world during the Tribulation period. 79. This night was followed by 7 days (hag hammassot) in which unleavened bread was eaten (Ex. 34:18-19;

Lev. 23:6; cf. Ex. 12:31-34). 80. For this reason the NT speaks of the entire season as the “days of unleavened bread” (Acts 12:3; Luke

22:1). 81. The unleavened bread typifies the impeccability of the humanity of Christ in hypostatic union. 82. The Passover was given to Israel by the Lord under the Ritual Plan of God and is not applicable here in the

Church where the only ritual to be observed is the Lord’s Supper which is derived from the Passover meal. 83. The Passover was literally fulfilled by the unique Person and Finished Work on the Cross of Calvary of our

Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1 Co. 5:7). 84. The bread brings into remembrance the unique impeccable Person of our Lord. 85. The Lord Jesus Christ is undiminished deity and impeccable humanity in 1 Person forever. 86. During His 1st Advent, in His impeccable humanity He voluntarily denied Himself of the independent

function of His divine attributes in order to serve both the Father and all mankind at the cross. 87. His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross by His impeccable humanity was the ransom price

for all of humanity. 88. The wine represents the blood of Christ, which brings into remembrance the finished work of Christ on the

Cross. 89. The phrase “the blood of Christ” depicts the saving work of Christ on the Cross and does not mean his

literal blood but rather is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union, which was the payment for our sins (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:20; Heb. 10:19; 13:20; 1 Pet. 1:2).

90. The finished work of Christ refers to the doctrines of: (a) Redemption (b) Reconciliation (c) Propitiation. 91. The work of our Lord is finished because there is nothing that can be added to it (John 19:30). 92. The doctrine of Redemption states that the Lord Jesus Christ purchased the entire human race out of the

slave market of sin with His substitutionary spiritual death. 93. The Lord Jesus Christ is the 1 and only Redeemer of mankind and the only sacrifice that God will accept

(Matt. 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Tim. 2:6). 94. He is the only one qualified to be mankind’s Redeemer due to the fact that He is impeccable (1 Pet. 1:19). 95. Only a “free” man can set a slave free and that is what our Lord was because He was totally free and

independent of sin (John 8:36; Gal. 4:4-7). 96. The Lord Jesus Christ is mankind’s Kinsman-Redeemer, which is someone who is related to the one who is

being redeemed and must be able to afford the ransom price and thus fulfill its righteous demands. 97. The Lord Jesus was true humanity and was able to afford the ransom price, which was His spiritual death. 98. Redemption is totally the work of God and excludes all human works.


66

99. It becomes a reality for a person when they exercise personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 100. Results of Redemption: (a) Forgiveness of sins (Isa. 44:22; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:12-15) (b) Basis of

justification (Rom. 3:24) (c) Basis of sanctification (Eph. 5:25-27) (d) Basis for eternal inheritance for believer (Heb. 9:15) (e) Basis for strategic victory of Christ in the Angelic Conflict (Col. 2:14-15; Heb. 2:14-15). (f) Redemption of the soul in salvation leads to redemption of the body in resurrection (Eph. 1:14). (g) Redemption of the body is the ultimate status of the Royal Family of God forever (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30).

101. God can forgive sin because He has been propitiated meaning His perfect righteous demands that sin be judged have been satisfied by the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross (Lev. 1:4; 1 Jn. 2:2).

102. The Day of Atonement also depicted the atonement for sin, which serves as the basis for the forgiveness of sin.

103. Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement was the day appointed for a yearly, general and perfect expiation for all the sins and uncleanness that might remain, despite the regular sacrifices.

104. It was Israel’s annual cleansing from sin. 105. Leviticus 16:1-34 gives the full account of this day along with its services. 106. The Levitical ritual was a constant reminder that “the Law...can never by the same sacrifices year by

year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb. 10:1). 107. Even with the most scrupulous observance of the prescribed ordinances many sins and defilements would

still remain unacknowledged and therefore without expiation. 108. This want was met by the appointment of a yearly, general, and perfect expiation of all the sins and

uncleanness that had remained unatoned for and uncleansed in the course of the year (Lev. 16:33). 109. Thus on the day of Atonement Israel was reconciled to Yahweh, which was necessary before the Feast of

Tabernacles which prefigured the ingathering of the nations or the Millennium dispensation. 110. In connection with this point it may also be well to remember that the Jubilee year was always proclaimed

on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 25:9). 111. The 10th day of the 7th month, or Tishri (October), and the 5th of Atonement (Lev. 16:1-34; Num. 29:7-

11). 112. The day was a high Sabbath in which no work was performed. All the people were to afflict their souls and

to fast from the evening of the 9th to the evening of the 10th under penalty of being cut off from Israel (Lev. 23:27-32).

113. Leviticus 16:5-28 and Numbers 29:7-11 indicate that the sacrifices for the day were as follows: (a) Ordinary morning sacrifice. (b) Expiatory sacrifices for the priesthood, namely, a young bull. (c) The sin offering for the people, a kid from the goats for Yahweh and another for Azazel. (d) The burnt offering of the priests and people and with them, another sin offering. (d) The ordinary evening sacrifice.

114. If the Day of Atonement fell on a Sabbath, the ordinary Sabbath sacrifices were offered besides all these. 115. The Day of Atonement’s typical meaning was fulfilled in Christ. He is our Great High Priest, Who instead

of offering a sin offering for Himself, offered Himself as a sin offering for us (Heb. 9:11-14). 116. But the fact that the Day of Atonement is placed between the Feast of Trumpets which we have seen will

be literally fulfilled by Christ at the Rapture of the Church, and the Feast of Tabernacles which is a type of Israel’s Millennial rest implies that it typifies the 2nd Advent of Christ.

117. The Day of Atonement will therefore be literally fulfilled by the glorified resurrected incarnate Son of God at the 2nd Advent (Zech. 12:7-14; 14:4; Matt. 24:29-31; Rev. 19).

118. There will be a national Day of Atonement or mourning in Israel at the 2nd Advent of Christ (Zech. 12:9-14; 13:1).

119. The rituals involved in the Levitical offerings that took place during the seven great feasts of the Lord portrayed the Person and Work of Christ on the cross, which provided for the forgiveness of sin.

120. Rituals were teaching aids about the future Person and Work of Christ on the cross and were merely shadows with Christ being the substance.

E. NT 1. The verb aphiemi appears over 140 times in the Greek New Testament. 2. In the Greek New Testament, the verb has a wide variety of usages as in the case with classical literature. 3. The word can have the following usages in the Greek New Testament:

a. To permit, allow, not to hinder b. To leave c. To forgive


67

d. To leave behind e. To forsake f. To neglect g. To dismiss h. To leave alone i. To tolerate

4. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 1, page 181): a. Release, dismiss, leave b. Leave behind c. Leave alone d. Permit, allow

5. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (page 88): a. To send away; to bid go away or depart; to send forth, yield up, emit; to let go, let alone, let be; to

disregard; to leave, not to discuss now; to omit, neglect; to let go, give up, a debt, by not demanding it; to remit, forgive; to give up, keep no longer

b. To permit, allow, not to hinder c. To leave, go away from one; to depart from any one

6. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 125-126): a. Let go, send away, literally with personal object, with impersonal object; in a legal sense, divorce b. Cancel, remit, pardon, remit, forgive debts, forgive c. Leave, literally with personal object; figuratively, give up, abandon d. Let, let go, tolerate

7. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2): a. To cause (or permit) a person or persons to leave a particular location – ‘to let go away, to dismiss’

(page 188). b. To move away from, with the implication of resulting separation – ‘to leave, to depart from’ (page

189). c. To let something be put behind in a place – ‘to leave, to leave behind’ (page 728). d. To permit something to continue in a place – ‘to let remain, to leave’ (page 730). e. To dissolve the marriage bond – ‘to divorce, to separate’ (page 457). f. To remove the guilt resulting from wrongdoing – ‘to pardon, to forgive, forgiveness’ (page 503). g. To release a person from the obligation of repaying what is owed – ‘to cancel a debt, to forgive a debt’

(page 582). h. To no longer pay attention to previous beliefs – ‘to refuse to listen to, to reject’ (page 374). i. To stop doing something, with the implication of complete cessation – ‘to give up, to stop, to quit’

(page 660). j. To cease, of a state – ‘to stop, to leave’ (page 153). k. To leave it to someone to do something, with the implication of distancing oneself from the event – ‘to

let, to allow, to leave it to’ (page 164). l. A marker of an agent relation with numerable events, with the implication of something, which

proceeds from an agent – ‘to produce, to make, to give’ (page 804). 8. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 62):

a. To send away, dismiss, suffer to depart; to emit, send forth b. The voice, to cry out, utter an exclamation c. The spirit, to expire d. To omit, pass over or by; to let alone, care not for e. To permit, suffer, let, forbid not; to give up, yield, resign f. To remit, forgive, pardon; to relax, suffer to become less intense g. To leave, depart from; to desert; forsake; to leave remaining or alone; to leave behind

9. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “aphiemi, primarily, "to send forth, send away" (apo, "from," hiemi, "to send"), denotes, besides its other meanings, "to remit or forgive" (a) debts, Matt 6:12; 18:27,32, these being completely cancelled; (b) sins, e. g., Matt 9:2,5,6; 12:31,32; Acts 8:22 ("the thought of thine heart"); Rom 4:7; James 5:15; 1 John 1:9; 2:12. In this latter respect the verb, like its corresponding noun (below), firstly signifies the remission of the punishment due to sinful conduct, the deliverance of the sinner from the penalty divinely, and therefore righteously, imposed; secondly, it involves the complete removal of the cause of offense; such remission is based upon the vicarious and propitiatory sacrifice of


68

Christ. In the OT atoning sacrifice and "forgiveness" are often associated, e. g., Lev 4:20,26. The verb is used in the NT with reference to trespasses (paraptoma), e. g., Matt 6:14,15; sins (hamartia), e. g., Luke 5:20; debts (see above) (opheilema), Matt 6:12; (opheile), 18:32; (daneion), 18:27; the thought (dianoia) of the heart, Acts 8:22. Cf. kalupto, "to cover," 1 Peter 4:8; James 5:20; and epikalupto, "to cover over," Rom 4:7, representing the Hebrew words for "atonement." Human "forgiveness" is to be strictly analogous to divine "forgiveness," e. g., Matt 6:12. If certain conditions are fulfilled, there is no limitation to Christ's law of "forgiveness," Matt 18:21,22. The conditions are repentance and confession, Matt 18:15-17; Luke 17:3. As to limits to the possibility of divine "forgiveness," see Matt 12:32, 2nd part (see BLASPHEMY) and 1 John 5:16 (see DEATH). See FORSAKE, LAY, Note (2) at end, LEAVE, LET, OMIT, PUT, No. 16, Note, REMIT, SEND, Note, (1), SUFFER, YIELD.”

10. The verb aphiemi is used for the forgiveness of sins 57 times in the Greek New Testament. 11. The apostle Paul also employs the verb charizomai for the forgiveness of sins (Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). 12. The apostle John uses the verb luo in Revelation 1:4-5 of the believer being “released” from his sins. 13. The believer is both object and the subject of forgiveness. 14. The Scriptures present two major subdivisions: (a) the forgiveness of God (b) the personal forgiveness

between individuals. 15. The forgiveness of sins is offered to the entire human race by God the Father based upon the merits of the

voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of His Son, the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross.

16. A person appropriates by means of faith alone in Christ alone the forgiveness of his sins. 17. God bases His forgiveness or receipt of His pardon upon the restitution for sins that Christ voluntarily made

for the world. 18. From the earliest mention of forgiveness, the Lord has never discounted nor overlooked our sins. 19. He forgives us because Christ made restitution. 20. Though God made the restitution for us, it was still required to obtain God’s forgiveness. 21. To put it the opposite way: without the restitution payment of Jesus Christ, there would be no forgiveness! 22. Unbelievers are not judged according to their sins at the Great White Throne Judgment but rather are

judged according to their self-righteous human good works, which do not measure up to the perfect work of the impeccable Christ on the Cross (Rev. 20:11-15).

23. The unbeliever goes to the lake of fire because of his rejection of Christ as his Savior. 24. 1 Timothy 2:4 and John 3:16-17 clearly indicates that God desires all men to be saved, therefore, He has

made provision for all men to be saved through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. 25. After salvation the believer is commanded to forgive because God has forgiven him (Eph. 4:32; Co. 3:13). 26. The believer cannot experience the forgiveness of sins and be restored to fellowship, if he does not forgive

others according to Matthew 6:14-15 because not forgiving others is a sin. 27. At the moment of salvation the believer received the forgiveness of his sins in the positional sense. 28. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor








salvation, he appropriates the forgiveness of his sins-past, present and future.


69

36. The unbeliever does not appropriate the forgiveness of sins because he has not placed his trust in Christ for salvation.

37. The unbeliever’s sins will never be brought up at the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers since Christ paid the penalty for their sins with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross.

38. They will be judged according to their relative human self-righteous deeds, which do not measure up to the absolute perfect righteousness of Christ (Rev. 20:11-15).

39. After salvation, the believer “experiences” the forgiveness of sins when he confesses any known sin to the Father and based upon the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.




