Remission
Remission
We see the word remission ten times in the Bible. Remission is always translated from the Greek word aphesis but is not always translated remission. It was used in the New Testament text at least 17 times. The Greek noun aphesis[1] supposedly means a "release from bondage" and is from the Greek verb[2] which suggest the idea of permitting one to go their way as if they were pardoned.
The ten times that it is translated remission it is related to different things, ideas, or events.
Matthew quotes Jesus as using the term remission during the ritual meal of Passover in relation to His shedding of blood for many during the crucifixion:
- Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission <859> of sins.
By His shedding of blood everyone is evidently not to be "released from the bondage" associated with sin but only many[3] as we see in the text. This would be in conformity with what John 3 said about the fact that men "might be saved"[4] And again from Christs own mouth in John 5.[5]
Paul who preached Christ first also made similar references to those who might or evidently might not be saved[6]
John the Baptist talks about this remission of sin in relationship to baptism. It is important to note that he does not say remission of sin because of the baptism by water but the baptism of repentance.
- Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission <859> of sins.
- Luke 3:3 And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission <859> of sins;
In the actual scriptures there is a consistant reference to "repentance and remission of sins" and baptism is only mentioned when there is the "baptism of repentance".
- Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission <859> of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
This statement by Christ Jesus, again at that ritual Passover meal, was said to open our "understanding" that they and we might understand the scriptures [7] concerning the importance of repentance and remission of sins not only to the Jews but to all nations.
By this doctrine of Jesus we can see that anyone not preaching the importance of repentance in the remission of sins is not a preacher or even a minister of Christ.
Peter also makes that clear according to quotes we find in Acts that it is an essential element that people "Repent" and not merely be baptized.
- Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission <859> of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
It would seem reasonable to surmise by these consistent statement that without all these elements including repentance that you will not receive the true Holy Ghost nor those gifts associated with that Holy Spirit.
The way and not the way
The coming of John the Baptist was in part to give the people the knowledge of salvation they lacked because they sat in darkness[8]. That knowledge was to guide our feet into the way of peace not the way of force nor fear and certainly not a fealty that would return the people to the bondage of Egypt.
Paul writes in Romans 3 about the people who have all gone out of the way.[9] Even though they are all co</Ref>me together they are unprofitable[10] and do not do good.[11]
This not doing good may be the result of apathy and sloth in attending to the "weightier matters"[12] or a willingness to become "workers of iniquity".
These people who go out of the way of faith, hope, and charity spoke of by John and Jesus have have chosen to go the way of force, fear, and fealty which not the way of peace.
The grave and the tomb
Paul tells us their mouths is like a tomb[13] and their tongue deceives[14] the people, because their mouth is full of [15]full of cursing[16] and bitterness[17].
This seems in conformity with Christ's statement about "things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart.[18] If we have truly repented and have the heart of Christ or the Holy Spirit of Christ dwelling in our midst will these things come out of us?
The purse of innocent blood
There is a great deal in scripture about flesh and blood and the shedding of blood and biting one another.
They run to shed blood which is a theme in Proverbs 1[19] and Isaiah 59 which speak of a path that also sheds innocent blood in a path of iniquity which brings waste and destruction.[20]
The same path Paul says is swift to shed blood brings destruction and misery and is not the way of peace.[21]
It also involved being saved from our enemies[22] and delivered out of the hand of our enemies so that we could serve with out fear[23] in righteousness[24]
- Luke 1:77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by[25] the remission <859> of their sins,[26]
- Acts 10:43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission <859> of sins.
- Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission <859>.
- Hebrews 10:18 Now where remission <859> of these [is, there is] no more offering for sin.
Remission is translated deliverance and liberty in the same verse in the sense of setting a captive free only in Luke:
- Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance <859> to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty <859> them that are bruised,[27]
It is translated forgiveness
- Mark 3:29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness <859>, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
- Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand [to be] a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness <859> of sins.
- Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness <859> of sins:
- Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, [and] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness <859> of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
- Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness <859> of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
- Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, [even] the forgiveness <859> of sins:
We may call doing contrary to these instructions sin but we should not imagine that the consequences are like violating man made laws[28] and suffering prescribed penalties.[29]
The Ten Commandments of God are not like the laws of men but rather the laws of physics. If sin is unrighteous acts or behavior contrary to the way of God's creation then there is no escape from the consequences except in a changing of your acts. But can we change our acts without changing our thinking? Can we change our thinking to a righteous way of thinking without eating of the tree of life and fasting from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?[30]
Is the remission of sins a product of baptism or the baptism of repentance?
