E.J. Waggoner, To Make Righteous

[Note: Waggoner emphasized that justify meant "to make righteous." He also said it could mean "to declare righteous." The following list includes all the E.J. Waggoner references listed on the Pioneer disk from the White Estate s.v., "to make righteous."]

"Righteousness and How Obtained" The Bible Echo 13, 12.

E. J. Waggoner

"The doers of the law," says Paul, "shall be justified." To justify means to make righteous, or to show one to be righteous. It is evident that perfect obedience to a perfectly righteous law would constitute one a righteous person. It was God's design that such obedience should be rendered to the law by all His creatures; and in this way the law was ordained unto life. Rom. 7:10. {March 21, 1898 EJW, BEST 89.1}

But for one to be judged "a doer of the law" it would be necessary that he had kept the law in its fullest measure every moment of his life. If he had come short of this, he could not be said to have done the law. It is a sad fact that there are in all the human race no doers of the law, for both Jews and Gentiles are "all under sin; as it is written, There is none righteous, no not one; there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unpardonable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Rom. 3:9-12. The law speaks to all who are within its sphere; and in all the world there is not one who can open his mouth to clear himself from the charge of sin which it brings against him. Every mouth is stopped, and all the world stand guilty before God. Verse 19. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Verse 23. {March 21, 1898 EJW, BEST 89.2 [The Bible Echo}

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Take the first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." The apostle tells us of some "whose god is their belly." Phil. 3:19. But gluttony and intemperance are self-murder, and so we find that the first commandment runs through to the sixth. This is not all, however, for he also tells us that covetousness is idolatry. Col. 3:5. The tenth commandment cannot be violated without violating the first and second. In other words, the tenth commandment coincides with the first, and we find that the Decalogue is a circle having a circumference as great as the universe and containing within it the moral duty of every creature. In short, it is the measure of the righteousness of God, who inhabits eternity. {1890 EJW, CHR 50.4 [Christ and His Righteousness]}

This being the case, the correctness of the statement that "the doers of the law shall be justified," is obvious. To justify means to make righteous or to show one to be righteous. Now it is evident that perfect obedience to a perfectly righteous law would constitute one a righteous person. It was God's design that such obedience should be rendered to the law by all His creatures, and in this way the law was ordained unto life. Rom. 7:10. {1890 EJW, CHR 51.1 [Christ and His Righteousness]}

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"Justified."

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law," "we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified," said the apostle. The meaning of the word "justified" is "made righteous." This is the exact term that appears in other languages, which are not composed of foreign terms. The Latin word for righteousness is justitia. To be just is to be righteous. Then we add the termination fy, from the Latin word, meaning "to make," and we have the exact equivalent of the simpler term, "make righteous." In an accommodated sense we use the term "justified" of a man who has not done wrong in a thing whereof he is accused. But, strictly speaking, such an one needs no justification, since he is already just; his righteous deed justified him. He was justified in his deed. But since all have sinned, there are none just or righteous before God; therefore they need to be justified, or made righteous, which God does.

Now the law of God is righteousness. See Rom.7:12; 9:30,31; Ps.119:172. Therefore Paul did not disparage the law, although he declared that no man could be made righteous by the law, meaning, of course, the law written on stones or in a book. No; so highly did he appreciate the law, that he believed in Christ for the righteousness which the law demands but can not give. "For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh; that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom.8:3,4. The law, which declares all men to be sinners, could not justify them except by declaring that sin is not sin; and that would not be justification, but a self-contradiction in the law.  {1900 EJW, GTI 77.1 [The Glad Tidings]}

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"Being Justified."-In other words, being made righteous. To justify means to make righteous. God supplies just what the sinner lacks. Let no reader forget the simple meaning of justification. Some people have the idea that there is a much higher condition for the Christian to occupy than to be justified. That is to say, that there is a higher condition for one to occupy than to be clothed within and without with the righteousness of God. That cannot be. {August 30, 1894 EJW, PTUK 549.3 [The Present Truth UK]}

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Justification Is Righteousness.-A friend has forwarded to me a severe condemnation of a statement made some time ago, to the effect that to justify means to make righteous. The criticism was based on the fact that "Grove's Greek Lexicon" does not so define the Greek word from which justify is translated. Opening Liddell and Scott's Greek Lexicon, I find the very first definition of the word in question is "to make righteous." But that is only by the way. Appeals to Greek Lexicons do not edify people. It was stated that "being justified" means "being made righteous," because that definition is patent from the reading of the English Bible. In addition to what has already been presented, read the following:- {April 23, 1896 EJW, PTUK 259.5}