43. The Father honors a person’s faith in His Son (Jn. 5:23). 44. He restores the believer to fellowship based again upon the merits of the Person of Christ who is

impeccable and the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. 45. The Lord stated that the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven in Matthew 12:22-32. 46. What does this mean? 47. Matt 12:22-32, “Then a demon-possessed man {who was} blind and mute was brought to Jesus, and

He healed him, so that the mute man spoke and saw. All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?" But when the Pharisees heard {this} they said, "This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons." And knowing their thoughts Jesus said to them, "Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand. If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then will his kingdom stand? If I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast {them} out? For this reason they will be your judges. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can anyone enter the strong man's house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong {man?} And then he will plunder his house. He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the {age} to come. There is confusion as to whether or not the blasphemy of the Spirit can take place in our day and age or is it exclusive to the 1st Advent of Christ.”

48. Some great theologians such as Lewis Sperry Chafer write that this sin only take place during the 1st Advent of Christ when He was physically present on earth.

49. Chafer in effect states, and many follow his interpretation of this passage, that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was unique to Christ’s 1st Advent and was the attributing the miracles of Christ to the devil rather than the Holy Spirit, thus defaming the perfect integrity of the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ.

50. I know many great Bible teachers who when you ask them, “What is the unpardonable sin?” they usually reply, “It is blaspheming the Holy Spirit” or “It is the sin of attributing to the devil the works of the Holy Spirit and could only take place during the 1st Advent of Christ.”

51. First of all I believe this interpretation was in response to the false claim by some that you can commit a sin that cannot be forgiven.

52. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven except for the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior over a lifetime.

53. People go the eternal Lake of Fire because they choose to and not because of their sins since the penalty for the entire human race-past, present and future was paid for by the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

54. The unbeliever’s sins are never mentioned at the Great White Throne Judgment of Unbelievers, but rather their own inferior human works performed in self-righteous arrogance.

55. This is according to Revelation 20:11-15.


70

56. Rev 20:11-12, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”

57. So the Scriptures emphatically teach that the only sin that can’t be forgiven and that sends a person to the eternal Lake of Fire is the rejection of Jesus Christ as one’s own personal Savior.

58. The sin of rejecting Christ as Savior is the reason why people will end up in the eternal Lake of Fire forever and ever.

59. This is not the will of God though because the will of God is that all men be saved. 60. God’s attitude toward the entire human race is that He desires all to believe in His Son Jesus Christ. 61. John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever

believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

62. 1 Tim 2:4, “who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 63. 2 Pet 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward

you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 64. Secondly, as I noted earlier many expositors state that the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit was unique to

Christ’s 1st Advent and was the attributing the miracles of Christ to the devil rather than the Holy Spirit, thus defaming the perfect integrity of the Spirit’s witness of Christ.

65. When I say unique I mean that at no time in history have these conditions ever existed where Christ was on the earth performing miracles by means of the Spirit.

66. These expositors are missing the point and the principle, which our Lord is relating in this passage. 67. It is the rejection of the Spirit’s witness concerning the Person of Christ at the point of hearing the Gospel

for salvation that is blasphemous and unpardonable and not simply attributing the miracles of Christ to the devil.

68. To say that the blasphemy of the Spirit only took place during the 1st Advent of Christ is diminishing the rejection of the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ in subsequent dispensations such as the church age.

69. In other words it is just as much blasphemous today to reject the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ during this dispensation as it was during the 1st Advent!

70. To say that the blasphemy of the Spirit was attributing Christ’s miracles to the devil is putting undo emphasis on the rejection of the miracles rather than their rejection of the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ as their Messiah.

71. Remember the miracles of Christ were to demonstrate that He was the Jewish Messiah since the Jews require a sign according to 1 Corinthians 1:22.

72. The Jews rejection of Christ’s miracles then revealed an even deeper problem among them and that was their negative attitude toward the Spirit’s witness concerning Him.

73. The Spirit witnessed that Christ was the Messiah by performing the miracles for the humanity of Christ. 74. The Spirit employed miracles to convict the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 75. He doesn’t operate that way today because Christ now sits at the right hand of the Father. 76. He no longer employs miracles to witness to the unbeliever that the Lord Jesus is the Messiah since the

Lord no longer resides on planet earth but at the right hand of the Father. 77. So blaspheming the Spirit is not a particular act of sin but rather a negative attitude towards the Spirit’s

witness concerning Christ that extends over a lifetime. 78. It cannot be forgiven because it is the rejection of the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ in common grace

over a lifetime. 79. If you reject the Spirit’s repeated attempts over a lifetime to witness that Jesus is the Christ then you will go

to the Lake of Fire. 80. I say it is the rejection of the Spirit’s witness of Christ over a lifetime because there were many times

before we became born-again and saved that we rejected the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ in common grace.

81. God is patient, He will offer the Gospel to the unbeliever throughout their lifetime as we noted in 2 Peter 3:9.

82. We have all been hostile towards God before salvation, were we not? 83. Col 1:19-21, “For it was the {Father's} good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through

Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through


71

Him, {I say} whether things on earth or things in heaven. And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, {engaged} in evil deeds.”

84. We have all rejected Christ before salvation and then changed our attitude at some point and trusted in Him as Savior.

85. Therefore, the blasphemy of the Spirit is an attitude that extends over a lifetime that rejects what the Holy Spirit has to say about Jesus Christ and can occur in any dispensation.

86. The blasphemy of the Spirit is a lifelong, antagonistic and hostile mental attitude towards the Holy Spirit’s witness regarding the Person and Work of Christ at the point of hearing the Gospel for salvation and is not merely attributing the miracles of Christ to the devil.

87. If you reject Christ as Savior, you are rejecting in effect the witness of the Spirit and thus calling the Spirit a liar.

88. The blasphemy of the Spirit is a lifelong negative attitude towards the Spirit’s work in common grace. 89. The problem was not that the Pharisees rejected the miracles and attributed His miracles to the kingdom of

darkness but rather the problem was their negative attitude toward Christ. 90. It is not attributing the miracles to the kingdom of darkness that cannot be forgiven but rather the lifelong

rejection of the Spirit’s trustworthy witness concerning Christ at the point of hearing the Gospel for salvation.

91. This is why the Lord said that the blasphemy of the Spirit couldn’t be forgiven. 92. Thirdly, is it any more blasphemous to reject Christ then as it is today? 93. Is it any more blasphemous to reject the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ then as it is today? 94. Of course not! 95. Therefore, we can conclude that the blasphemy against the Spirit is not unique to the dispensation of the

hypostatic union or 1st Advent of Christ since individuals are rejecting the Holy Spirit’s witness of Christ at the point of hearing the Gospel for salvation even today in our day and age, thus it can and does occur in every dispensation of history!

96. The reason why the Lord said that rejection of the Spirit’s witness concerning Himself is blasphemous, and not the rejection of Himself, is because the Holy Spirit is the member of the Trinity who convicts the unbeliever in common grace.

97. The Holy Spirit in common grace bears witness to the unbeliever that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 98. Common grace refers to that aspect of God’s grace policy, which is directed towards the entire human race,

without exception. 99. God the Holy Spirit convicts the unbeliever that he is a sinner and needs a Savior. 100. The Lord in His Upper Room Discourse mentions this principle. 101. John 16:7-11, “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away,

the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.”

102. The Holy Spirit in common grace takes the Gospel message and makes it understandable to the unbeliever so that they can either make the non-meritorious decision to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior or reject Him.

103. What is the gospel? 104. 1 Cor 15:1-4, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also

you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

105. It is the Holy Spirit, who takes the Gospel information that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and was raised on the 3rd day according to the Scriptures.

106. When this is presented, then it is simple case of believing this information regarding the Lord Jesus. 107. Eph 1:13, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--

having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” 108. We have to possess some information regarding Christ in order to believe in Him. 109. You can’t believe in someone you have no knowledge of. 110. Therefore, it is essential that we present the Gospel accurately and concisely to the unbeliever because the

Gospel is the power of God for salvation.


72

111. Rom 1:16, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

112. The Holy Spirit takes whatever truth is communicated to the unbeliever and makes it understandable so that they can make a decision for or against Christ as their Savior.

113. The unbeliever cannot understand the gospel message of Jesus Christ unless the Holy Spirit enables him. 114. A spiritually dead person cannot understand the things of God without the aid of the Holy Spirit in common

grace. 115. This principle appears in 1 Corinthians 2:1-10. 116. A spiritually dead person needs help at salvation. 117. The Holy Spirit in common grace has to make spiritual information understandable to the spiritually dead

person so that they can make a decision to either accept Christ as Savior or reject Him. 118. 2 Cor 6:1-2, “And working together {with Him} we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in

vain--for He says, "AT THE ACCEPTABLE TIME I LISTENED TO YOU, AND ON THE DAY OF SALVATION I HELPED YOU." Behold, now is "THE ACCEPTABLE TIME," behold, now is "THE DAY OF SALVATION"

119. This process takes place over a lifetime until the unbeliever accepts Christ or they die. 120. There are no more opportunities after death. 121. Heb 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this {comes} judgment.” 122. Matthew 12:31-32, “Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but

blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the {age} to come.”

123. The word for “blasphemy” in Matthew 12:31 is the noun blasphemia. 124. It is a compound word composed of the following: (1) Verb blapto, “to hurt, injure.” (2) Noun pheme,

“speech, report.” 125. Thus, the word literally means “injurious speech” or “evil speech or report.” 126. The classical meaning is “evil speech, profane speech, defamation,” or “slander.” 127. It is a word used to denote the strongest form of mockery or slander. 128. In reference to the Greek pantheon of gods, blasphemia is the misrepresentation of their true nature or

power. 129. It is used consistently in the LXX for the defamation of the character and nature of God. 130. The word appears 20 times in the NT and refers to slander, defamation of character. 131. Thus, by rejecting the witness of the Holy Spirit concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, the unbeliever is in fact

blaspheming or defaming the character of the Spirit. 132. The term “Holy” describes the Spirit’s perfect character and integrity. 133. The unbeliever is in effect calling the Spirit a liar by rejecting His witness that they are a sinner and need a

Savior and Jesus Christ is that Savior. 134. The Pharisees rejection of the Holy Spirit’s witness regarding Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Savior

of the world was a defamation of the character and integrity of God the Holy Spirit. 135. This is why our Lord calls the Pharisees rejection of Him as the Messiah as blaspheming the Spirit. 136. Also, I want you to notice the tense of the verb for the phrase “it shall not be forgiven” in verses 31 and

31. 137. The future tense of the verb aphiemi indicates the Pharisees’ sin would be judged at a future day meaning

the Great White Throne Judgment mentioned in Revelation 20:11-15. 138. In both cases the future tense of the verb aphiemi is indicating clearly that the sin that the Pharisees were

committing at that particular moment of attributing Christ’s miracles to the devil rather than the Spirit was not the sin that was unpardonable.

139. If the so-called unpardonable sin was taking place at that moment, the Lord would have used the present tense meaning that the sin of the Pharisees of blaspheming the Spirit was not forgiven at that moment.

140. The future tense of the verb leaves room for repentance or a change of attitude by the Pharisees, which took place among many of them according to John 12:42 and Acts 15:5.

141. The only solution for this negative attitude towards the Spirit’s witness concerning Christ was for the Pharisees to repent or change one’s mind by believing in Him.

142. Their hostile and antagonistic attitude needed to be changed. 143. It is not a particular act that was the problem of the Pharisees but rather their blasphemous attitude, which

was the root of their blasphemous actions. Attitude precedes action.


73

144. This is why the Jewish leaders were told to repent or what it really says is that they were to change their minds about Christ.

145. Matt 3:2, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 146. Matt 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at

hand.” 147. Mark 1:14-15, “Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the

gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

148. The word for “repent” in each of these passages is the compound verb metanoeo, which is composed of 2 words: (a) Preposition meta, “change.” (b) Verb noeo, “to exercise the mind.”

149. The cognate noun of the verb noeo is nous, “mind, attitude.” 150. So literally this compound verb metanoeo in all of these passages means “to change your attitude,” or “to

change your mind.” 151. The Pharisees had to change their attitude towards the Spirit’s witness concerning the Lord Jesus. 152. When it says the kingdom of God is at hand it refers to the fact that their Jewish Messiah, the King Himself

was in their midst and that they needed to change their attitude regarding Him. 153. The King and His kingdom cannot be separated…they could have had the kingdom if the nation accepted

as Messiah, but of course, they did not. 154. They needed to stop thinking of Jesus of Nazareth as the carpenter’s son, a mere man and a threat to their

ministry and to turn to Him as their Lord and Savior. 155. Yet, many of the Jews rejected the Spirit’s witness regarding the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the

promised Messiah…that He was the Son of God. 156. His miracles were signs to the Jewish nation that He fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies regarding the

Messiah, yet they attributed His miracles to the Enemy, Satan. 157. The Lord rebuked the Pharisees regarding their stubbornness in rejecting Him as Messiah even though He

gave them many signs that He was the Messiah. 158. John 12:37-42, “But though He had performed so many signs before them, {yet} they were not

believing in Him. {This was} to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: "LORD, WHO HAS BELIEVED OUR REPORT? AND TO WHOM HAS THE ARM OF THE LORD BEEN REVEALED?” For this reason they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, HE HAS BLINDED THEIR EYES AND HE HARDENED THEIR HEART, SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT SEE WITH THEIR EYES AND PERCEIVE WITH THEIR HEART, AND BE CONVERTED AND I HEAL THEM. These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him. Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing {Him} for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.”

