Marcos 2

Marcos 2

Wuest has an excellent note on forgive (aphiemi) - “Be forgiven” is the translation (A.V.) of aphiēmi (ἀφιημι). Moulton and Milligan say that the uses of aphiēmi (ἀφιημι) start from the etymological sense “throw.” They give an illustration of its use in the papyri, “let the pot drop.” From this primitive physical meaning may be derived the common meaning “leave, let go.” Another instance of its use in koine (κοινε) Greek is in the words “waived the extra fifty percent,” which usage is seen in Matthew 18:27, and which idea leads to the general idea of forgiveness. Still another instance of its use is found in the Rosetta stone, in the words “total remission” of certain taxes. Thayer gives for aphiēmi (ἀφιημι), “to send from one’s self, to send away, to let go or give up a debt, to remit, forgive.” Our word “forgive” does not, as commonly used, give an adequate picture of this Greek word. We say that we have forgiven some one who has wronged us. By that we mean that any feeling of animosity we may have had, has changed to one of renewed friendliness and affection. We do not hold the wrong done us against the person anymore. But so far as the act itself is concerned, we cannot do anything about it. It has been done, and it cannot be removed from the one who committed the wrong. But this word aphiēmi (ἀφιημι) includes within its content of meaning, the act of dealing with the act of wrong doing in such a way that the sinner who appropriates the Lord Jesus as Saviour, has his sins put away, and in two ways. First, they are put away on a judicial basis by the out-poured blood of Christ. He paid the penalty the broken law required, and thus satisfied divine justice. Second, on the basis of that, God removes the guilt of that sin from the believing sinner and bestows a positive righteousness, Jesus Christ Himself, in whom this person stands justified forever This is what is meant by Bible forgiveness in the case of God and a believing sinner. “Be forgiven” (A.V.) is present indicative in the Greek text and states a fact. “Are forgiven” is the correct rendering. TSK - The Jews believed that not only death but all disease was the consequence of sin. "There is no death without sin, nor any chastisement without iniquity;" and that "no diseased person could be healed of his disease till his sins were blotted out." Our Lord, therefore, as usual, appeals to their received opinions, and asserts his high dignity, by first forgiving the sins, and then healing the body of the paralytic. Not long before she died in 1988, in a moment of surprising candor in television, Marghanita Laski, one of our well-known secular humanists and novelists, said, "What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me." Steven