"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. v. 1. But peace is for those only who love and keep the commandments, which are righteousness. See Isa. xlviii. 18; Ps. cxix. 165, 172. Moreover, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Rom. x. 10. {April 23, 1896 EJW, PTUK 259.6}

We are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," through faith in His blood, because His righteousness is declared "for the remission of sins that are past." Justification is therefore the forgiveness of sins. {April 23, 1896 EJW, PTUK 259.7}

Forgiveness Makes Righteous.-But to be forgiven is to be made righteous. Forgiveness is not an imaginary thing, but is real. If I forgive a fellow-man, it makes no difference in him; the effect is only upon himself. But when God forgives us, He continues the same, but the forgiveness effects a change in us. It takes away the sin. But when sin is taken away, righteousness must take its place. A new life-the righteous life of Christ-is given in place of the old life of sin. {April 23, 1896 EJW, PTUK 259.8 [The Present Truth UK]}

Forgiveness and Cleansing.-The same precious truth is taught in the oft-quoted words of John: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John i. 9. Note that the forgiveness and the cleansing are immediately consequent upon the confession. When we confess we are forgiven and cleansed. We have already seen that we have forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ (Col. i. 14), and we read also that "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John i. 7. So we find that forgiveness and cleansing are really one and the same thing, wrought by the appropriation of the life of Christ. The life of Christ is all righteousness, and so its reception cleanses from all sin; but nothing less than the life of Christ can cleanse a single sin. {April 23, 1896 EJW, PTUK 259.9 [The Present Truth UK} }

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"The Just Shall Live by Faith." -This is proof that no one is justified by the law; for if one were righteous by works, then it would not be by faith. There is no exception, no dividing up. It is not said that some of the just shall live by faith, or that they shall live by faith and works, but, "The just shall live by faith." All of the just shall live by faith alone. The law and the works of the law have nothing whatever to do in the work of justifying men, although the law itself "is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Rom. vii. 12. {March 3, 1898 EJW, PTUK 131.6 [The Present Truth UK]}

Who Are the Just?- In other versions than the English, as, for instance, the German and Danish, these texts are made much plainer, because they use the word which conveys the idea more perfectly than the word "just" does to us. This is the way it is: "But that no man is made righteous by the law in the sight of God it is evident; for, the righteous shall live by faith." The words "just" and "righteous" really mean the same thing, but in the word "justify" the majority of readers do not readily recognise the phrase "to make righteous." We see, therefore, that righteousness is the end to be attained. Righteousness means right doing, and the law is the standard of right doing. The only question before us is how this desired object is to be attained. How is the sinner to be made righteous-to be made a doer of the law? Not by the law itself, for that does nothing; it simply points out the right way; but we ourselves are "without strength." Righteousness therefore must come from without, from some living thing, and when attained in genuineness will be "witnessed by the law and the prophets." Rom. v. 21. {March 3, 1898 EJW, PTUK 131.7 [The Present Truth UK]}

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2. But "there is none righteous, no, not one." Rom. 3:10. "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." Verse 12. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Verse 23. Consequently, all are guilty before God. Verse 19. Now a good law cannot justify a wicked man. To justify means to make righteous, or to show that one is already righteous. But a righteous law cannot do this for a wicked man; for if it should say that he had done no wickedness, it would bear false witness, and thus show that it was not good itself; and it cannot take away his sin, so as to make him righteous. Therefore since "the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Rom. 7:1;2), and since all men have broken the law, it is very evident, as Paul says, that "no man is justified by the law in the sight of God." Gal. 3:11; Rom. 3:20. {June 30, 1890 EJW, SITI 391.5 [Signs of the Times]}

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"Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is the knowledge of sin." {September 1, 1890 EJW, SITI 466.16 Signs of the Times]}

This is the grand conclusion of the apostle's argument, so far as the law alone is concerned in its relation to sinful men. It is so reasonable that anybody can see it, and so just that no one ought to lay anything to the charge of the law, on account of it. It is a fact that every soul, both of Jews and Gentiles, is guilty before God. Now what can the law do? Can it justify them? To justify means to make righteous, or to declare righteous. But they are not righteous, therefore the law cannot say that they are. If it did, it would not be a good law. The fact that it will not justify sinners-will not declare them righteous-is a standing proof that it is good. So, instead of burying the law because it will not justify sin for us, we should applaud it. {September 1, 1890 EJW, SITI 467.1 [Signs of the Times] }

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"Being Justified." -In other words, being made righteous. To justify means to make righteous. God supplies just what the sinner lacks. Let no reader forget the simple meaning of justification. Some people have the idea that there is a much higher condition for the Christian to occupy than to be justified. That is to say, that there is a higher condition for one to occupy than to be clothed within and without with the righteousness of God. That can not be. {January 23, 1896 EJW, SITI 51.41 [Signs of the Times]}

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Who Are the Just?- In other versions than the English, as, for instance, the German and Danish, these texts are made much plainer, because they use the word which conveys the idea more perfectly than the word "just" does to us. This is the way it is; "But that no man is made righteous by the law in the sight of God it is evident; for, the righteous shall live by faith." The words "just" and "righteous." Really mean the same thing, but in the word "justify" the majority of readers do not readily recognize the phrase "to make righteous" really mean the same thing, but in the word "justify" the majority of readers do not readily recognize the phrase "to make righteous."

