III. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
12. THE NEW TESTAMENT DOCTRINE OF ATONEMENT
The idea of an atonement is fundamental in the teachings of the New Testament (<450510>Romans 5:10; <470518>2 Corinthians 5:18-21; <510121>Colossians 1:21). It is very clearly implied in such terms as reconciliation and propitiation, and is no less present in pardon, remission and forgiveness.
The doctrine of the atonement is not developed by Jesus, but it is strongly hinted at and is unmistakably implied in the language of <402028>Matthew 20:28;
26:28; <411045>
Mark 10:45; <422446>
Luke 24:46,47. John the Baptist’s salute,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world!”
(<430129>John 1:29), also implies it. In the writings of the apostles it is
repeatedly and clearly affirmed that our forgiveness and reconciliation to God is based upon the death of Christ. “In none other is there salvation”
(<440412>Acts 4:12); through Him is the redemption (<450324>Romans 3:24); God set
Him forth to be a propitiation (<450325>Romans 3:25); through Him “we have
now received the reconciliation” (<450511>Romans 5:11); “God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself” (<470519>2 Corinthians 5:19); “Him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf” (<470521>2 Corinthians 5:21); and
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (<480313>Galatians 3:13). Such citations might be greatly multiplied. That which was so perfectly accomplished by the offering of Christ was in an analagous though imperfect way accomplished by the sacrifices required by the Law. It had “a shadow of the good things to come” (<581001>Hebrews 10:1).
The unvarying effect of sin is to produce an estrangement between the injurer and the wronged. The nature of God is such and the relationship between Him and man is of such a character that sin brings about an alienation between them. It is this presupposition of an estrangement between them which renders the atonement necessary before forgiveness can be extended to man. This estrangement must be removed, and the alienation be transformed into a reconciliation. In what then does the alienation consist?
The sin of man produces a changed attitude toward each other on the part of both God and man. God holds no personal pique against man because of his sin. The New Testament language is very carefully chosen to avoid any statement which would seem to convey such a conception. Yet God’s holy righteousness is such that He cannot be indifferent to sin. His wrath must rest upon the disobedient (<430336>John 3:36; <450118>Romans 1:18). It is not merely impersonal. It is not enough to say He hates the sin. Man’s unrighteousness has not merely alienated him from God, but God also from him. The word
“enemies” (echthroi) of <450510>
Romans 5:10 is passive, and means the object of God’s enmity (Sunday, at the place). It was because of this fact that God set forth Christ to be a propitiation to show His righteousness because of the passing over of sins done aforetime (<450325>Romans 3:25,26). God’s passing over, without inflicting punishment, the sins of pre-Christian times had placed in jeopardy His righteousness; had exposed Him to the
implication that He could tolerate sin. God could not be true to Himself while He tolerated such an imputation, and so instead of visiting
punishment upon all who sinned — which would have been one way of showing His righteousness — He set forth Christ to death (“in his blood”), and in this way placed Himself beyond the imputation of unrighteousness while it enabled Him to show mercy to sinners. The effect of sin upon man was to estrange him from God, to lead him farther and farther away from
his Maker. Each successive sin produced a greater barrier between the two.
Now the atonement was designed to remove the cause of this estrangement and restore the former relationship between God and man. This too, it has been observed, is the purpose of forgiveness, so that the atonement finds its completion in forgiveness. It should be noted that the reconciliation originates with God and not with man (<450325>Romans 3:25; <470519>2 Corinthians 5:19). God woos man before the latter seeks God. The effect of the atonement on man is to reconcile him, attract him, to God. It shows him God’s love for man, and the forgiveness, in that it removes sin completely, takes away the estranging factor between them and so wins man back to God. “We love, because he first loved us.” At the same time the atonement is such a complete expression of both the love and the righteousness of God that, while on the one hand it exhibits his yearning for man, on the other it shows that He is not tolerant toward sin. In the atonement of Christ, therefore, is the meeting-place and the reconcilement of God’s holy horror of sin and the free bestowal of forgiveness upon penitent believers.
