The Pulpit Commentary — 1 John — Section 68

for the sako of so righteous an Advocate? (2) His worlc. "And he is the Propitia- tion for our sins." 'l'he character of Christ had to do with his work. J t was because ho always ple!lsed tho F11thor that his work could have value, lie is here called "t.he l'ropiLiation." He was also the Propitiator, but he is called the" Propitiation,'' as bein;; moro distinctive. For wl,er~as a propiliator has usually the meaus of propitiation outside himself, in Christ both are united. From the sacrificial association of tbe word, there can be no doubt that the reference is to his death. It was of the nature of a pro- pitiatory offering. '!'he heathen idea was that there was the feeling of revengefolness on the part of the p;ocls toward men. Therefore men had, by their offerings, to pro- pitiate them, i.e. to appease tuem and to make them favourable. The Christian idea is essentially different. It iR that Goel always anrl necessarily is benevolently disposed toward men, and desires fellowship. But sin has placed an obstacle between us and the Divine love aud fellowship. On account of this sin God is an:.?;ry with us. But Cbri,t is the Propitiation, i.e. receives into himself in bis death the desert of sin, so that now, as is most pleasing to God, the Divine love and fellowship can be rnjoyecl. This id properly God reconciling the world unto himself-he who never had thought of evil toward men himself graciously removing tbe obstacle which sin interposed belween us and him. It is the propitiatory worlc of Christ that is the basis of his aduocucy. He does not plead our desert, which would tell against our happiness; but he pleads his own offering, the virtue of which was not exhausted in his own age, but is as great to-day as it was eighteen centuries ago. He is the Propitiatiou a.bsulutely, i.e. ha2 atoniug virtue without sLint--one with his Personality. It is as natural for him to give forth atoning virtue as it is for a rose to give forth fragrance. He is an Offering and a Sacrilice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. .As incense is grnteful to the sense of smell, so, in an infinite degree, is Christ, in his atonement for sin, pleasing to God. Our .Advocate, then, in his own inexhaustible sacrificial worth, does not waut a plea, and a very strong plea, for the Divine love breaking forth upon us sinners with all blessing. "And not for ours only, but also for the whole world." There is a difference which does not seem to be unintentional. Christ is the Propitiation for the sins of believers: he is not the Propitiation for the sins of the world, but for the world itself, as net so much sinning as being in B state of sin. With this difference, he is the Propitiation in the same sense. It is said in a way that is liberating to thought, that he is the Pro- pitiation for the whole world. Most perversely Calvin attempts to limit the reference of the atonement here. Luther gives the evangelical expo:sition: "It is a potent fact that thou too art a part of the whole world, so that thine heart cannot deceive itself aud think, 'The Lord died for l'eter and Paul, but not for me.'" The meaning of tlrn universal reference of the atonement is most precious, viz. that love, which is inseparable from God, has found outlet in the provision of suitable means for the salvaLion of all sinners of mankind. It is not said that Christ's advocacy e:.tends to the world. "We [belie,·ers] have an AdYocate." And yet it is worthy of notice that it is in counection with Christ being the Propitiation for the whole world that Christ's advocacy is so plainly taught. lf, then, we have an Advocate, what is our duty? It is not to forbear praying ournelves, but rather to join our prayers to our Saviour's advocacy. When dillicult matters have to be taken into a court of law, there requires to be the employ- ment of au advocate. It is no easy matter for us to be carried through constantly recurring experiences of sin up to complete salvation. The action which we require to take, and, witLL new experience of siu, to renew, is to put our case into the hancls of our .Advocate. I!, EVIDENOE OF TIIE DIVINE PilOVISI0N AGAINST EXPERIENCE OF SIN IN BELIEVERS DEING PEilSONALLY EFFIOACIOUS. 1. 'l"he sign of knowledge, "And hereby know we that we know him, if we keep his commandments." The second" know" (which in the original is in a different tense from the first) is to be understood of the experience of covenant lovo and fellowship. John wishes to class himself, as we should all wish to class ourselves, with them that know God in this way. But how a.re we to know, i.e. have the consciousness, from moment to moment, that we are thus classed? 'l'he sign given here is obed-ience. This is the first "hereby" of the Epistle. 'l'here aro com- mandments of God, i.e. instructions laid down by him who uot only has su1,reme authority, but supreme knowledge and love. 'l'hese we are to teud as we would tend a plant. There are cortain rules founded upon observation which must be attended to  THE l<'IRS1' EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. [err. u. 1-29.