We see, therefore, that righteousness is the end to be attained. Righteousness means right-doing, and the law is the standard of right-doing. The only question before us is how this desired object is to be attained. How is the sinner to be made righteous-to be made a doer of the law?-Not by the law itself, for that does nothing; it simply points out the right way; but we ourselves are "without strength." Righteousness, therefore must come from without, from some living thing, and when attained in genuineness will be "witnessed by the law and the prophets." Rom. 5:21. {February 1, 1899 EJW, SITI 83.7 [Signs of the Times]}

EGW against Uriah Smith, "Our Righteousness."

In a sermon given in Rome, New York, Ellen White made the following remark: "Brethren, do not let any of you be thrown off the track. “Well,” you say, “What does Brother Smith’s piece in the Review mean?” He doesn’t know what he is talking about; he sees trees as men walking. Everything depends upon our being obedient to God’s commandments. Therefore he takes those that have been placed in false settings and he binds them in a bundle as though we were discarding the claims of God’s law, when it is no such thing. It is impossible for us to exalt the law of Jehovah unless we take hold of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. { 1888 348.1 } My husband understood this matter of the law, and we have talked night after night until neither of us would sleep. And it is the very principles the people are striving for. They want to know that Christ accepts them as soon as they come to Him. I want to tell you, brethren, that light is sown for the righteous, and truth for the upright in heart." {Sermon given in Rome, NY on June 19,1889; 1888 348.2}

The following editorial was written about a week before

 EGW's comment:

OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

SOME of our correspondents are beginning to drop

remarks leaning very suspiciously toward the view

that any attempt on our part to keep the commandments,

is simply an attempt to make ourselves better, which we can never do; that it is an attempt to be righteous, which is simply to cover 

ourselves with filthy rags ; for the prophet says that " all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. "Isa. 64: 6.

Just how much they intend to express, we are

unable to determine ; but it seems to us that they

are unconsciously turning their steps toward a position

held by a class of bitter opposers of our cause

and work, and who draw largely on this line of

thought for their material. It recalls a conversation

we once listened to between the late Eld.

James White and a Methodist minister. The minister

was denouncing our efforts to lead men to the

observance of all the commandments and particularly

to return to the Sabbath of the decalogue, as

turning men back to legalism. We have nothing

to do with the law, said he ; we cannot keep it anyway,

and to attempt to do so, is to turn away from

Christ, and trust in legality; every effort we make

to keep the commandments is to try to make ourselves

righteous, and to cover ourselves with filthy

rags; for the prophet says that all our righteousnesses

are filthy rags. So all your Sabbath-keeping

and law-preaching is only filthy rags.

Those who were acquainted with Bro. White can

imagine about how long it would take him to demolish

such an objection, and close the lips of such

an objector. It would be one of the shrewdest

strokes of policy ever devised against the law if people

could be led to associate in their minds that

holy instrument and all attempts to keep it, with

the idea of " filthy rags." Men, to be sure, have

enough filthy rags about them ; but no such rags

were ever manufactured out of love and reverence

for the law of God or the sincere and earnest efforts,

of any one to regulate his life by the holy

precepts of that law.

Nor do we think the text above referred to can

be fairly construed into any such meaning. Let us

look at the subject upon which the prophet is speaking.

In the last part of chapter 63 he refers pathetically

to, the fact that the sanctuary of Israel was

trodden down by their enemies, that the people of

God's holiness had possessed it but a little while;

but we, he says, are thine, and they are not called'

by thy name. Then in chapter 64 he lifts up an

earnest appeal to God that he would come down

and interpose in their behalf and make his adversaries

tremble at his presence. In verse 3 he refers

to the mighty works that God had wrought, especially

his coming down at Sinai ; and in verse 4

to the great things which he has promised to do ;

and pleads these as reasons why they may hope, for

his help. He then speaks of the different manner

in which God regards righteousness and sin. Verse

5: "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh

righteousness." Boothroyd translates, this: "Thou

meetest him with joy that worketh righteousness."