William Charles Morro FORGO
<for-go’> (from for, negative, and go): Occurs in Ecclesiasticus 7:19, as translation of [ajstoce>w, astocheo], which means “to miss the mark,” “turn or swerve from.” “Forgo not a wise and good wife (the King James
Version “woman”); for her grace is above gold,” meaning “Turn not away from her”; in Ecclesiasticus 8:9, the word is rendered “miss not”; compare
<540106>1 Timothy 1:6; 6:21; <550218>2 Timothy 2:18.
FORK
<fork> ([ˆwOvL]qi vlv], shelosh qilleshon]): This compound word, meaning
strictly “three points” or “three prongs,” is found only once (<091321>1 Samuel 13:21), and doubtless there refers to the agricultural tool now known as the pitchfork. It might, however, also be a weapon.
FORM
<form> ([rx”y;, yatsar], [ra”To, to’ar]; [morfh>, morphe]):
(1) To form is “to fashion,” “create,” “produce.” In the Old Testament it is for the most part the translation of yatsar, “to form,” “to fashion”
(<010207>Genesis 2:7, etc., “Yahweh God formed man of the dust of the ground,” etc.); also of chul and chil, “to be twisted” “turned round” “to bring forth (in pain)” (compare <231308>Isaiah 13:8; <330410>Micah 4:10;
<053218>
Deuteronomy 32:18 the King James Version, “God that formed thee”;
<182613>Job 26:13 the King James Version; <199002>Psalm 90:2, “or ever thou hadst
formed the earth” etc.; <202610>Proverbs 26:10 the King James Version). In the New Testament we have morphoo, “to form” (<480419>Galatians 4:19, “until Christ be formed in you”); plasso, “to form,” “to mold” (<450920>Romans 9:20,
“him that formed it”; <540213>1 Timothy 2:13, “Adam was first formed”; 2 Macc 7:23, “the Creator .... who formed the generation of man,” the Revised Version (British and American) “fashioned”; 7:22, “that formed the members (diarrhuthmizo),” the Revised Version (British and
American) “brought into order”).
(2) Form (noun) is used for
(a) appearance, mar’eh, “sight,” “appearance” (<180416>
Job 4:16, “I could not discern the form thereof” the Revised Version (British and
American) “appearance” with “form” for “image” (temunah) in next sentence); tselem, Aramaic “image” (<270319>
Daniel 3:19, “The form of his visage was changed”); rew, “form,” “likeness” (<270231>Daniel 2:31; 3:25, the Revised Version (British and American) “aspect”); to’ar, “visage,”
“form” (<092814>1 Samuel 28:14, “What form is he of?”);
(b) the fixed or characteristic form of anything, tabhnith, “model,”
“form” (<260803>Ezekiel 8:3; 10:8, “the form of a hand”; 8:10, “every form of creeping things”); morphe, characteristic form as distinguished from schema, changing fashion (<501706>Philippians 2:6, “in the form of God”;
2:7, “the form of a servant”; less distinctly <411612>Mark 16:12, “in another form”);
(c) shape, model, pattern, mold, tsurah, “shape,” from tsur, “to cut or carve” (<264311>Ezekiel 43:11, ter, “the form of the house,” etc.); mishpat,
“rule” (<140407>2 Chronicles 4:7 the King James Version); tupos, “type,”
“impress” (<450617>
Romans 6:17, the Revised Version, margin “pattern”);
hupotuposis, “outline,” pattern (<550113>2 Timothy 1:13, the Revised Version (British and American) “pattern”); morphosis, “form,”
“appearance” (<450220>Romans 2:20, “the form of knowledge”);
(d) orderly arrangement, giving shape or form (<010102>Genesis 1:2;
<240423>
Jeremiah 4:23, the earth was “without form,” tohu, the Revised Version (British and American) “waste”; The Wisdom of Solomon 11:17, amorphos); “form of speech” (<101420>2 Samuel 14:20, aspect, panim, “face,” the Revised Version (British and American) “to change the face of the matter”); as giving comeliness or beauty, to’ar
(<235214>Isaiah 52:14; 53:2, “He hath no form nor comeliness”; compare
<012917>Genesis 29:17; 39:6, etc.; The Wisdom of Solomon 15:5, “desiring
the form (eidos) of a dead image,” the Revised Version (British and American) “the breathless form”);
(e) Show, without substance, morphosis, “form” (<550305>2 Timothy 3:5,
“holding a form of godliness”).
