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NASB | 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.] |
Subject: Is sinless perfection possible on earth? |
Bible Note: Well Beja, you can obviously see it as you like. But if that was all Paul was doing he did not need to change the tense. Normally I would not comment on another teacher's post but as you have addressed this one directly to me I feel it necessary to do so. The impression given by the passage is that what he had said in verses 7-13 leads on to his then describing his current position. Quite frankly I have no hesitation in saying that if he changed to an historic present he was not very wise. He could only confuse everyone. And as I believe God was behind his words I know that God is very wise. In this passage confusion arises simply because, not being willing to accept it at face value, people try to find ways of getting round it. Thus I cannot accept in this context that he used a deceptive historic present. And this is especially so as the actual present makes good sense, except to those who want to see Paul as perfect. Paul lived so near to God that he was deeply conscious of sin. He saw as sin what we simply pass by. And he was thus aware more than we are of its power within him. He knew that day by day he could only overcome it in the power of Christ. And he knew that that was true for all his listeners. He was not of course talking about what most people see as sins. He did not lead a defeated life. That is where we go astray. He was talking of his awareness that he fell short of Christlikeness. His testimony here is an essential part of Romans 6-8. Having made clear how he saw doctrine affecting the Christian's approach to living in chapter 6 he wanted to make clear that that did not provide an easy ride. Being dead to sin did not mean that sin was dead. It led indeed to facing up to sin within and responding to it in the power of Christ, and he therefore demonstrates this from his own life, explaining as he did so the workings of the Christian mind and heart. The mistake most people make is in ending his words at 7.25. But as the use of 'I, me' demonstrates it ends at 8.2 (or 8.4). It ended in triumph. That Paul did have this sense of the battle within comes out in such verses as 1 Corinthians 9.26-27; Philippians 3.11-13. Or are these historic presents as well? You may think so, I couldn't possibly say so. Best wishes |