rightness, must be faithful to His own nature, and His right eous dealing with men who partake of that nature and walk in fellowship with Him, is simply fidelity to Himself. “ Right- eousness is truth passing into action” (Westcott).
To forgive (wa agj). See John xx. 23; 1 John ii. 12. Primarily the word means to send away, dismiss ; hence of sins, to remit, as a debt. Cleansing (ver. 7) contemplates the personal character of the sinner; remission, his acts. See on Matt. vi. 12; Jas. v.15. To forgive is, literally, that he may forgive. On John’s use of iva in order that, see on John xv. 13; xiv. 31. Forgiveness answers to the essential purpose of His faithful and righteous being.
Our sins (ras duaprias). Sin is defined by John as dvopia, lawlessness. Compare Rom. vi. 19. A. V., transgression of the law (1 John iii. 4). It may be regarded either as condition or as act ; either with reference to the normal, divine ideal of man- hood, or to an external law imposed upon man by God. Any departure from the normal ideal of man as created in God’s image puts man out of true relation and harmony with his true self, and therefore with God and with his fellow-man. He thus comes into false, abnormal relation with right, love, truth, and light. He walks in darkness and forfeits fellowship with God. Lawlessness is darkness, lovelessness, selfishness. This false principle takes shape in act. He doeth (ote?) or committeth sin. He doeth lawlessness (rhv avoutav moet; 1 John iii. 4, 8). He transgresses the words (fjyuara, John xvii. 8) of God, and His commandments (évtoXai, 1 John ii. 3) as included and expressed in His one word or message (Novos, 1 John ii. 7, 14). Similarly the verb duaptdvew to sin, may signify either to be sinful (1 John iii. 6), or to commat sin (1 Johni.10). Sin, regarded both as principle and act, is designated by John by the term duapria. The principle expressed in the specific acts is 4 duaptia (John i. 29), which occurs in this sense in Paul, but not in the Synop- tists, nor in Acts. Many of the terms used for sin by other New Testament writers are wanting in John; as doéBea wn- godliness (see on Jude 14); aceBetv to be ungodly (2 Pet. ii. 6);