159. Now, I want to address one more important principle regarding this passage in Matthew 12:32. 160. Note the phrase in Matthew 12:32: “either in this age or in the age to come.” 161. It is very important for it indicates the time element involved in this eternal condemnation for blaspheming

the Spirit. 162. This phrase clearly indicates that the rejection of Spirit’s witness regarding the Person and Work of Christ

will not be forgiven during the dispensation of the hypostatic union and in the future. 163. Thus implying that it not only took place during the 1st Advent of Christ but it will take place in future

dispensations such as the church age, tribulation and millennial reign of Christ! 164. The translation “in the age to come” is a misleading translation. 165. A more accurate translation would be “in the future.” Why? 166. The usual word for “age” is aion, but it is not used here. 167. The phrase “in the age to come” is a prepositional phrase composed of the following: (a) Preposition en,

“in.” (b) Dative masculine singular definite article to, “the.” Dative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb mello, which is mellonti, “future.”

168. The articular participle to mellonti is used substantively meaning “the future.” 169. This is what we call a locative of time or as some grammarians call a dative of time. 170. It indicates when the action of the main verb will take place. 171. So in the context of Matthew 12:32 the dative or locative of time indicates that the blasphemy of the Spirit

will not be forgiven in the future as well as during the 1st Advent of Christ. 172. Thus implying that it is not unique to the 1st Advent of Christ but rather can take place in every

dispensation after it.


74

173. All of humanity are the objects of God’s forgiveness. 174. Every sin ever committed in human history has been forgiven by God the Father because His justice

imputed every sin past, present and future to the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union and judged Him for all them.

175. God has forgiven the sins of every person in history because of His Son’s voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross as their Substitute.

176. The sins of the entire human race are no longer an issue with God. 177. God does not send any one to the Lake of Fire for all of eternity because of their sins since His Son has

already received the judgment for them at the cross. 178. The unbeliever goes to the Lake of Fire simply for his rejection of Christ as their Savior. 179. Ephesians 1:7, “In Whom (Christ Jesus) we keep on experiencing the redemption through His blood

(metaphor for the saving work of Christ on the cross), the release from our failures according to riches of His grace.”

180. Colossians 1:14, “In Whom (Jesus Christ) we keep on experiencing the redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins.”

181. God does not remember our sins. 182. Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more!” 183. 1 John 2:12, “I write to all of you, young people that all of your sins have been forgiven with the

result that they will be forgiven forever for the sake of His Integrity.” 184. God the Father sent His Son to the cross in order die for our sins so that He can forgive us. 185. He forgives us based upon His integrity and His Son’s spiritual death on the cross. 186. 1 John 3:5, “He (the Lord Jesus Christ) appeared in order to take away sins.” 187. Revelation 1:4-5, “John to the seven churches in Asia (what is today western Turkey): Grace to you

and peace, from Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead (1st to be resurrected), and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Jesus Christ controls human history from His Hypostatic Union). To Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood (metaphor for Christ’s death on the cross).”

188. Therefore, the believer should never feel guilty for their sins but rather should rebound and recover by applying the doctrine that they already know.

189. Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin and my iniquity I did not hide. I said will admit my transgressions to the Lord, then You did forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

190. 1 John 1:9, “If we should acknowledge our personal sins, faithful He is and just with the result that He has forgiven us our personal sins and purified us from all unrighteousness.”

191. They should forgive themselves since God has already forgiven them through Christ. 192. The believer who does not acknowledge his unforgiving attitude towards others will not be forgiven by

God meaning that the believer will not be restored to fellowship with Him if he does not acknowledge to the Father his unforgiving attitude toward others.

193. Matthew 6:14-15, “For if you forgive men their failures (acknowledging your own sin to the Father and forgive others), Your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive men their failures (failure to acknowledge your own sin to the Father and forgive others), neither will the Father forgive you (restoration to fellowship), your failures.”

194. Scripture basis the forgiveness of one another in the forgiveness of God. 195. Not only is the believer the object of God’s forgiveness but he has now become the subject of forgiveness

since he is to exhibit the same attitude toward others as God has displayed towards him. 196. Forgiveness of others is an essential function of the spiritual life. 197. It is an essential aspect of divine-love. 198. The believer operates in the love of God will be forgiving since God’s love is forgiving. 199. He will possess a forgiving attitude regardless of the extent of injury to him as a person. 200. The impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union exhibited a forgiving attitude on the cross while

enduring the greatest suffering that any member of the human race has ever had to endure in history when He received the imputation of the sins of the entire world as well tremendous verbal and physical abuse from other members of the human race.

201. He not only taught it to His students but he also put forgiveness into practice at the cross. 202. Luke 17:3-4, “Be on your guard for yourselves: if your fellow-believer should sin against you (1st

class condition: “and he will”) reprove him and if he should repent, forgive him. Even if 7 times in


75

the course of the day he should sin against you, and 7 times in the course of the day he should return to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.”

203. Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive all of them, for they know not what they are doing.” 204. His forgiving attitude on the cross while enduring the greatest suffering of any member of the human race

in history set all precedence for the believer here in the Church Age. 205. The Church Age believer should also possess a forgiving attitude toward other members of the human race,

especially members of the body of Christ. 206. Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away

from you, along with all malice. And be gracious to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

207. Colossians 3:12-13, “Therefore, put on as the elect of God, separate and beloved, compassionate affections, graciousness, wisdom, humility, patient-endurance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if anyone should have a complaint another, even as the Lord Christ forgave all of you, so also you should forgive others.”

208. The Church Age believer has it his disposal all the divine power needed to exhibit this attitude. 209. The believer has been given a new Christ nature, which gives him the capacity to forgive. 210. The believer who can forgive others who have injured them or someone that they love is manifesting the

power of God in their lives and are revealing Christ to others with their attitude. 211. They are in reality revealing the Shekinah Glory of God Who is Christ, which is the same Glory that Moses

desired to see (Ex. 33:18-19; 34:34:6-7). 212. The local assembly cannot advance as a spiritual combat unit without each member putting into practice the

doctrine of forgiveness. 213. It is not enough to know the doctrine of forgiveness but it is practicing forgiveness, which manifests to

others that you are the Lord’s student (John 13:34-35). 214. If the Lord forgave others and He endured more suffering on the cross than any member of the royal family

will have to go through, the Church Age believer should manifest the same mental attitude. 215. Forgiveness is essential in every human relation:

a. Local Assembly b. Marriages c. Friendships

216. The Church Age believer must always keep in mind when involved in any type of relationship whether marriage, the church, friendships or business that if God the Father forgave him through Christ, they in turn should and are obligated to forgive others without exception.

217. God Himself is the victim of all our sin. 218. Examples would be mental attitude sins or sins that never actually reach out to offend another person. 219. However, all sin does offend God and He becomes the ultimate victim (Rom 3:23; 8:7). 220. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). 221. The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be (Romans

8:87). 222. Because God is victimized by our private and personal sins, we are to confess our sins to Him and gain His

forgiveness (1 John 1:9). 223. Our agreeing with God in confession involves seeing our sin and acknowledging it as He sees it. 224. This brings God’s forgiveness. 225. He does not overlook our sin nor simply excuse it, but applies the restitution payment paid by His Son on

the Cross to forgive our sin (1 John 1:7). 226. The result is that the Lord restores the vertical relationship. 227. By definition (clarification will follow), sin offends no one but God. 228. Therefore, confession before the Lord ends the matter.

F. 1 John 1:9 1. The verb aphiemi in 1 John 1:9 means, “to forgive.” 2. It is used with God as the subject and the believer’s personal sins as the object. 3. The believer who confesses his personal sins to the Father is promised the forgiveness of his sins and is

restored to fellowship immediately upon doing so. 4. He is restored to fellowship because of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the

Cross and thus the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins.


76

5. God’s faithful and just character demands that we be forgiven these personal sins that we confess and restored to fellowship because the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union satisfied or propitiated the Father’s righteous demands that the sins of human history be judged-past, present and future.

6. This confession of sin is to the Father in private and does not refer to the public acknowledgment of sin. 7. At the moment of salvation the believer received the forgiveness of his sins in the positional sense. 8. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor


9. Although the believer experiences the forgiveness of sins at the moment of salvation, the moment he sins, he must confess these post-salvation sins so that he can once again experience the forgiveness of sins, which has already been appropriated by him at the moment of salvation positionally and will be his for all of eternity.

10. After salvation, the believer “experiences” the forgiveness of sins when he confesses any known sin to the Father and based upon the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.




14. The Father honors a person’s faith in His Son. 15. He restores the believer to fellowship based again upon the merits of the Person of Christ who is

impeccable and the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. 16. 1 John 1:8-10 speaks of the reality that the believer will commit personal sins in his life after salvation. 17. The presence of the old sin nature mentioned by John in 1 John 1:8 in the believer and his volition makes it



19. The fact that John is not condoning sin but rather is teaching these things is clearly indicated in 1 John 2:1. 20. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if

anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 21. The promise of the forgiveness of sins is of course rooted in the Old Testament. 22. Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not

remember your sins.” 23. Ps 103:12-13, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”




27. Mic 7:18-20, “Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast


77

all their sins into the depths of the sea. You will give truth to Jacob and unchanging love to Abraham, which You swore to our forefathers from the days of old.”




32. Our Lord in the institution of the Lord’s Table speaks of the promise of the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross, which is denoted by the phrase “My blood.”










43. Acts 2:14-41, “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE;


78

FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this, which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET. Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

44. Acts 10:34-44, “Opening his mouth, Peter said: ‘I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him. The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) you yourselves know the thing, which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.’ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.”

45. Acts 13:16-39, “Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance -- all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross


79

and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.’”

46. Acts 26:1-18, “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: ‘In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”


cross and for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven. 49. Rom 4:1-17, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has

found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the


80

faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.









Spirit. 59. Rom 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 60. Col 2:13-14, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He





64. Ps 51:1-9, “For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against


81

You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones, which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.”





69. 2 Cor 1:20, “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

70. The Gentiles have been made partakers of the promises to the Israel through faith alone in Christ alone. 71. They are the “wild olive branch” mentioned by Paul in Romans 11. 72. Rom 11, “I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an

Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? ‘Lord, THEY HAVE KILLED YOUR PROPHETS, THEY HAVE TORN DOWN YOUR ALTARS, AND I ALONE AM LEFT, AND THEY ARE SEEKING MY LIFE.’ But what is the divine response to him? ‘I HAVE KEPT for Myself SEVEN THOUSAND MEN WHO HAVE NOT BOWED THE KNEE TO BAAL.’ In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God's gracious choice. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. What then? What Israel is seeking, it has not obtained, but those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened; just as it is written, ‘GOD GAVE THEM A SPIRIT OF STUPOR, EYES TO SEE NOT AND EARS TO HEAR NOT, DOWN TO THIS VERY DAY.’ And David says, ‘LET THEIR TABLE BECOME A SNARE AND A TRAP, AND A STUMBLING BLOCK AND A RETRIBUTION TO THEM. LET THEIR EYES BE DARKENED TO SEE NOT, AND BEND THEIR BACKS FOREVER.’ I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery -- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation -- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.’ From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your


82

sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”





77. This is of course is from the human perspective since God does not need to be reminded. 78. The Father is true to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son. 79. His steadfast fidelity to His promise in His Word to forgive sins obligates the Father to forgive the believer

his sins when he confesses them since the believer has met the requirements of the agreement at the moment of salvation when he expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

80. Here in 1 John 1:9, John describes the Father’s as dikaios, “just” because the Father executes the judgments of His government that are in perfect agreement with His perfect character and nature and that are also based upon the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.











e. The Father always does everything based upon what is right, rightful and lawful and it is right, rightful and lawful to forgive the believer’s his sins when he confesses them because the Father’s righteous demands that the believer’s sins be judged has been propitiated by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.


83




















109. This was typified in the selection of animal for the Levitical sacrifices (Lev. 1-5). 110. The Father provided this perfect, impeccable individual, namely His Son. 111. So the righteousness of God demanded that the sins of every person in history-past, present and future

should be judged and the justice of God executed that judgment upon the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.


84


113. The forgiveness of sin is based upon the “blood of Jesus,” which again is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the Cross.

114. The believer enters into this promise of the forgiveness of sins through faith alone in Christ alone. 115. Eph 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,

according to the riches of His grace.” 116. Col 1:14, “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” 117. Matt 26:28, “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of

sins.” 118. Acts 2:38, “Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for

the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” 119. Acts 5:31, “He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant

repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” 120. Acts 10:43, “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in

Him receives forgiveness of sins.” 121. Acts 13:38, “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is

proclaimed to you.” 122. Acts 26:18, “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion

of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'”

123. The Father rightly and lawfully forgives the believer his sins when the believer confesses these sins to the Father because the believer has met the requirements of this covenant promise through faith alone in Christ alone.

124. The believer is justified through faith alone in Christ alone. 125. The believer receives the forgiveness of sins at the moment of salvation because he has been justified by

his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and because of His merits as a Person and the merits of His work on the cross, the believer is justified and receives the forgiveness of sins.