The Lord is pleased with such an one. The

prophet continues :  “Those that remember thee in

thy ways” —those who bear in mind God's goodness

and mercy and strive to serve him. Then he speaks

of how God regarded them, and why : "Behold

thou art wroth; for we have sinned. “That was

the trouble With them and the condition they were

in. The last clause of the verse reads: “In those

is continuance, and we shall be saved." That is,

God's ways are unchangeable, consequently his

mercy endures forever, and by repentance men can

regain his favor and be saved.

Then comes the text in question in which the

prophet again recurs to their sad moral and political

condition :" But we are all as an unclean thing,

and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and

we all do fade as a leaf ; and our iniquities like

the wind have taken us away." In this condition

of guilt and condemnation, of course they had no

righteousness to plead before God. Their robe of

character was spotted and defaced and soiled and

torn. It was, as he says, only filthy rags. But

they had not got into that condition because they

had tried to the best of their ability to obey God

and keep his commandments, purifying their lives

by love and obedience, but for the very reason that

they had not done these things.

Daniel, in his wonderful prayer (chapter 9) makes

a similar presentation of the case. A few expressions

will serve as samples : " We have sinned

and committed iniquity." “O Lord, righteousness

belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of

faces." "Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law,

even by departing that they might not obey thy

voice." " We do not present our supplications before

thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great

mercies," etc.

He puts in no plea for any good works nor acts

of obedience; but his whole burden was for their

transgressions of God's law, and their failure to

obey his voice. And this was all the righteousness

they had to present; and this of course was

but filthy rags. But we say again, it was their

wanton acts of disobedience, not their efforts to do

right, which had brought them into this condition.

And although what was true of the Israelites applies

to all persons in a similar condition, it is a

manifest misapplication of the text to use its description

of a condition which comes from not keeping

the law, as a discouragement against all efforts

to keep it, on the ground that we thereby clothe

ourselves with filthy rags.

The law is spiritual, holy, just, and good, the

divine standard of righteousness. Perfect obedience

to it will develop perfect righteousness, and

that is the only way any one can attain to righteousness.

If neither Adam and Eve nor any of their

posterity had ever broken the law, the human

family would have developed righteousness by the

law alone. Sin not only broke the union between

man and God, but imbued man with a nature

such that it must be replaced by a new nature

before he can return to the path of obedience ; for

the carnal mind, the offspring of sin, is not subject

to the law of God, and cannot be.

Christ comes in and closes up the gulf between

us and God by providing a sacrifice to cancel past

sin, and gives us a new spiritual nature, through

which he proposes to dwell in us to bring us back

into harmony with the law, lead us to love and delight

in it, and walk in all its precepts. Right here

is where our Methodist friend made a mistake, and

many others are doing likewise. Because the work

Christ does for us is so radical and essential, they

fly to the extreme of dropping and discarding the

law, refusing to study what it requires, or to try to

follow in the way it directs, but thinking they are

to leave everything thereafter to Christ; not perceiving

that the whole object of Christ's work for

us is to bring us back to the law, that its righteousness

may be fulfilled in us by our obedience to it,

and that when at' last we stand beside the law,

which is the test of the judgment, we may appear

as absolutely in harmony with it, as if we had never

belonged to a sinful race who had trampled it in

the dust.

And yet though so dependent on Christ, we are

not to rest on the stool of do-nothing, as a mass of

inertia in the hands of the Redeemer. We must

be living stones in the temple, actively co-operating

with the Master-builder. But does not Christ say

that " without me ye can do nothing " ?--Yes, and in

that very language he teaches us that with him we

can do something, and when it is done, it is " we "

that do it. But does not Paul say (Phil. 2 :13)

that " it is God which worketh in you both to will

and to do of his good pleasure" ?--Yes; and in the

very same epistle (4 :13) he says, "I can do all

things through Christ which strengtheneth me." So

he does not leave everything for God and Christ to

do, but enters into the work himself, and without

his co-operation it would not be done.

When we pick up a piece of red-hot iron, what is

it that burns us ? We say the iron burns us. But

the iron of itself possesses not enough heat to burn

us; it must first be charged with fire ; and then it

is the fire after all which burns us, is it not ? And

yet we say truly that the iron burns us. The iron

is actively co-operating with the fire. It first receives

and then gives off the heat.

So a soul raised to a white heat in the service of

God, charged with the love of Christ, is an active

agent ; it keeps the commandments, not in a merely

passive and negative manner, but aggressively ; it

resists sin; it strikes right and left against temptation;

 it looks into the law to read its duty; it rests

and worships on the Sabbath of the Lord, and goes

forward in every good work; and in doing all this

it is not clothing itself with filthy rags.

