In a previous post, I discussed the
exegetical difficulties 1 Tim 2:4 poses for Reformed theology; another “problematic”
text is that of 1 John 2:1-2. The ESV renders the verse as follows (emphasis
added):
My little
children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the
propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
In this verse, John is speaking to Christian
believers of his time, and states that, not only was/is Christ an atoning
sacrifice (ιλασμος) for their then-past sins, but is presently an atoning sacrifice for their
then-future sins. Why is this problematic? In Reformed soteriology, when an
individual is pronounced “justified,” all their past, present, and then-future
sins are forgiven, a “blanket forgiveness,” if you will.
However, the text is pretty clear that a true believer will not only sin, but
such sins will have to be repented of, and forgiven by Jesus Christ. This is
brought out when one looks at the Greek:
The
phrase, “we have an advocate” translates παράκλητον ἔχομεν, where the present
text of “to have” εχω coupled with the Greek term παρακλητος,
which refers to an advocate, an individual who pleads another's cause in their
place, which is related to the intercessory work of Jesus Christ being tied
into the perseverance of Christians and their ultimate salvation, something we
find in a host of biblical texts, such as:
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that
justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us. (Rom 8:33-34)
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable
priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to save them to the uttermost that come unto
God by him, seeing he liveth to make intercession for them. (Heb 7:24-25)
We see a
very potent example of this in Rev 5:6:
And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts,
and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven
horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all
the earth.
In this
passage, John sees a vision of the heavenly tabernacle, where Jesus is
presented as being a Lamb. The term “as it had been slain” translates the Greek
term ὡς ἐσφαγμένον, where the term ως (like/as)
coupled with perfect passive participle of the verb σφαζω (to slay), therefore,
depicting Jesus, in His post-resurrection state, in a sacrificial role,
paralleling the slaughter of the Passover lamb. Furthermore, Jesus is not
sitting, but standing, indicating activity on his behalf (cf. Acts 7:55-56; Heb 8:1-3),
namely, His intercessory work before God the Father, applying the benefits of
His atoning sacrifice for His people until He comes in glory; further, as we
learn in vv.8-9, the potency of the prayers offered by the disembodied elders
have their basis on this intercessory work—similarly, the potency of our
prayers have power due to the prayers and intercessory work of Christ, our
mediator (cf. 1 Tim 2:5).
The term “he is the propitiation for our
sins” translates the Greek αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστιν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. The ESV
and other translations are correct in rendering Christ being a present atoning sacrifice
(“propitiation”), as the verb “to be” (ειμι) is in the present tense (εστιν [“he is”]). This is commensurate with texts such as Heb 2:17, where the author of Hebrews presents Jesus as a
present-propitiation, not merely a past-propitiation, for the sins of true
believers.
1 John
1:5-10 confirms the focus on the present sins of the Christian that need forgiveness;
verse 6 speaks of those who claim to have fellowship and yet walk in darkness
(i.e. are engaged in unrepentant sin). In verse 7, the author provides the
remedy to such, viz. the blood of Jesus Christ "that cleanseth us from all
sin," allowing restoration of fellowship. This is reinforced in vv.8 and
10 that denies the claim that a Christian is without sin, while v. 9 encourages
the sinner to repent, upon which God will "forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness." The pronouns use indicate that the
author included himself in such warnings and as one who needs to engage in
repentance and have his then-future sins forgiven, too.
John
continues by qualifying the scope of
Christ’s atoning sacrifice—He is not just the propitiation for the sins of
believers (“our sins”) but also but also "for the whole world." The
term "whole world" translates the Greek του κοσμου. The term κοσμος
in all 17 occurrences in 1 John does not have the restrictive meaning that is
required by Reformed theology which states that Christ died only for the elect and makes
intercession only for the elect
(Limited Atonement [AKA Particular Redemption], the”L” in the TULIP):
Let us
quote from some representative examples, again from the ESV, as it is a popular
translation among many Reformed Protestants:
For all that is in the world (κοσμος)--the desires of the flesh and the
desires of the eyes and pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the
world. (1 John 2:16)
But if anyone has the world's (κοσμος) goods and sees his brother in
need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (1
John 3:17)
They are from the world (κοσμος); therefore they speak from the world
(κοσμος), and the world listens to them. (1 John 4:5)
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the
Saviour of the world (κοσμος). (1 John 4:14).
The
latter texts is interesting as the title “Saviour” (σωτηρ)
is predicated upon Jesus and His role as a Saviour is said to be for the world,
not just a select few arbitrarily chosen by God in the eternal past (cf. John
4:42). Some Reformed apologists try to answer the implications of the phrase,
"the whole world" by claiming that John is writing to Jewish converts
to Christianity, and is simply stating that Christ has elect from among both
the Jews and the Gentiles, so "the whole world" should mean "Jew
and Gentile." However, such is a complete and utter stretch--for Jews,
there were only two ethnic categories one belonged to; one was either a Jew or
a Gentile--so everybody would be in
view.
When read exegetically, 1 John 2:1-2 shows
that (1) Christ is a present
propitiation for Christians; (2) the then-future sins of a Christian are not
forgiven at justification, and as result (3) repentance is not a once-off concept as some (not all) Evangelicals posit, and (4) Christ is the atoning sacrifice, not just for
Christians, but the everybody.
John McLeod Campbell, a 19th
century Reformed theologian who was critical of much of Penal Substitution,
captured the extent and meaning of the atonement when he wrote:
And He is the propitiation: for propitiation is
not a thing which He has accomplished and on which we are thrown back on as a
past fact. He is the propitiation.
Propitiation for us sinners,--reconciliation to God,--oneness with God abides
in Christ. When we sin, and so separate ourselves from God, if we would return
and not continue in sin we must remember this. For it is in this view that the
Apostle, writing to us “that we sin not,” reminds us of the propitiation—not a
work of Christ, but the living Christ Himself: and so he proceeds—“Hereby we do
know that we know Him if we keep His commandments;” the direct effect of knowing Christ the propitiation for sin being keeping
Christ’s commandments. And because of the power to keep Christ’s
commandments, which is ours in Christ as the propitiation for our sins, the
Apostle, in words similar to those which he had just used with reference to the
claim to fellowship with God who is light, adds, “He that saith I know him,”
that is Christ the propitiation for our sins, “and keepeth not his commandments
is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepth His word, in him
verily is the love of God perfected,”—the end of this gift of love
accomplished. “Hereby know we that we are in Him. He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk
even as He walked.” (John McLeod Campbell, The Nature of the Atonement and Its Relation to Remission of Sins and
Eternal Life [2d ed.: London: Macmillan and Co., 1867], 197-98; emphasis in
original).
This is yet another text which shows, with
great perspicuity, that Latter-day Saint theology is more reflective of
“Biblical Christianity” than Reformed theology, which most of our Evangelical
Protestant opponents subscribe to.