126. Paul in Romans 4 teaches this principle of justification by faith. 127. Rom 4, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For

if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR


85

DESCENDANTS BE.’ Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”









G. Subjunctive with hina in Dependent Adverbial Result Clause 1. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na) functions


conjunctive result clause. 3. The single most common category of the subjunctive in the NT is after i{na, comprising about one third of

all subjunctive instances. 4. There are seven basic uses included in this construction: purpose, result, purpose-result, substantival,

epexegetical, complementary, and command. 5. Its usage in the Koine period has increased from the classical as this construction came to be used as a

periphrasis for the simple infinitive 6. This use of i{na + subjunctive expresses the result of the action of the main verb. 7. It indicates a consequence of the verbal action that is not intended. 8. We must understand the context of the passage if we are to determine whether or not the conjunction hina



1 John 1:7 and 9 and 2:1 address the implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching. 11. So John is dealing with the implications of following the Gnostic and the apostolic teaching. 12. Therefore, if John is addressing the implications of following the doctrine of either group, we are not


13. To implicate involves a logical consequence. 14. The conjunction hina and the subjunctive mood of aphe express the “consequences of” or “implications” of

the believer confessing his sins to the Father, namely, forgiveness of sins. 15. The focus is upon the “outcome” of the action rather than on its intention.

H. Culminative (Consummative) Aorist


86

1. This is a culminative or consummative aorist, which views an event in its entirety but regards it from the standpoint of its existing results.

2. This could be taken as a gnomic aorist, which is used to present a general timeless fact. 3. As Robertson states that “sometimes the gnomic aorist is difficult to distinguish from the culminative

aorist” (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, page 836). 4. The problem is resolved by examining closely the context. 5. This is not a gnomic aorist but rather a culminative aorist because John under the inspiration of God the

Holy Spirit is emphasizing the results of the act of confessing one’s personal sins to the Father rather than that is a eternal spiritual truth that one’s sin are forgiven upon confessing them to the Father.

I. This is a simple active voice indicating that God the Father as the subject is producing the act of forgiving the believer experientially his personal sins when he confesses them to the Father.

J. We will translate aphe, “He forgives.” XXVII. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives.” XXVIII. Dative of Advantage A. Next, we have the dative (of advantage) 1st person neuter plural form of the personal pronoun hemeis (h(mei~$),

which is hemin (h(mi~n). B. Here in 1 John 1:9, hemeis refers to all believers without exception since John is teaching an eternal spiritual

truth regarding fellowship with God that applies to all believers, without exception. C. We will translate hemin, “us.” XXIX. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us.” XXX. Possessive Personal Pronoun A. Once again we have the 1st person plural genitive form of the personal pronoun hemeis (h(mei~$), which is hemon

(h(mw=n ). B. Here in the apodasis of 1 John 1:9 the context indicates that hemon denotes “possession.” C. Hemon is emphasizing that every believer without exception will have his personal sins forgiven when

confesses them to the Father. D. We will translate hemon, “our.” XXXI. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our.” XXXII. Accusative Direct Object A. The object of the verb aphe here in the hina adverbial conjunctive result clause in the apodasis of 1 John 1:9 is

composed of 2 words in the Greek text: 1. Accusative feminine plural definite article tas (taV$). 2. Accusative feminine plural form of the noun hamartia (a(martiva), which is hamartías (a(martiva$).

B. We saw this same articular construction in the protasis of this verse and noted it in exhaustive detail, thus we will only note its use here in the apodasis.

C. The noun hamartia is used here in 1 John 1:9 with reference to personal sins, whether mental, verbal or overt. D. The definite article and the plural form of the word also indicate this. E. So here in 1 John 1:9 John is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics and deny that

one possesses a sin nature and therefore does not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just with the result that He forgives the believer his personal sins because of the merits of the blood of Jesus, which is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).

F. God’s character can guarantee the believer’s complete restoration to fellowship in time when the believer confesses his personal sins because of the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of


87

the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God (cf. 1 John 2:1-2).

G. As we noted this articular accusative construction tas hamartías functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb aphe.

H. The definite article is anaphoric here in 1 John 1:9 meaning it points back to its use in the protasis. I. It reminds the reader of the Greek text of this passage that the noun hamartia has been previously mentioned in

the context. J. This means that the same sins that he confesses will be the same sins he is forgiven by the Father. K. We will not translate the definite article here since it would make for a clumsy translation but for the sake

exposition it must be understood that the article is anaphoric. L. We will translate tas hamartías, “sins.” XXXIII. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins.” XXXIV. Comparative Passages A. Old Testament

1. Ex 34:6-7, “Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, ‘The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.’”

2. Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin and my iniquity I did not hide. I said will admit my transgressions to the Lord, then You did forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

3. Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”


5. Ps 103:12-13, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”





10. Dan 9:9, “To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him.”


88

11. Jer 31:31-34, ‘Behold, days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD, I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, "Know the LORD,' for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them," declares the LORD, for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”

B. New Testament 1. Matt 26:28, “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of

sins.” 2. Luke 17:3-4, “Be on your guard for yourselves: if your fellow-believer should sin against you (1st

class condition: “and he will”) reprove him and if he should repent, forgive him. Even if 7 times in the course of the day he should sin against you, and 7 times in the course of the day he should return to you, saying, I repent, you shall forgive him.”

3. Luke 23:34, “Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive all of them, for they know not what they are doing.” 4. Acts 2:14-41, “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them:

‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this, which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET. Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So


89

then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”


6. Acts 13:16-39, “Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance -- all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.’”

7. Acts 26:1-18, “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: ‘In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and


90

day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”

8. Rom 4:1-17, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.





91





16. Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. And be gracious to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

17. Col 2:13-14, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”

18. Colossians 3:12-13, “Therefore, put on as the elect of God, separate and beloved, compassionate affections, graciousness, wisdom, humility, patient-endurance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if anyone should have a complaint another, even as the Lord Christ forgave all of you, so also you should forgive others.”

19. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor for our Lord’s spiritual death), the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.”

20. Colossians 1:14, “In Whom (Jesus Christ) we keep on experiencing the redemption through His blood the forgiveness of sins.”

21. Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more!” 22. 1 John 2:12, “I write to all of you, young people that all of your sins have been forgiven with the

result that they will be forgiven forever for the sake of His Integrity.” 23. 1 John 3:5, “He (the Lord Jesus Christ) appeared in order to take away sins.” 24. Hebrews 9:22, “without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” 25. 1 Peter 1:18-19, “Knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold

from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”

26. Revelation 1:4-5, “John to the seven churches in Asia (what is today western Turkey): Grace to you and peace, from Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven spirits who are before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead (1st to be resurrected), and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Jesus Christ controls human history from His Hypostatic Union). To Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood (metaphor for Christ’s death on the cross).”

XXXV. Conjunction A. Next, we have the connective use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which means, “and.” B. The conjunction kai is used here in 1 John 1:9 to connect two concepts:

1. The forgiveness of known personal sins. 2. The forgiveness of unknown personal sins.

C. The conjunction kai implies that there is a distinction between tas hamartías, “sins,” and pases adikias, “each and every wrongdoing.”

D. The former refers to known sins and the latter the sins committed in ignorance. E. We will translate kai, “and.”


92

XXXVI. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and.” XXXVII. Aorist Active Subjunctive A. Next, we have the 3rd person singular aorist active subjunctive form of the verb katharizo (kaqarivzw), which is

katharise (kaqarivsh~|). B. We noted this word in exhaustive detail in the exegesis and exposition of 1 John 1:7. C. Therefore, we will only note its use here in 1 John 1:9. D. 1 John 1:9

1. The verb katharizo in 1 John 1:9 means, “to purify,” and is used in relation to not only the sins the believer is aware of but also those he commits in ignorance because of ignorance of the Word of God.

2. The believer who confesses his personal sins to the Father, not only has these sins forgiven but also the sins that he is committing in ignorance.

3. This principle was taught to Old Testament Israel in the Levitical offerings. 4. The sin offering recorded in Leviticus 4 deals with the believer’s unknown sins and the trespass offering

recorded in Leviticus 5 deals with the issue of the believer’s known sins. 5. Both of these were burnt offerings. 6. The word “confess” is not found in the sin offering of Leviticus 4 because you can’t confess a sin if you

don’t know that you have sinned. 7. The sin offering deals with the sins of ignorance and the word “unintentional” in Leviticus 4:2 refers to

the unknown sins of the believer. 8. Sin is sin regardless if you know it is a sin or not and ignorance of sin is no excuse. 9. 1 John 1:9 refers to these unknown or “unintentional” sins as “unrighteousness,” which God purifies the

believer from upon confession of sin to the Father. 10. The sin offering emphasizes the cost of confession for these sins, which was Christ’s spiritual death

(“blood of Christ”). 11. The provision for the confession of sin was provided by our Savior’s spiritual death (1 John 1:7). 12. The trespass offering in Lev. 5-6:7 emphasizes the known sins of the believer and does mention confession

of sin because these are sins that the believer is aware of or cognizant of (Lev. 5:5). E. Subjunctive with hina in Dependent Adverbial Result Clause

1. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na), which functions as a marker of result.

2. It is employed with the subjunctive mood of the verbs (a)fh~) and katharise (kaqarizh|) in order to express a compound dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause.

3. We must understand the context of the passage if we are to determine whether or not the conjunction hina is expressing a purpose or result.

4. As we have noted 1 John 1:6-10 is dealing with the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching and the implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching.

5. As we have noted, 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 address the implications of following the Gnostic teaching whereas 1 John 1:7 and 9 and 2:1 address the implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching.

6. So John is dealing with the implications of following the Gnostic and the apostolic teaching. 7. Therefore, if John is addressing the implications of following the doctrine of either group, we are not


8. To implicate involves a logical consequence. 9. The conjunction hina and the subjunctive moods of aphe and katharise express the “consequences of” or

“implications” of the believer confessing his sins to the Father, namely, forgiveness of sins and the purification of each and every wrongdoing.

10. The focus is upon the “outcome” of the action rather than on its intention. F. Culminative (Consummative) Aorist


2. This could be taken as a gnomic aorist, which is used to present a general timeless fact. 3. As Robertson states that “sometimes the gnomic aorist is difficult to distinguish from the culminative

aorist” (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, page 836).


93

4. The problem is resolved by examining closely the context. 5. This is not a gnomic aorist but rather a culminative aorist because John under the inspiration of God the

Holy Spirit is emphasizing the results of the act of confessing one’s personal sins to the Father rather than that is a eternal spiritual truth that the believer is purified from each and every sin upon confessing them to the Father.

G. This is a simple active voice indicating that God the Father as the subject produces the act of purifying the believer from each and every sin committed in ignorance when he confesses them to the Father.

H. We will translate katharise, “He purifies.” XXXVIII. Comparative Passages A. Psalms 19:12, “Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.” B. Psalms 51:2, “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” C. Jeremiah 33:8, “I will cleanse them from all their iniquity by which they have sinned against Me, and I

will pardon all their iniquities by which they have sinned against Me and by which they have transgressed against Me.”

D. Ezekiel 36:25, “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.”

E. Ezekiel 37:23, “They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, or with their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them. And they will be My people, and I will be their God.”

F. 1 Corinthians 6:11, “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

G. Ephesians 5:26, “so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

H. Titus 2:14, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

I. 1 John 1:7, “but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son purifies us from all sin.”

XXXIX. Accusative Direct Object A. Next, we have the accusative 1st person plural form of the personal pronoun hemeis (h(mei~$), which is hemás

(h(ma~$). B. Here in 1 John 1:9, hemeis refers to all believers without exception since John is teaching an eternal spiritual

truth regarding confession of sin for the purpose being restored to fellowship with God that applies to all believers, without exception.

C. The personal pronoun hemás here in 1 John 1:9 functions as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb katharise.

D. We will translate hemás, “us.” XL. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and He purifies us.” XLI. Preposition A. We conclude the exegesis of 1 John 1:9 by noting a prepositional phrase, which is composed of the following:

1. Preposition ap’ (a)p'), “from.” 2. Ablatival genitive feminine singular form of the adjective pas (pa~$), which is pases (pavsh$). 3. Ablatival genitive feminine singular form of the noun adikia (a)dikiva), which is akikias (a)dikiva$).

B. Classical 1. The basic force of ajpov in classical Greek was separation from. 2. In the NT it has encroached on the domain of Att. ejk, uJpov, parav, and the ablative of

separation.


