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NASB | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | John 3:16 ¶ "For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. |
Subject: THE CROSS |
Bible Note: Greetings Jibbs! Real time would be much better! :-) I was going to stop posting on election issues for awhile, but since your post really deals with the atonement, I will go ahead and respond to it. I'm not sure if I can answer all of your questions, but I will take a detailed look at what Scripture actually says about atonement. The concept of 'atonement', at least in the New Testament is formed from a group of four words. 1) hilaskomai (Strongs 2433) - Verb. 2) hilasmos (Strongs 2434) - Noun. 3) hilasterion (Strongs 2435) - Noun. 4) hileos (Strongs 2436) - Advjective. Now, rather than speculate about what atonement means, let's look at how Scripture actually uses these words. 1) This verb is only used twice in the NT. It's basic meaning is to atone for or expiate. In the passive voice, it means to be merciful. It is used in both of these senses in the NT. In Luke 18:13, the sinner prays for God to be merciful, while in Heb. 2:17, Jesus is compared to a faithful high priest who makes atonement for the sins of the people. 2) This noun refers to that which makes atonement. Again, it is only used twice in the NT. It is used in 1 John 2:2, where it is said that Christ is the means of atonement for our sins and the sins of the whole world. it is also used in 1 John 4:10, where God's love is demonstrated by sending Christ to be the atonement for our sins. 3) This next noun is also only used twice in the NT. It is used in Rom. 3:25, where we are told that Christ is our atoning sacrifice through faith. It is also used in Rom. 9:5, where it refers to the mercy seat of the Ark. 4) The last can mean either 'be merciful' or 'God forbid'. Again, it is only found twice in the NT. It is used in the latter sense in Mt. 16:22. It is used in the former sense in Heb. 8:12. Now, what can we gather from these verses? a) The extent of the atonement is all men - 1 John 2:2. b) It is evidence of God's love - 1 John 4:10. c) It is applied when one believes - Rom. 3:25. From my perspective, Rom. 3 is a very important passage. It goes into quite a bit of detail, tying atonement and justification together and establishing that both take effect after one believes. Well, I have work to do, so I must depart now! It was good to chat with you my friend. Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |