SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:2
Y l es la aplacacin por nuestros pecados; y no solamente por los nuestros, sino tambin por los del mundo entero.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 2:2
Verse 2. And he is the propitiation] ilasmov? The atoning sacrifice for our sins. This is the proper sense of the word as used in the Septuagint, where it often occurs; and is the translation of a asham, an oblation for sin, Amos viii. 14. tafj chattath, a sacrifice for sin, Ezek. xliv. 27. rwpk kippur, an atonement, Num. v. 8. See the note on Rom. iii. 25, and particularly the note on Luke xviii. 13. The word is used only here and in chap. iv. 10. And not for ours only] It is not for us apostles that he has died, nor exclusively for the Jewish people, but peri olou tou kosmou, for the whole world, Gentiles as well as Jews, all the descendants of Adam. The apostle does not say that he died for any select part of the inhabitants of the earth, or for some out of every nation, tribe, or kindred; but for ALL MANKIND; and the attempt to limit this is a violent outrage against God and his word.
For the meaning of the word paraklhtov, which we here translate advocate, see the note on John xiv. 16.
From these verses we learn that a poor backslider need not despair of again finding mercy; this passage holds out sufficient encouragement for his hope. There is scarcely another such in the Bible, and why? That sinners might not presume on the mercy of God. And why this one? That no backslider might utterly despair. Here, then, is a guard against presumption on the one hand, and despondency on the other.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 2. And he is the propitiation for our sins , &c.] For the sins of us who now believe, and are Jews: and not for ours only ; but for the sins of Old Testament saints, and of those who shall hereafter believe in Christ, and of the Gentiles also, signified in the next clause: but also for [the sins] of the whole world ; the Syriac version renders it, not for us only, but also for the whole world; that is, not for the Jews only, for John was a Jew, and so were those he wrote unto, but for the Gentiles also. Nothing is more common in Jewish writings than to call the Gentiles amle , the world; and lweh lk , the whole world; and Mlweh twmwa , the nations of the world f11 ; (see Gill on John 12:19); and the word world is so used in Scripture; (see John 3:16 4:42 Romans 11:12,15); and stands opposed to a notion the Jews have of the Gentiles, that hrpk Nhl Nya , there is no propitiation for them f12 : and it is easy to observe, that when this phrase is not used of the Gentiles, it is to be understood in a limited and restrained sense; as when they say f13 , it happened to a certain high priest, that when he went out of the sanctuary, aml[ ylwk , the whole world went after him; which could only design the people in the temple. And elsewhere it is said, aml[ ylwk , the whole world has left the Misna, and gone after the Gemara; which at most can only intend the Jews; and indeed only a majority of their doctors, who were conversant with these writings: and in another place f15 , aml[ ylwk , the whole world fell on their faces, but Raf did not fall on his face; where it means no more than the congregation. Once more, it is said f16 , when R. Simeon ben Gamaliel entered (the synagogue), aml[ ylwk , the whole world stood up before him; that is, the people in the synagogue: to which may be added f17 , when a great man makes a mourning, aml[ ylwk , the whole world come to honour him; i.e. a great number of persons attend the funeral pomp: and so these phrases, ygylp al amle ylwk , the whole world is not divided, or does not dissent f18 ; yrbo amle ylwk , the whole world are of opinion f19 , are frequently met with in the Talmud, by which, an agreement among the Rabbins, in certain points, is designed; yea, sometimes the phrase, all the men of the world f20 , only intend the inhabitants of a city where a synagogue was, and, at most, only the Jews: and so this phrase, all the world, or the whole world, in Scripture, unless when it signifies the whole universe, or the habitable earth, is always used in a limited sense, either for the Roman empire, or the churches of Christ in the world, or believers, or the present inhabitants of the world, or a part of them only, ( Luke 2:1 Romans 1:8 3:19 Colossians 1:6 Revelation 3:10 12:9 13:3); and so it is in this epistle, ( 1 John 5:19); where the whole world lying in wickedness is manifestly distinguished from the saints, who are of God, and belong not to the world; and therefore cannot be understood of all the individuals in the world; and the like distinction is in this text itself, for the sins of the whole world are opposed to our sins, the sins of the apostle and others to whom he joins himself; who therefore belonged not to, nor were a part of the whole world, for whose sins Christ is a propitiation as for theirs: so that this passage cannot furnish out any argument for universal redemption; for besides these things, it may be further observed, that for whose sins Christ is a propitiation, their sins are atoned for and pardoned, and their persons justified from all sin, and so shall certainly be glorified, which is not true of the whole world, and every man and woman in it; moreover, Christ is a propitiation through faith in his blood, the benefit of his propitiatory sacrifice is only received and enjoyed through faith; so that in the event it appears that Christ is a propitiation only for believers, a character which does not agree with all mankind; add to this, that for whom Christ is a propitiation he is also an advocate, ( John 2:1); but he is not an advocate for every individual person in the world; yea, there is a world he will not pray for ( John 17:9), and consequently is not a propitiation for them. Once more, the design of the apostle in these words is to comfort his little children with the advocacy and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who might fall into sin through weakness and inadvertency; but what comfort would it yield to a distressed mind, to be told that Christ was a propitiation not only for the sins of the apostles and other saints, but for the sins of every individual in the world, even of these that are in hell? Would it not be natural for persons in such circumstances to argue rather against, than for themselves, and conclude that seeing persons might be damned notwithstanding the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, that this might, and would be their case. In what sense Christ is a propitiation, (see Gill on Romans 3:25). The Jews have no notion of the Messiah as a propitiation or atonement; sometimes they say repentance atones for all sin; sometimes the death of the righteous f22 ; sometimes incense f23 ; sometimes the priests' garments f24 ; sometimes it is the day of atonement f25 ; and indeed they are in the utmost puzzle about atonement; and they even confess in their prayers f26 , that they have now neither altar nor priest to atone for them; (see Gill on 1 John 4:10). Ver. 3. And hereby we do know that we know him , &c.] Either the Father, with whom Christ is an advocate; not as the God of nature, and by the light of it, nor as the lawgiver and Judge of the whole earth, and by the law of Moses; but as the God of all grace, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, as the Father of Christ, and as in him by the Gospel; and this not in a mere notional and speculative way, but with love and affection; not with fear and trembling, as devils know him, nor in theory, as formal professors and hypocrites, but with a knowledge, joined with hearty love of him, and cheerful obedience to him: or else Christ, the advocate and propitiation for sin; and him also, not with a mere notional knowledge of his person and offices, which carnal men and devils themselves have of him, but with that which is spiritual, special, and saving, being from the Spirit and grace of God; and regards Christ as a Saviour, as a propitiatory sacrifice for sin, and an advocate with God the Father; and by which he is approved as such, to the rejection of all other savours, sacrifices, and advocates; and is trusted, confided, and believed in as such, and affectionately loved, and that above all others, in sincerity and truth; and is readily obeyed in his word and ordinances; for where there is true knowledge of Christ, there is faith in him; and where there is faith in him, there is love to him, for faith works by love; and where there is love to him, there will be an observance of his commands; and this is here made the evidence of the true knowledge of him: for it follows, if we keep his commandments ; not the commandments of men, for the keeping of them arises from ignorance of God, and is a proof of it; nor the commandments of the ceremonial law, which are abolished, particularly circumcision, which is opposed to the keeping of the commandments of God, ( 1 Corinthians 7:19); but either those of the moral law, and which are more particularly the commandments of God the Father; the observance of which, though it cannot be with perfection, yet being in faith, and from love to God, and with a view to his glory, is an evidence of the true knowledge of him and of his will: or else those commandments, which are more especially