ARV has “didst form” for “hast possessed” (<19D913>
Psalm 139:13, so the English Revised Version, margin; both have “formed” for “made”
(<19A426>Psalm 104:26), the American Standard Revised Version for “framed”
twice (<232916>Isaiah 29:16); both for “formed thee,” “gave birth”
(<053218>
Deuteronomy 32:18); “pierced” (<182613>
Job 26:13); “woundeth”
(<202610>Proverbs 26:10); “fastened” (<234410>Isaiah 44:10); for “are formed from”
(<182605>Job 26:5), “tremble”; for “their form” (<140407>2 Chronicles 4:7), “the
ordinance concerning them”; “form” for “similitude” (<041208>Numbers 12:8;
<050412>
Deuteronomy 4:12,15); for “size” (<110625>
1 Kings 6:25; 7:37); for “shape”
(<420322>Luke 3:22; <430537>John 5:37); “in the form” for “similitude”
(<050416>Deuteronomy 4:16); for “or the like” (<050423>Deuteronomy 4:23,15); the
American Standard Revised Version “(beholding) thy form” for “thy likeness” (<191715>
Psalm 17:15, the English Revised Version, margin); “every form” for “all appearance” (<520522>1 Thessalonians 5:22; so the English Revised Version, margin “appearance”).
W. L. Walker FORMER
<for’-mer>: The word in the sense of “maker,” “framer,” occurs only in
<245119>Jeremiah 51:19, “He is the former (from yatsar, “to form”) of all
things.” The adjective, in the sense of preceding in the order of time, is commonly in Hob the translation of ri’shon, “first,” “foremost”
(<014013>Genesis 40:13; <042126>Numbers 21:26; <052404>Deuteronomy 24:4, etc.); in
Greek of proteros (<490422>Ephesians 4:22; <581032>Hebrews 10:32; <600114>1 Peter 1:14); and in two cases (<440101>
Acts 1:1; <662104>
Revelation 21:4) of protos, where
the Revised Version (British and American) has (in Acts in the margin)
“the first.” As denoting place or position the word occurs in the Old Testament in Zec 14:8, “the former sea” as translation of qadhmoni, “in front,” where the Revised Version (British and American) has “eastern,”
i.e. the Dead Sea, in contrast with the Mediterranean, or western sea (compare <264718>Ezekiel 47:18; <290220>Joel 2:20). For “former iniquities”
(<197908>Psalm 79:8) the Revised Version (British and American) has simply
“the iniquities”; Other changes may be seen in <040612>Numbers 6:12; <236507>Isaiah 65:7; <263611>Ezekiel 36:11; <330408>Micah 4:8; <370203>Haggai 2:3.
W. L. Walker FORNICATION
<for-ni-ka’-shun>.
See CRIMES.
FORSWEAR
<for-swar’>.
See CRIMES.
FORTH
<forth>: “Forth,” adverb (from “for”), signifies movement (1) forward,
(2) out of,
(3) beyond a certain boundary.
In a few instances in the Old Testament it is the translation of the preposition `al, properly “above,” “upon” (<121115>
2 Kings 11:15; <142314>
2 Chronicles 23:14; <300717>Amos 7:17 the King James Version), and of chuts,
“without” (<013913>Genesis 39:13; <071925>Judges 19:25). “Forth” is often used as an expletive of various verbs, as “break (forth),” “bring (forth),” “call (forth),” etc. In the Gospel of John it is the translation of exo, “without,” as
“Lazarus, come forth” (11:43; so 15:6; 19:4 the King James Version, etc.;
also <440534>Acts 5:34; 9:40). “Stand forth” in <410303>Mark 3:3 is the translation of egeire eis to meson, margin “Arise into the midst.” the Revised Version (British and American) has a great many changes, frequently substituting
“out,” “away,” “abroad,” etc.; “forth from” for “out of” (<184121>Job 41:21;
<234523>Isaiah 45:23); “spread forth” for “stretched out” (<194420>Psalm 44:20; 88:9;
136:6), etc. In <510106>Colossians 1:6, for “bringeth forth fruit” the Revised Version (British and American) reads “bearing fruit.”