- ↑ 859 ~ἄφεσις~ aphesis \@af’-es-is\@ from 863; TDNT-1:509,88; {See TDNT 115} n f AV-remission 9, forgiveness 6, deliverance 1, liberty 1; 17
- 1) release from bondage or imprisonment
- 2) forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty
- See 858
- ↑ 863 ἀφίημι aphiemi [af-ee’-ay-mee] from 575 and hiemi (to send, an intens. form of eimi, to go); v; TDNT- 1:509,88; [{See TDNT 115 }] AV-leave 52, forgive 47, suffer 14, let 8, forsake 6, let alone 6, misc 13; 146
- 1) to send away
- 1a) to bid going away or depart
- 1a1) of a husband divorcing his wife
- 1b) to send forth, yield up, to expire
- 1c) to let go, let alone, let be
- 1c1) to disregard
- 1c2) to leave, not to discuss now, (a topic) 1c21) of teachers, writers and speakers
- 1c3) to omit, neglect
- 1d) to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit
- 1e) to give up, keep no longer
- 1a) to bid going away or depart
- 2) to permit, allow, not to hinder, to give up a thing to a person
- 3) to leave, go way from one
- 3a) in order to go to another place
- 3b) to depart from any one
- 3c) to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual claims are abandoned
- 3d) to desert wrongfully
- 3e) to go away leaving something behind
- 3f) to leave one by not taking him as a companion
- 3g) to leave on dying, leave behind one
- 3h) to leave so that what is left may remain, leave remaining
- 3i) abandon, leave destitute
- 1) to send away
- ↑ 4183 ~πολύς~ polus \@pol-oos’\@ including the forms from the alternate pollos; TDNT-6:536,910; {See TDNT 650} adj AV-many 210, much 73, great 59, misc 23; 365 1) many, much, large
- ↑ John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
- ↑ John 5:34 But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved.
- ↑ : Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
- 2 Thessalonians 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- ↑ Luke 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
- ↑ Luke 1:79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
- ↑ Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
- ↑ 889 ἀχρειόω achreioo [akh-ri-o’-o] from 888; v; AV-become unprofitable 1; 1
- 1) make useless, render unserviceable
- 1a) of character
- 1) make useless, render unserviceable
- ↑ 5544 ~χρηστότης~ chrestotes \@khray-stot’-ace\@ from 5543; TDNT-9:489,1320; {See TDNT 849} n f AV-goodness 4, kindness 4, good 1, gentleness 1; 10
- 1) moral goodness, integrity
- 2) benignity, kindness
- ↑ Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier [matters] of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
- ↑ Romans 3:13 Their throat [is] an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps [is] under their lips:
- ↑ 1387 δολιόω dolioo [dol-ee-o’-o] from 1386; v; AV-use deceit 1; 1
- 1) to deceive, use deceit
- ↑ Romans 3:14 Whose mouth [is] full of cursing and bitterness:
- ↑ 685 ἀρά ara [ar-ah’] probably from 142; n f; TDNT-1:448,75; [{See TDNT 90 }] AV-cursing 1; 1
- 1) a prayer, a supplication
- 2) an imprecation, curse, malediction
- ↑ 4088 πικρία pikria [pik-ree’-ah] from 4089; n f; TDNT-6:122,839; [{See TDNT 629 }] AV-bitterness 4; 4
- 1) bitter gall
- 1a) extreme wickedness
- 1b) a bitter root, and so producing a bitter fruit
- 1c) metaph. bitterness, bitter hatred
- 1) bitter gall
- ↑ Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
- ↑ Proverbs 1:10 ¶ My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their [own] blood; they lurk privily for their [own] lives. 19 So [are] the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; [which] taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 20 ¶ Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:
- ↑ Isaiah 59:7 Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts [are] thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction [are] in their paths.
- ↑ Romans 3:15 Their feet [are] swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery [are] in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known:
- ↑ Luke 1:71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;
- ↑ Luke 1:74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
- ↑ Luke 1:75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.
- ↑ 1722 ~ἐν~ en \@en\@ a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); prep AV-in 1902, by 163, with 140, among 117, at 113, on 62, through 39, misc 265; 2801
- 1) in, by, with etc.
- ↑ his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 68 Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, 69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: 71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; 72 To perform the mercy [promised] to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; 73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, 74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, 75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. 76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; 77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins, 78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and [in] the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
- ↑ 2352 θραύω thrauo [throw’-o] a root word; v;
AV-bruise 1; 1
- 1) to break, break in pieces, shatter, smite through
- For Synonyms see entry
- See Definition for θραύω 2352-"to shatter," is suggestive of many fragments and minute dispersion
- See Definition for κατάγνυμι 2608-"to break," denotes the destruction of a things unity or completeness
- See Definition for ῥήγνυμι 4486-"rend asunder," makes pointed reference to the separation of the parts
- ↑ Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by [that] man whom he hath ordained; [whereof] he hath given assurance unto all [men], in that he hath raised him from the dead.
- ↑ Ecclesiastes 8:17 Then I beheld all the work of God, that a man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun: because though a man labour to seek [it] out, yet he shall not find [it]; yea further; though a wise [man] think to know [it], yet shall he not be able to find [it].
- Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
- Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?
- Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
- ↑ Romans 2:3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?