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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: Hi Tim I will discuss Greek tenses in another post. I will simply say that the aorist is a bit like the tongue. The aorist can no man tame. It has a life of its own. I get sick of reading in commentaries by high level Greek scholars the number of inferences that can be made from the aorist, all conflicting with each other. Now to look at your question: You said The aorists in Eph. 4:22-24 are infinitives, and seem to be designed to make a point. We are to "put off" the old man v. 22 (an event viewed as a whole or even completed action), and we are to "put on" the new man v. 24. My reply: Well I do not see this as continual action, but I do see it as an action that has to be repeated. Clealy when we are faced ith Paul's command we have to make a decision whether we will 'put off the old man', in other words will begin to reckon on ourselves as dead to sin and alive to God. In that sense it is completed action. We make the decision and act on it. But it certainly does not mean that we are done with sin. What is the old man? It is I as I am when I am not in obedience to Christ. It is my old life. Puttng on the new man means that I come in full submission to Christ. I reckon on myself as alive to God through Jesus Christ my Lord. I allow the risen Christ to take control of my life. Putting on the new man is allowing the renewed mind to take conrol. But it will only succeed if I am fully responsive to the Holy Spirit. But as you say we are 'being made new' as a continuing process. As 2 Corinthians 3.18 puts it, by beholding the glory of Christ we are being changed from glory into glory by the Spirit of the Lord. Thus there is a continuing process in which more and more we put off the old man, and put on the new. The young Christan puts off his old life, but as God continues His work in him he recognises more of the old life that he has to put off. So the putting off of the old life occurs again and again even if he continues on faithfully. But many sadly allow the old life to re-exert itself. Thus once again they have to put off their old lives. Thus the aorist does not refer to a once-for-all event. And this is made clear in verse 25. There we learn of sins which we must constantly deal with. We must put them off again and again. This is the practical reality. And as we grow in knowledge we will put off more and more. The present infinitive would not have indicated this. Incidentally I did not have these verses in mind in my post which was a general one, the aim of which was to briefly explain Greek tenses to anyone interested.. |