94

3. There are 3 fundamental functions of the preposition apo in classical literature, not including the use of the term in compound constructions: a. Place b. Time c. Source or origin

4. For the most part apo designates movement “from” an object and is widely used in the literary writings of antiquity.

5. Apo appears in various papyri and inscriptions, and it occurs regularly in the LXX. 6. Where ek denotes motion from within an object, apo denotes movement from the edge or surface of an

object. 7. It marks the general point from which movement or action proceeds. 8. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, pages 191-192):

a. Of place (1) From, away from (2) Of position, away from, far from (3) Of the mind, away from (4) In pregnant sense, with verbs of rest, previous motion being implied (5) With the article, where the sense of motion often disappears (6) Partitive, taken from (7) Mathematically, of figures described upon a base (8) Man and woman (9) From being, instead of (10) Privative, free from, without

b. Of time, from, after c. Of origin, cause

(1) Of that from which one is born (2) Of the material from or of which a thing is made (3) Of the instrument from or by which a thing is done (4) Of the person from whom an act comes, i.e. by whom it is done (5) Of the source from which life, power, etc. are sustained (6) Of the cause, means or occasion from, by, or because of which a thing is done (7) Of the object spoken of

C. LXX 1. The LXX employs apo along the lines of the 3-fold classical usage. 2. It too is used of:

a. Place b. Time c. Origin or source

D. NT 1. The New Testament usage of the preposition apo is not much different from that of the LXX. 2. It has a 3-fold function along with numerous variations of those 3. 3. These would be merely more precise extensions of the basic functions. 4. The preposition apo is also used in the New Testament to form compounds. 5. It is also regularly used with the verb exerchomai in the Greek New Testament. 6. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (page 101):

a. Off, away from b. Resultant meaning: from c. Remote meanings: by, on account of

7. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics-Exegetical Syntax of the Greek New Testament (page 369): a. Separation (from place or person): away from b. Source: from, out of c. Cause: because of d. Partitive (i.e., substituting for a partitive gen.): of e. Agency (rare): by, from

8. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (pages 57-58): a. Of separation


95

(1) Of local separation after verbs of motion from a place (of departing, fleeing, removing, expelling, throwing)

(2) Of the separation of a part from the whole; where of a whole some part is taken (3) Of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is

destroyed (4) Of a state of separation

b. Of origin whether local origin, the place whence; or of causal origin, the cause from which (1) Of the place whence anything is, comes, befalls, is taken (2) Of causal origin or the cause

9. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised (page 40): a. Forth from, away from; hence it variously signifies departure b. Distance of time or place c. Avoidance d. Riddance e. Derivation from a quarter, source or material f. Origination from agency or instrumentality

10. A Greek-English Lexicon of the Greek New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 86-88): a. Of place, exclusively, from, away from

(1) With all verbs denoting motion especially those compounded with apo (2) With all verbs expressing the idea of separation (3) Verbs meaning be on guard, be ashamed (4) With verbs of concealing, hiding, hindering, the person from whom something is concealed is

found with apo. (5) In pregnant constructions (6) As a substitute for the partitive genitive

b. To denote the point from which something begins, in literal and figurative meanings (1) Of place, from, out from (2) Of time from-(on) since (3) Indicating the beginning of a series from-(on)

c. To indicate distance from a point away from d. To indicate origin or source from

(1) Literally with verbs of motion, to indicate someone’s local origin from (2) Figuratively with verbs of asking, desiring, to denote the person of or from whom a thing is asked;

with verbs of perceiving to indicate what has been perceived e. To indicate cause, means or outcome

(1) Generally to show the reason for something because of, as a result of, for (2) To indicate means with the help of, with (3) To indicate motive or reason for, from, with (4) To indicate the originator of the action denoted by the verb from (5) As in classical usage (6) With verbs in the passive voice or passive meaning

f. In a few expressions apo helps to take the place of an adverb 11. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (volume 2):

a. A marker of dissociation, implying a rupture from a former association – ‘from, separated from’ (page 794).

b. A marker of source of an implied event – ‘from, by’ (page 799). c. Extension from or away from a source – ‘from, away from’ (page 721). d. Markers of a part of a whole, whether consisting of countables or of mass – ‘one of, one among, a part

of’ (page 615). e. Markers of the substance of which something consists or out of which it is made – ‘of, consisting of,

out of, made of’ (page 796). f. (With the genitive) a marker of agent which may also be regarded as a source – ‘by, from’ (page 798). g. (With the genitive) a marker of instrument which serves as a source of information or reason – ‘by,

from’ (page 799). h. Marker of the extent of time from a point in the past – ‘since, from’ (page 646). i. Marker of cause or reason, with focus upon the source – ‘because of’ (page 780).


96

j. (With the genitive) a marker of one who is responsible for an event or state – ‘by, on (the basis of), of, upon’ (page 799).

12. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament (volume 1, pages 124-125): a. Local use

(1) With verbs which denote movement and frequently have apo as a preposition prefix; verbs which express separation from a place

(2) In precise phrases of which there are no immediate examples in the classical language (3) As a substitute for the genitive of separation (4) In reference to a point of departure, from, out from, or out of (5) In designations of distance far from, from, away from (6) Of source or origin, from, out of

b. Temporal use from c. Figurative meaning

(1) Of source or origin (2) Causal (3) To indicate the beginning of a series

d. Fixed phrases or expressions E. 1 John 1:9

1. The preposition apo is a marker of separation. 2. The context states that the believer when he confesses his personal sins to the Father is also purified “from”

each and every sin he commits in ignorance. 3. The merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in

hypostatic union on the cross “separates” the believer “from” the penalty of committing personal sins, which is loss of fellowship, which is also called in theology, temporal spiritual death.

4. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and to purify him from not only sins he is aware of and has confessed but also the sins he commits in ignorance.

5. Thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross. F. We will translate apo, “from.” LXII. Attributive Adjective A. Modifying the noun adikias is the ablatival genitive feminine singular form of the adjective pas (pa~$), which is

pases (pavsh$). B. Here in 1 John 1:9 the context indicates we have an anarthrous adjective noun construction, thus, the adjective

pas expresses an attributive relation to the noun adikias, “wrongdoing.” C. It is in the 1st attributive position. D. The adjective pas is used here without the article modifying the noun adikias, “wrongdoing” and is used in the

distributive sense denoting “each and every” personal sin committed in ignorance. E. The believer is purified from “each and every” sin that he commits in ignorance because of the merits of the

unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

F. The believer who confesses to the Father “each and every” personal sin that he commits, is purified from not only these sins but also “each and every” sin committed in ignorance and this is made possible because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

G. Ablative of Separation 1. As already noted, the preposition apo is a marker of separation, thus the adjective pas is an ablative of

separation. 2. The context states that the believer is purified “from” each and every personal sin committed in ignorance

because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

3. The merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross “separates” the believer “from” the penalty of committing personal sins, which is loss of fellowship, which is also called in theology, temporal spiritual death.


97

4. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer with the result that the Father purifies the believer from any unknown sins, thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross.

H. We will translate pases, “each and every.” LXIII. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He will forgive us our sins and He will purify us from each and every.” LXIV. Ablative of Separation A. The object of the preposition apo is the ablatival genitive feminine singular form of the noun adikia (a)dikiva),

which is adikias (a)dikiva$). B. Classical and LXX

1. Liddel and Scott (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, page 23): a. Wrongdoing, injustice b. Wrongful act, offence

2. The noun adikia is related to the verb adikeo, “do wrong, commit injustice, deal unjustly, and injure.” 3. It appears often in classical literature. 4. Most of the time, the word means, “wrongdoing, misdeed.” 5. The meanings, “unrighteousness, injustice, wickedness” also appear in classical writings. 6. The word is rooted in legal thinking. 7. It is used as a synonym for parabasis and can refer to crimes like theft, fraud and incest. 8. The word and often overlaps with anomia. 9. In list of vices, it is used as a general description of a wide range of things. 10. Adikia appears as an act of unrighteousness directed against another person, but not God.

C. LXX 1. Adikia is the least clearly defined description of an activity or being of man that is described in negative

terms. 2. Consequently it can take on various nuances as witnessed by the fact that the translators of the LXX used it

to translate 33 different Hebrew terms in the LXX. 3. Adikia appears approximately 250 times in the LXX and mostly it translates the Hebrew ‘awon, “offence,

guilt, punishment” in the LXX. 4. Sometimes it is used to translate ‘awlah, “perversity, wickedness,” hamas, “violent act, injustice” and

seqer, “lie.” 5. The fact that adikia appears in the LXX mainly in the singular demonstrates that it is not on the individual

act but on the entire concept of transgression that attention is focused. D. NT

1. The noun adikia appears 26 times in the Greek New Testament. 2. The word appears in Matthew 23:25 for the “unrighteous” character of the Pharisees who were hypocrites. 3. It means, “evildoers” in Luke 13:27 and is used for those who reject the Lordship of Christ, yet claim to

preach and teach in His name. 4. Adikia is used in Luke 16:8-9 in the context of stewardship and is used to describe an “unrighteous”

manager of his master’s property. 5. The word is used by our Lord in Luke 18:6 to describe an “unjust” judge and John uses the word in John

7:18 to describe the Lord Jesus who has no “unrighteousness” in His character, thus He is sinless, impeccable.

6. It is used of Judas Iscariot in Acts 1:18 and his betrayal of the Lord Jesus, which Luke calls, “wickedness.” 7. Adikia appears in Acts 8:23 where it used by Peter of Simon and means, “iniquity” and refers to the

“unrighteous” character of men in Romans 1:18-19, and 1:29. 8. The word is used in relation to disobedience to the gospel, which is described as “unrighteousness.” 9. It means “unrighteousness” in Romans 6:13 where it is used in relation to the believer putting his physical

body at the disposal of the indwelling Adamic sin nature.


98

10. Paul uses it of God in Romans 9:14 where Paul states that God is not “unjust” because He is said to hate Esau but love Jacob and this is because God in His omniscience knew that Esau would not be saved and Jacob would upon accepting Jehovah Elohim as his Savior.

11. The word is used in 1 Corinthians 13:6 in contrast to rejoicing with the truth and is thus related to the lies of Satan and his cosmic system meaning, “unrighteousness.”

12. Paul uses the word in 2 Corinthians 12:13 where he sarcastically asks the Corinthian believers to forgive him of “wrongful” act of not being a burden to them financially.

13. Adikia is used by Paul in relation to Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 whose deception is called “wickedness.”

14. It means, “unrighteousness” and is used of unbelievers in 2 Thessalonians 2:12 who reject Jesus Christ and fall for the lies of Antichrist during the Tribulation period of Daniel’s 70th week.

15. The believer is commanded in 2 Timothy 2:19 to abstain from adikia, “wickedness, iniquity.” 16. The word is used in the plural in Hebrews 8:12 for the “wrongful acts, iniquities, which have all been

forgiven 17. It is used in relation to the sins of the tongue in James 3:6, which is described as a “world of iniquity.” 18. In 2 Peter 2:13-15, adikia is used in relation to the “unrighteous” character of false teachers and the wages

of their “unrighteous” conduct. 19. The word appears in 1 John 1:9 where it used of the forgiveness of each and every “wrongdoing” that the

believer commits in ignorance. 20. John employs the word again for “wrongdoing” in 1 John 5:17. 21. Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, “adikia denotes (a) "injustice," Luke 18:6, lit., "the judge

of injustice"; Rom 9:14; (b) "unrighteousness, iniquity," e. g., Luke 16:8, lit., "the steward of unrighteousness," RV marg., i. e., characterized by "unrighteousness"; Rom 1:18,29; 2:8; 3:5; 6:13; 1 Cor 13:6, RV, "unrighteousness"; 2 Thess 2:10, "[with all (lit., 'in every) deceit'] of unrighteousness," i. e., deceit such as "unrighteousness" uses, and that in every variety; Antichrist and his ministers will not be restrained by any scruple from words or deeds calculated to deceive; 2 Thess 2:12, of those who have pleasure in it, not an intellectual but a moral evil; distaste for truth is the precursor of the rejection of it; 2 Tim 2:19, RV; 1 John 1:9, which includes (c); (c) "a deed or deeds violating law and justice" (virtually the same as adikema, "an unrighteous act"), e. g., Luke 13:27, "iniquity"; 2 Cor 12:13, "wrong," the wrong of depriving another of what is his own, here ironically of a favor; Heb 8:12, 1 st clause, "iniquities," lit., "unrighteousnesses" (plural, not as KJV); 2 Peter 2:13,15, RV, "wrongdoing," KJV, "unrighteousness"; 1 John 5:17. See INIQUITY.”

22. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (pages 17-18): a. Wrongdoing b. Unrighteousness, wickedness, injustice

23. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, “injustice, wrong; iniquity, falsehood, deceitfulness” (page 7). 24. The New Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon (page 12):

a. Injustice b. Unrighteousness of heart and life c. A deed violating law and justice, act of unrighteousness

25. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, “an activity which is unjust – ‘unjust deed, unrighteousness, doing what is unjust’” (volume 2, page 745).

E. 1 John 1:9 1. The noun adikia in 1 John 1:9 is used in the singular and means, “wrongdoing.” 2. It is used with reference to both “known” and “unknown” sins. 3. The connective use of the conjunction kai, “and” indicates an additional concept from the one expressed by

the articular construction of the noun hamartia. 4. Therefore, there is a distinction between pases adikia, “each and every wrongdoing” and tas hamartia,

“sins” in 1 John 1:9, which are not synonymous with each other. 5. Pases adikia is used with reference to not only the sins the believer is aware of committing but it also takes

into account the sins the believer commits in ignorance or “unknown” sins. F. Ablative of Separation

1. As we noted, the preposition apo is a marker of separation. 2. The context states that the believer when he confesses his personal sins to the Father is also purified “from”

each and every wrongdoing he commits in ignorance.


99


4. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and to purify him from any unknown sins.

5. Thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross. G. We will translate adikias, “wrongdoing.” LXV. Corrected translation thus far of 1 John 1:9, “If any of us does confess our sins, then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and He purifies us from each and every wrongdoing.” LXVI. Expositional Notes A. 1 John 1:9 is a 3rd class conditional clause that presents a present general condition, which can be classified as a

5th class condition. B. It expresses a contrast with the 1 John 1:8, which reflects the implications of adhering to the teaching of the

Gnostics. C. 1 John 1:9 can be divided into 2 sections:

1. Protasis: Eán homologómen tás hamartías hemón (e)a\n o(mologw=men ta\$ a(marti/a$ h(mw=n), “If any of us does confess our sins.”