But, it is asked, if a man undertakes to keep the

law in his own strength and work out his own

righteousness, can he do it ? Is he not clothing

himself with filthy rags ? To what class of people

such a query would apply, we do not know. We

do know, however, that there is not a Seventh-day

Adventist in the land who has not been taught

better than to suppose that in his own strength he

could keep the commandments, or do anything

without Christ ; and it is a waste of time to build

an argument for any people on premises which they

never assume. We doubt if even the Pharisees

rested their self-righteousness on the perfection of

their personal obedience to the ten commandments.

If we understand the teachings of Paul in his

epistles, the trouble with the Jews was that they

had come to look upon their ceremonial system as

all-sufficient in itself  'to atone' for' their sins, and

take away all their guilt. So if they outwardly

complied with the Decalogue and scrupulously

attended to their ceremonial requirements, they

imagined themselves righteous in the sight of God.

This left them in their sins (for the blood of their

offerings could not take away sin, Heb. 10: 4), 

outwardly clean and fair, tithing mint, anise, and cumin,

but within full of corruption and uncleanness ;

and it also hedged up the way of their acceptance

of Christ, as' they could see no necessity for him ;

for if the services of their law took away sin, why

should a Redeemer come and die for them too ?

To rid them of this deception, Paul had to labor,

as he did in the epistle to the Galatians, and other

ways, before they could be brought to receive the

gospel; for they were thus seeking righteousness

and justification by the works of the law, instead of

through faith in Christ, the only efficacious sacrifice.

Rom. 9: 32 ; Gal. 5: 4; etc.

There is a righteousness we must have, in order to

see the kingdom of heaven, which is Called " our

righteousness; " and this righteousness comes from

being in harmony with the law of God. In Dent.

6 : 24, 25 we read : " And the Lord commanded us

to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God

for our good always, that he' might preserve us

alive as it is this day. And it shall be our righteousness

if we observe to do all these commandments

before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded

us." The Lord would not command them

to do what he had not made adequate provision for

them to do ; and if they did do it, it would be their

righteousness. And "our righteousness" cannot in

this case be filthy rags. How would it sound if we

should read it thus: " And it shall 'be filthy rags,

if we observe to do all these 'commandments . . .

as he hath commanded us" ?

Again, in that' memorable Sermon on the Mount,

our Lord says: "For I say unto you that except

your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of

the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter

into the kingdom of heaven. " Matt. 5: 20. And

this is the same as to say that if it does exceed

it (to the requisite degree of course), we shall see

the kingdom of heaven. And what we are to do

thus to possess the kingdom of heaven, he plainly

told the young man when he said, " If thou wilt

enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt.

19: 17. But, says one, of ourselves we cannot

keep them, That doesn't affect the case at all.

If we cannot keep them of ourselves, and God has

made provision for us to keep them some other

way, as he has done in Christ, then we are to keep

them that way; but we are to keep them just the

same.

Suppose we try the "filthy rag" construction on

Matt. 5: 20: "For I say unto you that except your

filthy rags' shall exceed the filthy rags' of the

scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no ease enter the

kingdom of heaven." That surely would not be

very edifying reading to any one. There is then

a righteousness that we must have, to be secured

by doing and teaching the commandments. Verse

19. And the scribes and Pharisees did some things

which were righteous, or Christ could not have introduced

the comparison he did, and said, except

yours shall exceed theirs.  He that doeth righteousness,"

says John, "is righteous." 1 John 3: 7. And if he does not

do righteousness, he is not righteous.

We, feel sorry for the man who can say, as one

says who some time since went out from us in

Battle Creek, "I keep the commandments not

from obligation, but because I think it will please.

the Lord for me to do so; but if I should not do it,

though the Lord might not be so well pleased, he

would overlook it, in me, as I am adopted as a son,

and it would not affect my prospects for salvation."

We feel sadly sure that it would.

 Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, June 11, 1889

Perfection in Hebrews

In the NT, the doctrine of perfection is fully developed in the book of Hebrews. Words such as perfect and perfection are often translated from the Greek word τελειος The actual meaning of the term is defined by its context。 Sometimes, perfection is mentioned but no explanation of its meaning is given in the immediate context of the surrounding verses. Other times, the meaning of perfection is immediately explained by the surrounding verses. The following verse is an example of a passage which immediately explains what perfection is:

Heb 5:14 “but solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” The word τελειος, translated as “mature” in this passage, is explained as having ones senses trained through practice to discern good and evil.

The following passage is an example of a text which mentions perfection but does not immediately explain it:

Heb 7:11 “now if perfection [τελειωσις] was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?”

