The use of this term irp65pofj.o$ emphasizes the fact that Jesus has entered heaven, not as the Jewish high priest entered the Holy of Holies, to return again, but to open a way by which His people may follow, and to prepare a place for them (Jn 14^). Morley Stevenson.
FORGIVENESS.— The purpose of this article is not to discuss the large theological problems involved (see Atonement), but to consider the passages in which the term actually occurs in the Acts and the Epistles. The general word is d^iij/xt, of very common occurrence in the NT, especially in the Gospels, meaning ' send away from oneself' (Mt 13^«), 'let go' (4-"), 'turn away from' (192», 1 Co 7"), ' pass over' or 'neglect' (He Q\ Mt 23^% ' relinquish one's prey ' (used of robbers [Lk 10^"] or a disease [Mt 8" Mk 1", Lk 4^", Jn 402]), or simply
FORGIVENESS
FORM
415
' leave a person free' (Mk 10^^ 14^ Jn 11-", Ac 5^), or treat him as if one had no more concern "with him. Hence it is used of remitting a debt (Mt IS""^^ Qi>. 14)^ equivalent to ov Xoyl^eaOai (2 Co 5^* ; see also Sanday-Headlam, Romans^ [ICC, 1902], 100); the creditor tears up the bill, so to speak, or never enters the debt in his ledger. The verb, however, is rare outside the Gospels in the sense of ' forgive.' It occurs in Ac 8-- (the forgiveness of the thought of Simon's heart), Ja 5'% 1 Jn 1'-* 2^^ (in each case with ' sins'), and, as a quotation, in Ro 4' (the for- giveness of 'lawlessnesses,' auoixlai).
Side by side with these instances, however, we must put the noun, dcpea-is. This is very rare in the Gospels (it is never attributed to Christ Him- self, save in quotations and in the institution of the Eucharist in Mt 26'-* — not in the parallels). It is more freqiient in the Acts — 2^® (baptism for for- giveness of sins in the name of Christ), 5^^ (repent- ance and forgiveness of sins), lO"*^ (forgiveness of sins through His name), 13^^ (through Him the forgiveness of sins is preached), 26'^ (forgiveness of sins . . , by faith that is in Christ). Here, the object is always ' sins ' ; forgiveness is sometimes explicitly joined to repentance and baptism ; but more particvilarly connected with Christ, Christ's name, or faith in Christ. The procedure suggested by these passages is simple : preaching Christ, belief in Christ, and the resialtant acceptance of tlie new position of freedom from sin. This might be all that was explicit in the experience of the early believers ; it is obviously not the last word for the preacher, the theologian, or the believer himself. Hence, the fuller expression of St. Paul in Eph 1^, ' in whom we have our redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our transgressions ' (cf. Col V*). Here, the figure of the cancelling of a debt is joined to another — rescue from some usurping power ; and this (in the passage in Eph., not in Col.) is definitely connected with the shedding of the blood of Christ at His death ; so in He 9^" (' apart from shedding of blood there is no remission of sins'). The only other passage in the Epistles where the word occurs is He 10'^ where forgiveness of sins and lawlessnesses is re- garded as equivalent to their being remembered no more (Jer 31^''), and so needing no further sacritice.
At first sight, it would seem strange that d(pitjfj-t is not used oftener ; it does not occur at all in Rom. in the sense of forgiveness, save in a quotation (Ro 4'', from Ps 32'). But the reason is not far to seek. The conception, as already said, was not final ; it Avas a figure, and one of several possible figures ; and it was a single term applied to a mysterious and far-reaching experience which required further analysis. The writers of the Epistles do not neglect the experience, but they pass beyond the expression. In the primitive apostolic teaching of the Acts, it was enough to announce that Jesus was the Messiah, that He had risen from the death to which the rulers of the Jews had condemned Him, and that in Him the old promises of forgiveness of sins were fulfilled — for- giveness even for the sin of putting Him to death. The cai'dinal notes of the apostles' early preaching are the facts of the Resurrection and ilessiahship of Jesus, and the necessity of believing in Him for the promised spiritual change. But it was in- evitable that further questions should arise. How can this forgiveness be reconciled with God's un- changing abhorrence of sin ? "What is the con- nexion between the death of Christ and the change in me ? To answer these, St. Paul takes up the suggestion implied in the word d(pecns, ' a cancelled debt,' already familiar to Pharisaic thought, and develops it into his doctrine of justification : there is a debt — all men owe it — caused by the non- performance of the necessary works ; judgment
must therefore be given against us ; but with the Judge who would pronounce the sentence there is also grace. Christ the Son of God dies for our sin ; and this same death we also die, by faith, to sin ; hence, we are justified before God — that is, we are like men wlio have never contracted a debt; and there is nothing for us but acquittal. This forensic figure is worked out by St. Paul more fully than any other ; but he lays equal stress on the more mystical conceptions of redemption (see above) and death to sin (Ro 6^^ 'estimate yourselves to be mere corpses with regard to sin '). The importance of faith, however, is never left unexpressed, faith being at once surrender to, reliance on, and identification with its object. Here, St. Paul brings us to the circle of the thought of St. John, which only once refers to forgiveness (see above), but moves round the act of believing which joins man to God.