2. Apodasis: pistós estin kaí díkaios hína aphé hemín tás hamartías kaí katharíse hemás apó páses adikías (pisto/$ e)stin kai\ di/kaio$ i%na a)fh=| h(mi=n ta\$ a(marti/a$ kai\ kaqari/sh| h(ma=$ a)po\ pa/sh$ a)diki/a$), “then, He (God the Father) is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just with the result that He forgives us our sins and He purifies us from each and every wrongdoing.”

D. Protasis 1. 1 John 1:9 is the 4th in a series of 6 3rd class conditional statements (1 Jn. 1:6, 7, 8, 9, 10; 2:1). 2. Semantically, each of these 3rd class conditional statements present a present general condition. 3. Some grammarians such as Wallace categorize this particular semantic use of the 3rd class condition as a 5th

class condition. 4. We will adopt this category as well since the 3rd class condition does indeed have a broad semantic range

and the designation of the 5th class to one of these distinctions is appropriate and accurate. 5. Each of these 3rd class (5th class) conditional clauses consist of 3 pairs that can be divided into 2:

a. Negative statement in the apodasis (1 Jn. 1:6, 8, 10). b. Positive statement in the apodasis (1 Jn. 1:7, 9; 2:1).

6. The negative statements 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 reflect the Gnostic teaching whereas the positive statements in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1 reflect the apostolic teaching.

7. The clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean (e)aVn), “if” and the 1st person plural aorist active subjunctive form of the verb eipon (ei)`pon), which is eipomen (ei&pwmen), “any of us enters into making the claim.”

8. The protasis is hypothetical in force in each of these clauses that have a negative statement in the apodasis. 9. They reflect the concern that John has for his readers who were being exposed to the antinomian Gnostic

teaching. 10. The 3 negative statements following ean eipomen, “if any of us enters into making the claim” are

intended to bring out the implications of following the opponents’ teaching. 11. The clauses that have a positive statement in the apodasis have in the protasis the conditional particle ean,

“if,” but a different verb is employed with it in each protasis: a. 1 John 1:7: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb peripateo

(peripatevw), “any of us does live.” b. 1 John 1:9: 1st person plural present (gnomic) active subjunctive form of the verb homologeo

(o(mologevw), “any of us does confess.” c. 1 John 2:1: 1st person plural aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive form of the verb hamartano

(a(nartavnw), “any of us enters into sin.” 12. The 3 positive statements in the apodasis of each of these clauses that are preceded by ean, “if” only, reflect

the implications of following John’s apostolic teaching.


100

13. As we noted, the conduct of those who adhere to the Gnostic teachings was not consistent with the holiness of God.

14. The conduct of those who practice the apostolic teaching will be consistent with the holiness of God. 15. As we noted, 1 John 1:6, 8 and 10 expresses the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching whereas

John presents a contrast here in 1 John 1:7, 9 and 2:1, which expresses the implications of adhering to his apostolic teaching.

16. Here in 1 John 1:9 as in 1 John 1:6, 7 and 8, the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs a 3rd class conditional statement, which semantically presents a logical connection (if A, then B) in the present time that is sometimes called a present general condition, and indicates nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis.


18. John employs the conditional particle ean (e)avn) to introduce it. 19. This 5th class conditional clause has the subjunctive mood of the verb homologeo (o(mologevw) in the

protasis and the present indicative estin (e)stin) in the apodasis. 20. As we noted, technically, the subjunctive is used in the third class condition as well as the fifth class

condition and structurally, these two are virtually identical. 21. The fifth class condition requires a present indicative in the apodosis, while the third class can take

virtually any mood-tense combination, including the present indicative. 22. Here in 1 John 1:9 we have the present indicative in the apodasis and the subjunctive mood in the protasis. 23. As we also noted the fifth class offers a condition the fulfillment of which is realized in the present time. 24. This condition is known as the present general condition and for the most part this condition is a simple

condition; that is, the speaker gives no indication about the likelihood of its fulfillment. 25. His presentation is neutral: “If A, then B.” 26. We also noted that because of the broad range of the third class condition and the undefined nature of the

fifth class, many conditional clauses are open to interpretation. 27. But for the most part, the present general condition addresses a generic situation in the present time

(broadly speaking), while the more probable future addresses a specific situation in the future time. 28. Here in 1 John 1:9 we have an example of the present general condition. 29. There is no hint of uncertainty about this event occurring, nor is it something presented as an eventuality. 30. John is simply presenting a hypothetical situation in order to teach spiritual principle with the 5th class

condition. 31. This is very important to remember when understanding the semantic usage of the present tense of the verb

estin, which as we will note is gnomic. 32. This is a spiritual principle that reflects his apostolic teaching and stands in contrast to the Gnostic

teaching, which is reflected in 1 John 1:8. 33. The protasis expresses the cause and the apodasis the effect.

a. Protasis-cause: If any believer does confess his personal sins to the Father. b. Apodasis-effect: Then the Father is as an eternal spiritual truth faithful and just with the result that He

will forgive the believer his personal sins and He will purify him from each and every wrongdoing. 34. The subjunctive is used because the subject is undefined, not because the time is future. 35. Therefore, we should not insert “should” into the translation of the word. 36. It is undefined because John is directing this spiritual principle at all of his readers including himself and is

not speaking of any one individual in particular. 37. This is because John and all his readers, as well as all believers have an indwelling sin nature (cf. Rm. 6:6;

Rm. 7:24). 38. So in 1 John 1:9 we have a present general condition in which the subject is distributive meaning, “if any

of us.” 39. The subjunctive is thus used because of the implicit uncertainty as to who is included in the 1st person

plural. 40. 1 John 1:8 expresses the implications of adhering to the Gnostic teaching whereas John presents a contrast

here in 1 John 1:9, which expresses the implications of adhering to his apostolic teaching. 41. The verb homologeo in 1 John 1:9 means, “to confess.” 42. The English word “confess” is more accurate a translation of this word here in 1 John 1:9 than “admit,” or

“acknowledge” because “confess” means stating somewhat formally an admission of wrongdoing, crime or


101

shortcoming whereas “acknowledge” implies making a statement reluctantly often about something previously denied and “admit” implies acknowledging something under pressure.

43. The believer must “confess” any known sins to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship. 44. He is restored to fellowship because of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the



46. This confession of sin is to the Father in private and does not refer to the public acknowledgment of sin. 47. Homologeo here refers to the confession of personal sin to the Father in the privacy of the believer’s royal

priesthood and based upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ at the Cross, the Father restores the believer to fellowship.

48. The Father is faithful in keeping His Word to restore the believer to fellowship when the believer confesses his personal sins.

49. He is just because it is only fair that the Father restore the believer to fellowship when he confesses his sins since it is the merits of Christ and His work on the Cross, which enables the Father to restore the believer to fellowship.

50. At the moment of salvation the believer received the forgiveness of his sins in the positional sense. 51. Ephesians 1:7, “In Him (the Lord Jesus Christ) we have redemption through His blood (metaphor








salvation, he appropriates the forgiveness of his sins-past, present and future. 59. The unbeliever does not appropriate the forgiveness of sins because he has not placed his trust in Christ for

salvation. 60. The unbeliever’s sins will never be brought up at the Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers since

Christ paid the penalty for their sins with His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross. 61. They will be judged according to their relative human self-righteous deeds, which do not measure up to the

absolute perfect righteousness of Christ (Rev. 20:11-15). 62. After salvation, the believer “experiences” the forgiveness of sins when he confesses any known sin to the

Father and based upon the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.




66. The Father honors a person’s faith in His Son.


102

67. He restores the believer to fellowship based again upon the merits of the Person of Christ who is impeccable and the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross.

68. 1 John 1:8-10 speaks of the reality that the believer will commit personal sins in his life after salvation. 69. The presence of the old sin nature mentioned by John in 1 John 1:8 in the believer and his volition makes it



71. The fact that John is not condoning sin but rather is teaching these things is clearly indicated in 1 John 2:1. 72. 1 John 2:1, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if

anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” 73. The confession of personal sins mentioned by John in 1 John 1:9 refers to the believer who depends upon

this substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross. 74. He directs the Father’s attention to the death of Christ in order to be restored to fellowship with the Father. 75. Christ’s substitutionary spiritual death has merit with the Father because His Son was sinless. 76. The Father restores the believer to fellowship when the believer confesses any known sin to Him and this

restoration to fellowship is based solely upon the merits of the Person and Work of Christ on the cross. 77. This means that the believer is restored based upon the merits of the impeccability of Christ’s Person and

His substitutionary spiritual death on the cross. 78. The believer’s acknowledgement of his personal sins after salvation demonstrates that the believer “agrees”

with God about his sin. 79. When his thoughts, words and actions are not agreement with the will of the Father, he confesses that it is a

sin. 80. This confession demonstrates that the believer is in “agreement” with God that he is thinking, speaking or

acting in accordance with the will of the Father and thus His holy standards, which rejects all sin. 81. Fellowship with God is a moment-by-moment experience, thus the moment the believer commits any

mental, verbal or overt act of sin, he has lost his fellowship with God, who is holy, i.e. perfect in character and integrity.

82. The moment the believer confesses any mental, verbal or overt act of sin that he commits, he is at that moment restored to fellowship with God because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.

83. This purifies the believer’s conscience, which is defiled by committing personal sin against God. 84. Heb 9:13-14, “For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have

been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

85. James 4:8, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

86. Titus 2:14, “who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”

87. The moment the believer has been restored to fellowship with God, he needs to recover meaning he needs to start immediately applying the Word of God to his thought process, which is tantamount to being fully influenced by the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph. 5:18) and is synonymous with letting the Word of Christ richly dwell in you (cf. Col. 3:15).

88. Therefore, once the confession of sin has taken place the believer needs to maintain and sustain his fellowship with God by obeying the Father’s will, which the Holy Spirit reveals to the believer through the communication of the Word of God.

89. Obeying the Word of Truth, which is inspired by the Spirit and reveals the Father’s will, is the means by which the believer maintains and sustains his fellowship with God.

90. The believer must appropriate this provision by confessing any known personal sin to the Father and based upon the merits the merits of His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union, the Father restores completely the believer to fellowship with Himself.

91. Failure to do so prevents the believer from enjoying and experiencing fellowship with God. 92. Ps. 66:18, “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”


103

93. If the believer remains out of fellowship for any extended period of time, he will be under divine discipline, which is not designed to hurt the believer but to get him to confess his sins so that he can be restored to fellowship.

94. Heb 12:4-13, “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.”

95. There are 3 categories of divine discipline for the believer when he consistently stays out of fellowship with God: a. Warning (Rev. 3:20; James 5:9) b. Intense (Ps. 38:1; 2 Th. 2:11). c. Dying (Jer. 9:16; 44:12; Phlp. 3:18-19; Re. 3:16; 1 Co. 10:13-14; Ps. 118:17-18; 1 Jo. 5:16).

96. As we noted in 1 John 1:5, the statement that “God is light” is designed to refute Gnostic teaching and in particular the Syrian form of Gnosticism, which taught that evil originated from the essence of God.

97. As language of accommodation, the apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is employing a figure of speech in 1 John 1:5 called an anthropopathism by stating that God is light.

98. An anthropopathism is language of accommodation through which infinite God reveals Himself to the finite man.

99. An anthropopathism is a figure of speech and is used to ascribe human passions, actions or attributes to God.

100. In 1 John 1:5, God is figured by an inanimate thing, namely, light. 101. The apostle John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is ascribing to God the characteristic of light

in order to explain to the human frame of reference the perfect character of God. 102. By employing this figure of light, infinite God is explaining or revealing Himself to finite man regarding

His perfect eternal character. 103. He is condescending by ascribing the characteristics of light to Himself in order that finite man can

understand something about Himself. 104. The apostle John employs the figure of light in 1 John 1:5 to describe the holiness of God, which is His

absolute perfection of character. 105. Lev 11:44a, “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am

holy.” 106. As light is the antithesis to darkness, so God is the antithesis to sin and the author of sin, Satan. 107. The most obvious characteristic of light is that it reveals thus John employs this figure in relation to sin and

the believer’s fellowship with God. 108. As physical light reveals so the absolute perfection of God’s character reveals their imperfections, i.e. sin. 109. In the context of 1 John 1:5 John employs this figure of light in order to convey to his readers that the

absolute perfection of God’s character reveals sin in their lives. 110. By ascribing the figure of light to God John is implying that you cannot hide or harbor any sin with God

and have fellowship with Him at the same time. 111. God’s holiness, i.e. His absolute perfection of character won’t permit it. 112. The holiness of God is a term refers to the aggregate of perfect features or attributes and traits that form the

nature of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. 113. The figure of light used by John to describe God refers to the fact that God is totally separated from all sin

and evil. 114. Ps. 5:4, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You.” 115. God’s holiness expresses His purity of His character or moral perfection and excellence.


104

116. The application for John’s readers is that the absolute and innate holiness or perfect character of God means that God can have nothing to do with sin or sinners.

117. He is totally separate from sin and sinners unless a way can be found to constitute them holy and that way has been provided based upon the merits of the impeccable Person and Finished Work of the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross.