The passage tells us that perfection was not available to Israel through the Aaronic priesthood. The passage does not explain in what sense “perfection” is being used. It is necessary to read on to better understand what perfection is.

Heb 9: 9 “which is a symbol for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which cannot make the worshiper perfect in conscience,”

Here, Scripture indicates that the perfection has to do with the conscience of the believer. Chapter 9:14 elaborates:

“how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to god, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living god?” To be perfect is to have the conscience cleansed.

Chapter 10 refers to the Day of Atonement to further explain the meaning of perfection:

1 “for the law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near.

2 otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins?

3 but in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year.”

Hebrews 10 defines perfection as having “no more consciousness of sins. The writer is here referring to the annual Day of Atonement service. He points to the inadequacy of the annual service by saying that it could not make the worshippers perfect because it did not cleanse their consciousness.

The Jewish worshipers were not really perfected by their offerings throughout the year. Their sin would be called to remembrance on the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement service was inadequate because it was repetitive. A perfect sacrifice would have rendered the annual service obsolete because the conscience would have been cleansed once for all. The emphasis here is on “their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.” “Consciousness of sins” is another way of saying memory of sins. The sacrifice of Christ sets the worshippers free from the memory of sin. No longer necessary to mull over our past mistakes on the Day of Atonement, or wonder if our sins have really been forgiven. .

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified (vs. 14) means that the sanctified, that is those participating in the services, will never again face their sins, as the Jews did every year on the Day of Atonement.”

Hebrews 11: 39, 40 offers yet another definition of perfection: “Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.”

In this passage perfection means “to receive what was promised.” They had not received what was promised; therefore, they could not be made perfect.

Since becoming perfect is dependent upon receiving the promises, an understanding of the promises is required. To receive the promises is to be made perfect. To not receive the promises is to be or remain imperfect.

Fortunately, the promises are clearly explained in the immediate context. The promises are a reference to the covenant that God made with Abraham:

9 “by faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise;
10 for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is god.”
....
13 “all these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
14 for those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.”
15 “and indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.
16 but as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. therefore god is not ashamed to be called their god; for he has prepared a city for them.”

Hebrews defines perfection in three ways. Chapter 5 defines it as having ones senses exercised to discern good from evil. Chapter 10 defines it as not having to face forgiven sin ever again. Chapter 11 defines perfection as realizing the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promises.

"Only Begotten" in the OT

Hebrew equivalent of μονογενης is יחיד  (OLB numbers for your convenience):

Genesis 22:2 he said, "take now your son, your only <03173> son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you."

Genesis 22:12 he said, "do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear god, since you have not withheld your son, your only <03173> son, from me."

Genesis 22:16 and said, "by myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only <03173> son,

Judges 11:34 when Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. now she was his one <03173> and only child <03173>; besides her he had no son or daughter.

Psalms 22:20 deliver my soul from the sword, my only <03173> life from the power of the dog.

Psalms 25:16 turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely <03173> and afflicted.

Psalms 35:17 lord, how long will you look on? rescue my soul from their ravages, my only <03173> life from the lions.

Psalms 68:6 god makes a home for the lonely <03173>; he leads out the prisoners into prosperity, only the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Proverbs 4:3 when I was a son to my father, tender and the only <03173> son <03173> in the sight of my mother,

Jeremiah 6:26 O daughter of my people, put on sackcloth and roll in ashes; mourn as for an only <03173> son <03173>, A lamentation most bitter. for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

Amos 8:10 "then I will turn your festivals into mourning and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring sackcloth on everyone’s loins and baldness on every head. and I will make it like a time of mourning for an only <03173> son <03173>, and the end of it will be like a bitter day.

Zechariah 12:10 "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for him, as one mourns for an only <03173> son <03173>, and they will weep bitterly over him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn.

"Only Begotten" in the NT and LXX

Here are all the appearances [I could find] of μονογενης in the NT and LXX.
3439= μονογενης

Luke 7:12 now as he approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only <3439> son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her.

Luke 8:42 for he had an only <3439> daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. but as he went, the crowds were pressing against him.

Luke 9:38 and a man from the crowd shouted, saying, "teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only <3439> boy,

John 1:14 and the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the only <3439> begotten <3439> from the father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:18 no one has seen god at any time; the only <3439> begotten <3439> god who is in the bosom of the father, he has explained him.

John 3:16 "for god so loved the world, that he gave his only <3439> begotten <3439> son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:18 "he who believes in him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only <3439> begotten <3439> son of god.

Hebrews 11:17 by faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was offering up his only <3439> begotten <3439> son;

1 John 4:9 by this the love of god was manifested in us, that god has sent his only <3439> begotten <3439> son into the world so that we might live through him.

