Our Advocate does not plead that we are innocent or adduce extenuating circumstances. He acknowledges our guilt and presents His vicarious work as the ground of our acquittal. He stands in the Court of Heaven ἀρνίον ὡς ἐσφαγμένον (Revelation 5:6) and the marks of His sore Passion are a mute but eloquent appeal: “I suffered all this for sinners, and shall it go for naught?” περὶ ὃλου τοῦ κόσμου, pro totius mundi (Vulgate), “for the sins of the whole world”. This is grammatically possible (cf. Matthew 5:20), but it misses the point. There are sins, special and occasional, in the believer; there is sin in the world; it is sinful through and through. The Apostle means “for our sins and that mass of sin, the world”. Cf. Rothe: “Die ‘Welt' ist ihrem Begriff zufolge überhaupt sündig, ein Sündenmasse, und hat nicht blos einzelne Sünden an sich”. The remedy is commensurate with the malady. Bengel: “Quam late patet peccatum, tam late propitiatio ”.

Observe how the Apostle classes himself with his readers: “ we have,” “ our sins” a rebuke of priestcraft. Cf. Aug.: “But some one will say: ‘Do not holy men pray for us? Do not bishops and prelates pray for the people?' Nay, attend to the Scriptures, and see that even the prelates commend themselves to the people. For the Apostle says to the common folk ‘withal praying for us'. The Apostle prays for the folk, the folk for the Apostle. We pray for you, brethren; but pray ye also for us. Let all the members pray for one another, let the Head intercede for all.”

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Old Testament