the commandments of Christ Jesus; such as the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, which are peculiar to the Gospel dispensation; and which being kept as they were delivered by Christ, and in his name and strength, and to his glory, without depending on them for life and salvation, is an argument and proof of the right knowledge of him; and particularly his new commandment of loving one another may be chiefly designed, that being what the apostle has greatly in view throughout this epistle; now let it be observed, that keeping of the commands of God, or Christ, is not the knowledge of either of them itself, for much may be done in an external way, yet neither God nor Christ be spiritually and savingly known; nor is it the cause of such knowledge, for that is owing to the Spirit and grace of God; but is an effect or consequence of spiritual knowledge, and so an evidence of it; hereby is not the knowledge itself, but the knowledge of that knowledge, that is, that it is true and genuine.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1, 2 - When have an Advocate with the Father; one who has undertaken, and i fully able, to plead in behalf of every one who applies for pardon an salvation in his name, depending on his pleading for them. He is "Jesus," the Saviour, and "Christ," the Messiah, the Anointed. He alon is "the Righteous One," who received his nature pure from sin, and a our Surety perfectly obeyed the law of God, and so fulfilled all righteousness. All men, in every land, and through successiv generations, are invited to come to God through this all-sufficien atonement, and by this new and living way. The gospel, when rightl understood and received, sets the heart against all sin, and stops the allowed practice of it; at the same time it gives blessed relief to the wounded consciences of those who have sinned.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 αυτος 846 ιλασμος 2434 εστιν 2076 5748 περι 4012 των 3588 αμαρτιων 266 ημων 2257 ου 3756 περι 4012 των 3588 ημετερων 2251 δε 1161 μονον 3440 αλλα 235 και 2532 περι 4012 ολου 3650 του 3588 κοσμου 2889
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. And He (kai autov). The He is emphatic: that same Jesus: He himself. The propitiation (ilasmov). Only here and iv. 10. From iJlaskomai to appease, to conciliate to one's self, which occurs Luke xxviii. 13; Hebrews ii. 17. The noun means originally an appeasing or propitiating, and passes, through Alexandrine usage, into the sense of the means of appeasing, as here. The construction is to be particularly noted; for, in the matter of (peri) our sins; the genitive case of that for which propitiation is made. In Heb. ii. 17, the accusative case, also of the sins to be propitiated. In classical usage, on the other hand, the habitual construction is the accusative (direct objective case), of the person propitiated. So in Homer, of the gods. Qeon iJlaskesqai is to make a God propitious to one. See "Iliad," 1, 386, 472. Of men whom one wishes to conciliate by divine honors after death. So Herodotus, of Philip of Crotona. "His beauty gained him honors at the hands of the Egestaeans which they never accorded to any one else; for they raised a hero-temple over his grave, and they still propitiate him (auton ilaskontai) with sacrifices" (v. 47). Again, "The Parians, having propitiated Themistocles (Qemistoklea ilasamenoi) with gifts, escaped the visits of the army" (viii. 112). The change from this construction shows, to quote Canon Westcott, "that the scriptural conception of the verb is not that of appeasing one who is angry, with a personal feeling, against the offender; but of altering the character of that which, from without, occasions a necessary alienation, and interposes an inevitable obstacle to fellowship. Such phrases as 'propitiating God,' and God 'being reconciled' are foreign to the language of the New Testament. Man is reconciled (2 Cor. v. 18 sqq.; Rom. v. 10 sq.). There is a propitiation in the matter of the sin or of the sinner."
For the sins of the whole world (peri olou tou kosmou). The sins of (A. V., italicized) should be omitted; as in Revelation, for the whole world. Compare 1 John iv. 14; John iv. 42; vii. 32. "The propitiation is as wide as the sin" (Bengel). If men do not experience its benefit, the fault is not in its efficacy. Dusterdieck (cited by Huther) says, "The propitiation has its real efficacy for the whole world; to believers it brings life, to unbelievers death." Luther: "It is a patent fact that thou too art a part of the whole world; so that thine heart cannot deceive itself, and think, the Lord died for Peter and Paul, but not for me." On kosmou see on John i. 9.