118. The believer “cannot” experience fellowship with God unless he is as holy as God. 119. This is accomplished positionally at the moment of salvation when the believer received the new Christ

nature, which is perfectly holy and cannot sin because it is created in the image of Christ who is holy and is impeccable.

120. Eph 4:24, “and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

121. God wants us to experience that which is true of us positionally, namely that we are as holy as God. 122. The believer who lives according to the standards of God’s holiness, will experience fellowship with God

but the believer who lives in his old sin nature and according to the lies of the cosmic system of Satan will not experiencing fellowship with God.

123. The believer is commanded to be holy as God is holy. 124. 1 Peter 1:14-16, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in

your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."

125. God the Holy Spirit would not issue this command to the believer to be as holy as He is unless the believer had the power or capacity to be holy as Him and this capacity God has given to every believer when He gave the believer a new nature at the moment of salvation through regeneration.

126. After salvation, the believer can experience the holiness of God by remaining in fellowship, which is accomplished by applying the Word of God and having no unacknowledged sin in the stream of consciousness.

127. Experiencing the holiness of God is contingent upon the believer confessing his sins and obeying the Word of Truth.

128. This proclamation that God is light will help them to maintain their fellowship with God since it will teach them that God does not tolerate sin and therefore sin must be confessed (1 Jn. 1:9).

129. The confession of any personal sin is referred to in 1 John 1:9 and is also taught in the Old Testament. 130. Ps. 32:5, “I acknowledged (yadhah) my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, "I will

confess my transgressions to the LORD"; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” 131. The sin nature is the source of all personal sin and functions when the believer permits it to control and

influence his soul. 132. The sin nature is mentioned by John in 1 John 1:8 and is also noted many times by the apostle Paul in his

writings (Rm. 6-7). 133. The believer is responsible for his actions since he sins because he chooses to live in this sin nature that is

received at the moment of physical birth through the imputation of Adam’s sin in the garden. 134. The confession of any known sin to the Father is the principle whereby the believer-priest can regain his



temporal relationship with God that “can” be broken. 136. The believer’s eternal relationship means that he can “never” lose our salvation (Rm. 8:38-39; 1 Pet. 1:4). 137. But his temporal fellowship with God means that we “can” lose his fellowship with God in time by sinning

or giving into the old sin nature. 138. So it is very important that the believer understand why he must confess any known to the Father and its

mechanics. 139. So the 3 steps to the confession of any known sin to the Father are as follows:

a. Confess your sins to God. b. Forget your sins. c. Apply the Word of God after confession

140. Once the believer confesses his sins to the Father, he is not to recall these sins to mind, but rather forget them.

141. This isolates the sins he has acknowledged so that he doesn’t get involved in chain sinning.


105

142. It is essential for the believer to understand that the confession of any known personal sins to the Father is the 1st step to having fellowship with God.

143. The believer must not only confess his known sins to the Father but also start applying the Word of God immediately after confessing any known sin to the Father so that he can remain in fellowship.

144. God does not care how many times the believer confesses his sins to Him. 145. He will not get exasperated with the believer if he acknowledges the same sin to Him 1000 times a day for

the Lord told Peter to forgive his neighbor 490 times (Mt. 18:21-22). 146. As a spiritual child the believer will give into the old sin nature more often than not. 147. The spiritual child does not remain in fellowship with God as long as a spiritual adult would. 148. The spiritual adult stays consistently in fellowship for longer periods of time. 149. The spiritual child is inconsistent and thus spends more time confessing his sins than the spiritual adult

would. 150. Regardless, both the spiritual adult and the spiritual child need to confess any known sin to the Father. 151. At salvation, the believer enters into an eternal relationship with God. 152. Simultaneously, he enters into fellowship with God in time. 153. His personal sins do “not” affect his eternal relationship with God because they were all forgiven




156. The believer “experiences” that which is true of him positionally, namely when he confesses his sins to the Father, they are forgiven.

157. There is no sin that we can commit that can cause us to lose our salvation. 158. Rom 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor


159. The omnipotence of God protects the believer’s salvation. 160. No one is stronger than the omnipotence of God, not even Satan. 161. John 10:28-29, “and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch

them out of My hand. My Father, who has given {them} to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch {them} out of the Father's hand.”


163. There is “no” bad decision that the believer can commit that can cause them to lose his salvation and thus his eternal relationship and yet, a bad decision to commit a personal sin “can” cause him to lose his temporal fellowship or relationship with God in time.


165. So John here in 1 John 1:9 is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics who deny that they possess a sin nature and therefore do not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins because of the blood of Jesus (i.e. voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union) (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).

166. God’s character can guarantee the believer’s complete restoration to fellowship when the believer confesses his personal sins because the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union has satisfied the righteous demands of a holy God (cf. 1 John 2:1-2).

167. It is also important that the believer be specific with the Father when confessing his sins to Him. 168. For instance, if the believer’s sins are judging, lying, stealing, anger or bitterness, etc., he must confess to

the Father his sin of lying, judging, stealing, anger or bitterness, etc. 169. Homologeo has no emotional connotation attached to it. 170. It was used in classical Greek for confessing your guilt in court.


106

171. The Bible does not teach that we are to feel sorry for our sins. 172. God is not concerned with you emoting, but rather God interested in what His Son did at that cross of

Calvary 2000 years ago when every sin in human history, past, present and future was imputed to the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union and was judged by the justice of God the Father.

173. This is why the Scriptures state in Hebrews 8:11 that God remembers our sin no more. 174. His Son paid the penalty for those sins, which was His substitutionary spiritual death. 175. The humanity of Christ was separated from the Father during the last 3 hours on the cross. 176. There was a transaction-taking place between the Father and the Son. 177. So if the Lord paid for the believer’s sins, then why should he have to confess them? 178. The reason is fellowship with God. 179. No believer can remain in perpetual fellowship with God, but he can remain consistently in fellowship with

God. 180. So when the believer confesses his sins to the Father, he is pointing to what took place at the cross during

those last 3 hours in darkness. 181. So the confession of sin to the Father is critical in order to be restored to fellowship. 182. There is no emotional connotation attached to homologeo that is used here by John in 1 John 1:9. 183. The Father wants the believer to agree with Him and call sin what it is, namely sin! 184. The gnomic present of the verb homologeo here in 1 John 1:9 expresses the spiritual principle that the

believer who “does” confess his personal sins to the Father, then the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer of these sins and thus He restores the believer to fellowship with Himself.

185. This is a simple active voice where the believer is to produce the action of the verb homologeo, “to confess.”

186. It expresses the volitional responsibility that the believer has to confess his sins to the Father in order to be restored to fellowship.

187. The indicative mood is declarative presenting in present time, as a non-contingent or unqualified statement that the believer who does confess his personal sins to the Father will be forgiven those sins by God and thus restored to fellowship with God.

188. Here in 1 John 1:9 the context indicates that hemon denotes “possession.” 189. John is emphasizing the fact that the believer must confess “his” personal sins to the Father in order to

experience the forgiveness of those sins and thus be restored to fellowship with God. 190. This emphatic personal pronoun stresses the believer is responsible for his own sins. 191. He is volitionally responsible to confess his sins to the Father. 192. He is not to ignore the fact that he has committed sin or deceive himself that he has not sinned. 193. The noun hamartia is used here in 1 John 1:9 with reference to personal sins, whether mental, verbal or

overt. 194. The definite article and the plural form of the word also indicate this. 195. The believer must confess his sins to the Father in order to experience the forgiveness of sins and thus be

restored to fellowship. 196. As we noted, the believer already had his sins forgiven positionally when he accepted Christ as Savior who

paid the penalty for every sin in human history-past, present and future. 197. Thus, when the believer confesses any known sin to the Father, he experiences that which is true of him

positionally, namely that he has the forgiveness of his sins. 198. The source of personal sins is the indwelling old Adamic sin nature. 199. The believer commits acts of sins because he obeys the desires of the indwelling old Adamic sin nature,

which wage war against the soul of the believer (1 Pet. 2:11). 200. Disobedience to the will of the Father results in mental, verbal or overt acts of sin, which results in loss of

fellowship with God in time. 201. So here in 1 John 1:9 John is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics and deny

that one possesses a sin nature and therefore does not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins because of the merits of the blood of Jesus, which is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).



107

203. As we noted this articular accusative construction tas hamartías functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb homologeo.

204. The definite article is anaphoric here in 1 John 1:9. 205. This means that the article points back to the anarthrous construction of hamartia in 1 John 1:7 where the

noun hamartia referred to personal sins as indicated by the distributive use of the adjective pas, which preceded it.

E. Apodasis 1. As we noted at the beginning of our exegesis and exposition of 1 John 1:9, the apostle John under the

inspiration of God the Holy Spirit employs a 3rd class conditional statement, which semantically presents a logical connection (if A, then B) in the present time that is sometimes called a present general condition, and indicates nothing as to the fulfillment of the protasis.


3. The 5th class condition expresses the spiritual principle that if any believer does confess his personal sins to the Father, then the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer his sins and purify him from all unrighteousness meaning the unknown sins.

4. The protasis of 1 John 1:9: “if any of us does confess our sins.” 5. So we will now note the apodasis of this 5th class conditional statement. 6. The word “then” is not employed by John in the apodasis but it is clearly implied. 7. The verb eimi is employed here in 1 John 1:9 as a substantive verb and functions as the subject. 8. It is used of persons and specifically here of God the Father. 9. The copula is used to equate the subject (God the Father) who is implied and the predicate nominative,

which is pistos, “faithful,” which of course refers to the Father’s character. 10. This as we will note is a convertible proposition meaning that both nouns have an identical referent. 11. God is faithful and faithful is God are identical statements. 12. The gnomic present of the verb eimi here in 1 John 1:9 is used to make an absolute statement regarding the

character and nature of the Father, which is true of course of the Son and the Spirit. 13. The gnomic present indicates that the character and nature of the Father is as an eternal spiritual truth,

faithful and righteous. 14. The stative active voice of the verb estin indicates that the character of the Father is as an eternal spiritual

truth existing eternally in a state of being faithful and just. 15. This is also a declarative indicative indicating that the statement that the character of the Father, is as an

eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just, is a dogmatic statement of Bible doctrine. 16. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective pistos is used in the passive sense to describe the Father as “faithful.” 17. This adjective refers of course to an attribute of the Triune God. 18. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary defines the adjective “faithful,” “strict or thorough in the

performance of duty; true to one’s word, promises, vows; steady in allegiance or affection; loyal; reliable, trusted, or believed; adhering or true to fact or an original.”

19. They also state, “faithful implies long-continued and steadfast fidelity to whatever one is bound to by a pledge, duty or obligation.

20. If we paraphrase these definitions, we could say that the Father forgives the believer his sins experientially when the believer confesses his sins to the Father because: a. The Father is true to His promise in His Word to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His

Son. b. The Father is steady in allegiance to His promise of the forgiveness of sins.

21. Faithfulness is one of the attributes of God as related to moral beings (Deut. 7:9; 1 Cor. 1:9; 10:13; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Thess. 3:3; 1 John 1:9).

22. Faithfulness is one of the relative attributes of God. 23. What does John mean when he states that God is faithful or in other words, to what is God faithful? 24. As we will note God is faithful to His promises found in the Old Testament, which speak of the forgiveness

of sins. 25. The promise of the forgiveness of sins is of course rooted in the Old Testament. 26. Isa 43:25, “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not

remember your sins.”


108

27. Ps 103:12-13, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.”








36. Our Lord in the institution of the Lord’s Table speaks of this promise of the forgiveness of sins, which is based upon His voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the cross, which is denoted by the phrase “My blood.”










47. Acts 2:14-41, “But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: ‘Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what


109

was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘AND IT SHALL BE IN THE LAST DAYS,' God says, 'THAT I WILL POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT ON ALL MANKIND; AND YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY, AND YOUR YOUNG MEN SHALL SEE VISIONS, AND YOUR OLD MEN SHALL DREAM DREAMS; EVEN ON MY BONDSLAVES, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, I WILL IN THOSE DAYS POUR FORTH OF MY SPIRIT And they shall prophesy. AND I WILL GRANT WONDERS IN THE SKY ABOVE AND SIGNS ON THE EARTH BELOW, BLOOD, AND FIRE, AND VAPOR OF SMOKE. THE SUN WILL BE TURNED INTO DARKNESS AND THE MOON INTO BLOOD, BEFORE THE GREAT AND GLORIOUS DAY OF THE LORD SHALL COME. AND IT SHALL BE THAT EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED. Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY. YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE. Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this, which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET. Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ -- this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.’ And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, ‘Be saved from this perverse generation!’ So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”


49. Acts 13:16-39, “Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, ‘Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it. For a period of about


110

forty years He put up with them in the wilderness. When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance -- all of which took about four hundred and fifty years. After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’ From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’ Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ‘YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.’ For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.’”