W. L. Walker FORTIFICATION; FORT, FORTIFIED (FENCED) CITIES; FORTRESS
<for-ti-fi-ka’-shun> (including):
Has a number of words representing its various elements and aspects:
(1) [rx;b]mi, mibhtsar], is the term generally rendered “fenced” or
“defenced city.” In both the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) of Isaiah and Jeremiah we find for the most part the more formal “defenced city.” It is found by itself
(<231703>Isaiah 17:3); with `ir, “city” (<090618>1 Samuel 6:18; <120301>2 Kings 3:19;
plural `are mibhtsar, “fenced (the American Standard Revised Version
“fortified”) cities,” <043217>Numbers 32:17); with [rxo, tsor], “Tyre”
(<061929>
Joshua 19:29; <102407>
2 Samuel 24:7, where it is rendered
“stronghold”).
(2) [bG;c]mi, misgabh], “high fort” (<232512>Isaiah 25:12; <244801>Jeremiah 48:1 the Revised Version, margin; <190909>Psalm 9:9, and many other places in the Pss).
(3) [zwO[m;, ma`oz], “fortress,” “stronghold” (<070626>Judges 6:26; <193102>Psalm 31:2; <271139>
Daniel 11:39).
(4) [hd;Wxm], metsudhah], “fort” the King James Version, “stronghold”
the Revised Version (British and American) (<100509>2 Samuel 5:9,17).
(5) [hr;Wxm], metsurah], “fort” (<232903>
Isaiah 29:3 the King James Version;
plural the Revised Version (British and American) “siege works”).
(6) [bX;mu, mutstsabh] (<232903>Isaiah 29:3, “fort” the English Revised Version, “mount” the King James Version, “posted troops” the American Standard Revised Version).
(7) [qyeD;, dayeq], “fort” (for the siege of a city, the wall of
circumvallation cast up by the besiegers, <122501>2 Kings 25:1; <245204>Jeremiah 52:4; <260402>Ezekiel 4:2; 17:17; 21:22; 26:8).
(8) [ryOxm;, matsor], “fortress” (<241017>Jeremiah 10:17 margin, wall of circumvallation: <350201>
Habakkuk 2:1, “tower” the King James Version,
“fortress” the Revised Version, margin; Zec 9:3).
(9) [hr;yBi, birah], “palace” the King James Version, “castle” the Revised Version (British and American) (<160208>Nehemiah 2:8; 7:2). Birah Grecized is [ba~riv, baris], which has the double meaning of “palace”
and “fortress.” Nehemiah’s “castle” figures largely in the books of Maccabees and in Josephus, and is the Castle of Antonia of the Acts of the Apostles.
(10) [ojcu>rwma, ochuroma] (<471004>2 Corinthians 10:4, its only
occurrence in the New Testament though it is the chief equivalent of mibhtsar in the Septuagint). In this connection it is to be noted that [hm;wOj, chomah], is Hebrew for “wall,” Greek [tei~cov, teichos]; [lje, or lyje, chel] is Hebrew for the “ditch,” or “rampart,” or “bastion” of a fortress; [lD;g]mi, mighdal], “tower”; [hN;Pi, pinnah] plural [twONPi, pinnoth], “corner towers.”
FORTIFIED PLACES:
From the very beginning of their history as a nation the Israelites were acquainted with fortified cities. The report of cities “great and fortified up to heaven,” inhabited by the sons of Anak, by Amalekites, Hittites,
Jebusites, Amorites and Canaanites, struck terror into the hearts of the Israelites in the wilderness, and called forth murmurings from them on their way to Canaan (<041328>Numbers 13:28 ff; <050128>Deuteronomy 1:28). Not that these cities were at all of the extent or population of modern cities, or of Nineveh, Babylon and Memphis of old. But to a people who were as yet little better than a horde of fugitives accustomed to the simple camp life of the wilderness and unacquainted with appliances for siege and assault, the prospect of scaling the walls and conquering the inhabitants was appalling.
The cities of the Canaanites were already old when Joshua led the Israelites to the conquest of the land. Not a little of their history has become known
to us, and the character of their defensive works has been disclosed by Palestinian excavation in recent years.