Μονογενης in the LXX

Judges 11:34 και ηλθεν ιεφθαε εις μασσηφα εις τον οικον αυτου και ιδου η θυγατηρ αυτου εξεπορευετο εις απαντησιν αυτου εν τυμπανοις και χοροις και αυτη μονογενης αυτω αγαπητη και ουκ εστιν αυτω πλην αυτης υιος η θυγατηρ
Judges 11:34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. Now she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter (NASB).

Psalms 25:16 (24:16) επιβλεψον επ εμε και ελεησον με οτι μονογενης και πτωχος ειμι εγω
Psalms 25:16  Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted (NASB).

Thoughts on Justification (Spectrum article, 2/22/09)

As evinced by the popularity of a new biography on E. J. Waggoner, righteousness by faith is still a hot topic among Adventists. I have often wondered why denominational leaders did not simply visit a Lutheran church and read what Luther and Melanchthon had to say about the subject. Ellen White endorsed Luther’s justification theology(1) and the Augsburg Confession,(2) written by Melanchthon. She had a copy of Luther’s Commentary on Galatians in her personal library.

Regarding justification, the Augsburg Confession states: “1] Also they [the Lutheran churches] teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for 2] Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. 3] This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.”(3)

Along with his commentaries, treatises, catechism and numerous other things, Luther wrote prefaces to the books of the New Testament, which were included in his German translation of the New Testament. The Preface to Romans actually originated here, although it is often published along with his Commentary on Romans. It was while listening to a public reading of this preface that John Wesley, to whom Adventists are indebted theologically,(4) felt his heart “strangely warmed.” Here is how he described his experience: “About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”(5)

Wesley’s use of the expression “Christ alone” suggests a controversy which was at the heart of the Reformation: Christ Alone, Faith Alone, Scripture Alone, and Grace Alone. These four alones often stand together in summarizing the theology of Protestantism. When Luther translated Romans for his German New Testament, his critics complained that he inserted the word “alone” in Romans 3 :28: “Man is justified by faith alone without the works of the law”[English paraphrase]. English versions such as the KJV, ASV, NASB and NRSV, do not insert the word “alone” in the text, as Luther did. It is not in the Greek text. He answered his critics with the following explanation:

“Now I was not relying on and following the nature of the languages alone, however, when, in Roman 3[:28] I inserted the word solum (alone). Actually the text itself and the meaning of St. Paul urgently require and demand it. For in that very passage he is dealing with the main point of Christian doctrine, namely, that we are justified by faith in Christ without any works of the law. And Paul cuts away all works so completely, as even to say that the works of the law—though it is God’s law and word—do not help us for justification [Rom. 3:20]. He cites Abraham as an example and says that he was justified so entirely without works that even the highest work—which, moreover, had been newly commanded by God, over and above all other works and ordinances, namely circumcision—did not help him for justification; rather he was justified without circumcision and without any works, by faith, as he says in chapter 4[:2], “If Abraham was justified by works, he may boast, but not before God.” But when all works are so completely cut away—and that must mean that faith alone justifies—whoever would speak plainly and clearly about this cutting away of works will have to say, “Faith alone justifies us, and not works.” The matter itself, as well as the nature of the language, demands it.”(6)

Luther’s appealed to Paul’s explanation of Abraham’s biography in explaining how justification by faith takes place. The more closely we look at Abraham, the clearer the issue becomes. Genesis is the key to understanding references to Abraham in Romans, Galatians, and James. James and Paul both interpreted events in Abraham’s life to make their own case regarding justification. The tension between these two perspectives often runs high, even today.

This tension can be resolved by looking at the chronology of Abraham’s life.(7) The most conservative numbers would place the time between God’s promise to Abraham and circumcision at ~14 years. Paul called circumcision a sign of the righteousness that Abraham obtained by faith. Considering that Isaac carried the wood for the sacrifice, he must have been at least 12 years old. Various Jewish sources place his age between 25 and 37 years of age. If we assume that Abraham was justified at 85 and Isaac offered when he was 12, there is still at least 26 years from the promise of justification to the offering of Isaac.

In what condition was Abraham during this period? After Abraham received the promise, he took Hagar and fathered Ishmael. Yet there is no rebuke contained in Scripture. God actually blessed the boy. The promise was still fulfilled to Abraham and Isaac was born.

According to Galatians 3, there was no law in Abraham’s time. Abraham was essentially in the same spot as a Gentile. Had obedience to any law been instrumental in Abraham’s justification, justification could have been neither by grace nor faith. Because Abraham was justified on the same basis as a Gentile, without law, salvation can go to the entire world, even those who have not the law.