50. Acts 26:1-18, “Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You are permitted to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and proceeded to make his defense: ‘In regard to all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that I am about to make my defense before you today; especially because you are an expert in all customs and questions among the Jews; therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently. So then, all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation and at Jerusalem; since they have known about me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I lived as a Pharisee according to the strictest sect of our religion. And now I am standing trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers; the promise to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly serve God night and day. And for this hope, O King, I am being accused by Jews. Why is it considered incredible among you people if God does raise the dead? So then, I thought to myself that I had to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, but also when they were being put to death I cast my vote against them. And as I punished them often in all the synagogues, I tried to force them to blaspheme; and being furiously enraged at them, I kept pursuing them even to foreign cities. While so engaged as I was journeying to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, at midday, O King, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining all around me and those who were journeying with me. And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ And I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’”


cross and for Christ’s sake sins are forgiven.


111

53. Rom 4:1-17, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.’ Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’ How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised; and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised. For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified; for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation. For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.









Spirit.


112

63. Rom 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” 64. Col 2:13-14, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He














77. This is of course is from the human perspective since God does not need to be reminded. 78. The Father is true to His promise to forgive the sins of those who express faith in His Son. 79. His steadfast fidelity to His promise in His Word to forgive sins obligates the Father to forgive the believer

his sins when he confesses them since the believer has met the requirements of the agreement at the moment of salvation when he expressed faith alone in Christ alone.

80. The adjective pistos, “faithful” functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as a predicate nominative and is making an assertion about the Father.

81. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective pistos, “faithful” functions grammatically as the predicate nominative since the subject is a pronoun, “He (God the Father),” which is implied in the verb eimi.

82. This is a convertible proposition where the subject (“He”-God the Father) is interchangeable with the predicate nominative pistos, “faithful”.

83. This means that both words have an identical referent meaning we could say not only that “God is faithful,” but also that “faithful is God.”

84. There is a complete interchange between the pronoun “He” and the predicate nominative “faithful.”


113

85. Here in 1 John 1:9 the anarthrous adjective pistos is predicate and is making an assertion about the anarthrous subject, namely, God the Father who is implied in the verb eimi.

86. The conjunction kai is used here in 1 John 1:9 to connect two predicate nominative adjectives, which both make assertions regarding the character and nature of God the Father: a. Pistos (pistov$), “faithful.” b. Dikaios (dikaivo$), “just.”

87. These two words are attributes of the Triune God. 88. Therefore, the conjunction kai is expressing the “correlation” between the Father’s attribute of faithfulness

and His attribute of justice. 89. It expresses the perfect agreement between God the Father’s being faithful to forgive the believer his sins

when he confesses them to Him and His being just to forgive the believer his sins when he confesses these sins to the Father.

90. The Father can be both faithful to His covenant promise to forgive the believer his personal sins and just to forgive these personal sins because the Father’s righteous demands that the believer’s personal sins be judged have been propitiated or in other words, satisfied by the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross permits the Father

91. The adjective dikaios here in 1 John 1:9 is used to make an assertion about the character and nature of God the Father.

92. It describes the attribute of the Father’s justice. 93. The adjective pistos, “faithful” is related to the promise of the forgiveness of sins whereas the adjective

dikaios, “just” is related to the execution of that promise. 94. The Father, because of His perfect, immutable nature, always administers perfect justice. 95. Here in 1 John 1:9, John describes the Father’s as dikaios, “just” because the Father executes the

judgments of His government that are in perfect agreement with His perfect character and nature and that are also based upon the merits of the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.











e. The Father always does everything based upon what is right, rightful and lawful and it is right, rightful and lawful to forgive the believer’s his sins when he confesses them because the Father’s righteous demands that the believer’s sins be judged have been propitiated by the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.



114



















124. This was typified in the selection of animal for the Levitical sacrifices (Lev. 1-5). 125. The Father provided this perfect, impeccable individual, namely His Son. 126. So the righteousness of God demanded that the sins of every person in history-past, present and future

should be judged and the justice of God executed that judgment upon the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union.


115










136. The adjective dikaios, “just” functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as a predicate nominative and is making an assertion about the Father.

137. Here in 1 John 1:9 the adjective dikaios, “just” functions grammatically as the predicate nominative since the subject is a pronoun, “He (God the Father),” which is implied in the verb eimi.

138. Here in 1 John 1:9 the anarthrous adjective dikaios is predicate and is making an assertion about the anarthrous subject, namely, God the Father who is implied in the verb eimi.

139. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na) with the subjunctive mood of the verb aphe (a)fh~) in order to express a dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause.

140. It is dependent or hypotactic because it stands in subordinate relation to the previous declarative statement in the apodasis of this 5th class conditional clause: estin kai dikaios (e)stin kaiV divkaio$), “then, He is, as an eternal spiritual truth, faithful and just.”

141. This dependent clause is adverbial meaning that it functions like an adverb modifying or amplifying the verb homologomen, “any of us does confess.”

142. This dependent adverbial clause is expressed by a conjunctive clause. 143. This conjunctive clause is used to express the result of the previous declarative statement. 144. Purpose is simply intended result whereas result is accomplished purpose. 145. The mood of the verb is virtually always subjunctive in the hina clause. 146. Both the aorist and the present tenses are frequent in these clauses. 147. Here we have the conjunction hina employed with the aorist subjunctive verb aphe to express this result

clause. 148. Here in 1 John 1:9, this dependent adverbial conjunctive result clause is expressed by the conjunction hina

and the subjunctive mood of the verb aphe. 149. Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle John employs the conjunction hina (i%na) functions


conjunctive result clause. 151. We must understand the context of the passage if we are to determine whether or not the conjunction hina



1 John 1:7 and 9 and 2:1 address the implications of adhering to the apostolic teaching.


116

154. So John is dealing with the implications of following the Gnostic and the apostolic teaching. 155. Therefore, if John is addressing the implications of following the doctrine of either group, we are not


156. To implicate involves a logical consequence. 157. The conjunction hina and the subjunctive mood of aphe express the “consequences” of or “implications” of

the believer confessing his sins to the Father, namely, forgiveness of sins. 158. The focus is upon the “outcome” of the action rather than on its intention. 159. The verb aphiemi in 1 John 1:9 means, “to forgive.” 160. It is used with God as the subject and the believer’s personal sins as the object. 161. The believer who confesses his personal sins to the Father is promised the forgiveness of his sins and is

restored to fellowship immediately upon doing so. 162. He is restored to fellowship because of the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the




165. This is not a gnomic aorist but rather a culminative aorist because John under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit is emphasizing the results of the act of confessing one’s personal sins to the Father rather than that is a eternal spiritual truth that one’s sin are forgiven upon confessing them to the Father.

166. This is a simple active voice indicating that God the Father as the subject producing the act of forgiving the believer experientially his personal sins when he confesses them to the Father.

167. Here in 1 John 1:9, hemeis refers to all believers without exception since John is teaching an eternal spiritual truth regarding fellowship with God that applies to all believers, without exception.

168. The object of the verb aphe here in the hina adverbial conjunctive result clause in the apodasis of 1 John 1:9 is composed of 2 words in the Greek text: a. Accusative feminine plural definite article tas (taV$). b. Accusative feminine plural form of the noun hamartia (a(martiva), which is hamartías (a(martiva$).

169. We saw this same articular construction in the protasis of this verse and noted it in exhaustive detail, thus we will only note its use here in the apodasis.

170. The noun hamartia is used here in 1 John 1:9 with reference to personal sins, whether mental, verbal or overt.

171. The definite article and the plural form of the word also indicate this. 172. So here in 1 John 1:9 John is stating that rather than adhere to the false teaching by the Gnostics and deny

that one possesses a sin nature and therefore does not sin, the believer is to simply confess his personal sins to the Father and He is faithful and just with the result that He forgives the believer his personal sins because of the merits of the blood of Jesus, which is a representative analogy for the voluntary substitutionary spiritual death on the Cross of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union (cf. 1 John 1:7-8).


174. As we noted this articular accusative construction tas hamartías functions grammatically here in 1 John 1:9 as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb aphe.

175. The definite article is anaphoric here in 1 John 1:9 meaning it points back to its use in the protasis. 176. It reminds the reader of the Greek text of this passage that the noun hamartia has been previously

mentioned in the context. 177. This means that the same sins that he confesses will be the same sins he is forgiven by the Father. 178. We will not translate the definite article here since it would make for a clumsy translation but for the sake

exposition it must be understood that the article is anaphoric. 179. Next, we have the connective use of the conjunction kai (kaiV), which means, “and.” 180. The conjunction kai is used here in 1 John 1:9 to connect two concepts:


117

a. The forgiveness of known personal sins. b. The forgiveness of unknown personal sins.

181. The conjunction kai implies that there is a distinction between tas hamartías, “sins,” and pases adikias, “each and every wrongdoing.”

182. The former refers to known sins and the latter the sins committed in ignorance. 183. The verb katharizo in 1 John 1:9 means, “to purify,” and is used in relation to not only the sins the believer

is aware of but also those he commits in ignorance because of ignorance of the Word of God. 184. The believer who confesses his personal sins to the Father, not only has these sins forgiven but also the sins

that he is committing in ignorance. 185. This principle was taught to Old Testament Israel in the Levitical offerings. 186. The sin offering recorded in Leviticus 4 deals with the believer’s unknown sins and the trespass offering

recorded in Leviticus 5 deals with the issue of the believer’s known sins. 187. Both of these were burnt offerings. 188. The word “confess” is not found in the sin offering of Leviticus 4 because you can’t confess a sin if you

don’t know that you have sinned. 189. The sin offering deals with the sins of ignorance and the word “unintentional” in Leviticus 4:2 refers to

the unknown sins of the believer. 190. Sin is sin regardless if you know it is a sin or not and ignorance of sin is no excuse. 191. 1 John 1:9 refers to these unknown or “unintentional” sins as “unrighteousness,” which God purifies the

believer from upon confession of sin to the Father. 192. The sin offering emphasizes the cost of confession for these sins, which was Christ’s spiritual death

(“blood of Christ”). 193. The provision for the confession of sin was provided by our Savior’s spiritual death (1 John 1:7). 194. The trespass offering in Lev. 5-6:7 emphasizes the known sins of the believer and does mention confession

of sin because these are sins that the believer is aware of or cognizant of (Lev. 5:5). 195. This is a culminative or consummative aorist, which views an event in its entirety but regards it from the

standpoint of its existing results. 196. This is not a gnomic aorist but rather a culminative aorist because John under the inspiration of God the

Holy Spirit is emphasizing the results of the act of confessing one’s personal sins to the Father rather than that is a eternal spiritual truth that the believer is purified from each and every sin upon confessing them to the Father.

197. This is a simple active voice indicating that God the Father as the subject produces the act of purifying the believer from each and every sin committed in ignorance when he confesses them to the Father.

198. Here in 1 John 1:9, hemeis refers to all believers without exception since John is teaching an eternal spiritual truth regarding confession of sin for the purpose being restored to fellowship with God that applies to all believers, without exception.

199. The personal pronoun hemás here in 1 John 1:9 functions as an accusative direct object meaning it receives the action of the verb katharise.

200. The preposition apo is a marker of separation. 201. The context states that the believer when he confesses his personal sins to the Father is also purified “from”

each and every sin he commits in ignorance. 202. The merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in

hypostatic union on the cross “separates” the believer “from” the penalty of committing personal sins, which is loss of fellowship, which is also called in theology, temporal spiritual death.

203. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and to purify him from not only sins he is aware of and has confessed but also the sins he commits in ignorance.

204. Thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross. 205. Here in 1 John 1:9 the context indicates we have an anarthrous adjective noun construction, thus, the

adjective pas expresses an attributive relation to the noun adikias, “wrongdoing.” 206. The adjective pas is used here without the article modifying the noun adikias, “wrongdoing” and is used in

the distributive sense denoting “each and every” personal sin committed in ignorance. 207. The believer is purified from “each and every” sin that he commits in ignorance because of the merits of

the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.


118


119

208. The believer who confesses to the Father “each and every” personal sin that he commits, is purified from not only these sins but also “each and every” sin committed in ignorance and this is made possible because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.

209. As already noted, the preposition apo is a marker of separation, thus the adjective pas is an ablative of separation.

210. The context states that the believer is purified “from” each and every personal sin committed in ignorance because of the merits of the unique voluntary substitutionary spiritual death of the impeccable humanity of Christ in hypostatic union on the cross.


212. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer with the result that the Father purifies the believer from any unknown sins, thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross.

213. The noun adikia in 1 John 1:9 is used in the singular and means, “wrongdoing.” 214. It is used with reference to both “known” and “unknown” sins. 215. The connective use of the conjunction kai, “and” indicates an additional concept from the one expressed by

the articular construction of the noun hamartia. 216. Therefore, there is a distinction between pases adikia, “each and every wrongdoing” and tas hamartia,

“sins” in 1 John 1:9, which are not synonymous with each other. 217. Pases adikia is used with reference to not only the sins the believer is aware of committing but it also takes

into account the sins the believer commits in ignorance or “unknown” sins. 218. The context states that the believer when he confesses his personal sins to the Father is also purified “from”

each and every wrongdoing he commits in ignorance. 219. According to 1 John 1:9 when the believer simply confesses any known personal sin to the Father, the

Father is faithful and just to forgive the believer and to purify him from any unknown sins. 220. Thus, he is completely restored to fellowship based upon the merits of Christ’s death on the cross.

Exegesis and Exposition of 1 John 1:9 - Wenstrom · 5. The conditional sentence in ancient Greece...

Documents

Transcript of Exegesis and Exposition of 1 John 1:9 - Wenstrom · 5. The conditional sentence in ancient Greece...