Romans 4 tell us that circumcision, which represented the law, served as a sign of the justification attained by faith in God’s promise. Circumcision played no part in Abraham’s justification. His justification was based on belief in God’s promise to him.

The lessons that Paul draws from Abraham’s life are important ones for Christians. He says they were “written for the benefit of those who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead, the same Jesus who was delivered for our offenses and raised because of our justification Rom. 4:23,24.

So what about James? Considering the extensive arguments set forth by Paul in Romans and Galatians, James is often considered as a thorn in the side of those who favor a Pauline understanding of the gospel. In the Preface to James, for his New Testament, Luther simply rejected James as non canonical.(8)

Considering the record of events in Abraham’s life, at least 26 years had elapsed between the time Abraham was justified by faith and Isaac was offered. It can not be truly said that Abraham was justified by imputation when he offered Isaac. That happened years before.

The word justify is used different ways in Scripture. Most often, it refers to the event which occurs through faith when righteousness is imputed to the believer. There are, however, a few examples of the word being used in a different way.

Jesus, for example, said that “Wisdom is justified of her children (Lk. 7:35). Versions such as the NASB and NRSV say “Wisdom is vindicated by her children.” Regarding the baptism of John, it is said that those who submitted to it “justified God” (Lk. 7:29). We read of the young lawyer who wanted to “justify himself” (Lk. 10:29).

“Wisdom is justified or vindicated by her children.” One might express the idea this way: The benefits of wisdom are revealed by those who are wise. If we understand justification this way, what James is saying about Abraham’s justification is that by his offering, he was showing himself to be righteous or exhibiting righteousness. He was clearing himself of any possible blame regarding his faith. The  Hebrew word for justify is used just this way in the story of Joseph’s brothers. When a stolen cup was discovered in their bag, they asked one another, “How can we clear ourselves” (Lk. 44:16 NRSV)? This is just what the young lawyer wanted to do, be clear of blame.

By offering Isaac upon the altar, Abraham demonstrated the kind of faith that responded to God’s promises, a faith that simply trusted in the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Endnotes

1. White, Ellen, The Great Controversy Between Christ and Satan (1911 Mountain View, CA Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1950) p. 253
2. Ibid. p 205
3. http://bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php
4. http://www.adventistbiblicalresearch.org/documents/wesleyanconnectionSDA...
5. http://www.gbgm-umc.org/aldersgate-wheaton/aumcname.html
6. Luther, M. (1999, c1960). Vol. 35: Luther's works, vol. 35 : Word and Sacrament I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Vol. 35, Page 195). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

7. Abraham left Haran at 75 (Gen.12:4).
Sometime between the age of 75 and 85, Abraham was justified by imputation because he believed God’s promise to him. (Gen. 15:6). Ishmael was born at 86 (Gen. 16:16). Abraham was circumcised at 99 ((Gen. 17:24). Sarah was ten years younger than Abraham (Gen. 17:17) Isaac was born when Abraham was 100 and Sarah was 90 (Gen. 21:5). Sarah died at 127; therefore, we can conclude that Isaac was less than 37 when offered upon the altar. (Gen. 23:1) Isaac marries Rebecca at 40 years of age. (Gen. 25:20)

8. Luther, M. (1999, c1960). Vol. 35: Luther's works, vol. 35: Word and Sacrament I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Vol. 35, Page 395). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Partakers of the altar

1 Cor. 9:13 Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar?

In the context of this discussion, Paul here refers to the pagan temples. They illustrate that those involved in religious work should be sustained by that work. Chapter 8 contains a lengthy dialogue about eating food offered to idols. Verse 10 refers to those who dine in an idol’s temple. The priests of Israel also ate at the altar; however, in the context of this discussion, he refers to pagan practices.

In chapter 10, Paul refers to the Israelite temple practices in his discussion of the Lord’s supper:

18 “See Israel according to the flesh! are not those eating the sacrifices in the fellowship of the altar?
19 what then do I say? that an idol is anything? or that a sacrifice offered to an idol is anything? —
20 no, but that the things that the nations sacrifice — they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not wish you to come into the fellowship of the demons.”

In this passage, he is clearly referring to the Jewish temple because he says so. The passage in chapter 9 simply refers to the temple. In chapter 8 an idol’s temple [1493] is specifically mentioned. 1493 is used only once in the NT in this passage

The word translated “temple [2413]“ usually refers to the Jewish temple; however, it can refer to pagan temples when that is the point of the discussion. Pagan temples are rarely mentioned in the NT. The word is used to refer to the temple of Diana in Acts:

Acts 19:27 "Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple <2413> of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence."