SIN
(Jn
12S),
which
in
its
process
and
achievement
affords
further
possibilities
to
sin
and
its
consequences
(Jn
9";
cf.
Ll£
12"').
Nor
must
we
omit
to
note
that
in
this
Gospel
sin
is
regarded
as
a
species
of
slavery.
The
reference
to
this
aspect
occurs
but
once
(Jn
8'*),
but
that
it
occupied
an
important
place
in
early
Christian
teaching
is
evident
from
the
incidental
notices
found
scattered
throughout
the
NT
(cf.
Eo
e'^-™.
Tit
3',
2
P
2^\
Mt
62'=Lk
16"
etc.).
The
popular
belief
in
the
connexion
between
sin
and
physical
suffering
is
noticed
also
in
the
Fourth
Gospel,
where
Jesus
is
represented
as
denying
its
uni-versal
applicability
(Jn
9").
At
the
same
time
He
recognized
that
in
certain
cases
the
belief
was
justified
(Jn
5").
It
was,
perhaps,
His
profound
knowledge
of
a
similar
but
a
deeper
relationship
than
this
—
the
relation-ship
of
sin
to
the
whole
life
—
that
gave
to
the
words
and
actions
of
Jesus
that
exquisite
tenderness
in
His
treatment
of
individual
sinners
so
noticeable
in
this
Gospel
(cf.
Jn
i"'-
8"-
'6);
a
tenderness
which
He
would
fain
impart
to
His
followers
in
their
dealings
with
fellow-sinners
(cf.
Jn
7",
Mt
7«-,
Ja
21').
We
are
thus
enabled
to
see
that
the
view
of
sin
held
and
taught
by
Jesus
is
profounder
and
graver
than
any
as
yet
existing,
for
it
is
an
offence
against
One
who
is
at
the
same
time
a
righteous
and
loving
Father
and
a
just
and
holy
God
(Lk
IS'S;
cf.
Mt
S",
Jn
3«a-etc.).
The
life
of
Christ
is
the
object-lesson
which
Christians
are
invited
to
imitate
in
their
daily
relation-ships
and
life
(Mt
ll's,
Jn
13",
1
Jn
2=,
Ph
2=;
cf.
1
P
2^1
etc.),
and
St.
John
haspointed
out
to
us,
in
the
words
of
Jesus
Himself,
the
standard
to
which
His
followers
are
asked
to
aspire,
when
He
defied
His
bitter
life-long
enemies
to
convict
Him
of
sin
(Jn
8'').
4.
St.
James.
—
The
author
of
this
circular
letter
views
sin
in
its
practical
bearings
on
the
daily
life
of
men.
Nevertheless,
his
conception
of
its
character
and
results
is
as
far-reaching
as
we
have
seen
it
to
be
in
both
the
Pauline
and
the
Johannine
teaching.
Its
origin
he
traces
to
the
surrender
of
the
individual's
will
to
'desire'
(Ja
I"'-).
'In
itself
the
desire
may
be
natural
and
innocent:
it
is
when
the
man
resolves
to
gratify
it
against
what
he
feels
to
be
the
higher
law
of
duty,
that
he
becomes
guilty
of
sin
even
before
he
carries
out
his
resolve
in
act'
(J.
B.
Mayor,
The
Epistle
of
St.
James,
note
on
1^^).
The
writer
combats
the
idea
that
God
is
the
author
of
evil,
by
Insisting
on
the
fact
that
each
man
may
make
a
good
or
a
bad
use
of
temptation.
As
a
morally
free
agent
he
stands
or
he
falls,
and
the
result
of
this
freedom
may
be
the
promised
'crown
of
life'
(1")
or
hopeless
'death'
(1«).
We
are
here
reminded
of
the
'sin
unto
death'
(1
Jn
5")
referred
to
already,
for
'
sin
when
full-grown,
when
it
has
become
a
fixed
habit
determining
the
character
of
the
man,
brings
forth
death'
(J.
B.
Mayor,
op.
cit.
p.
53;
cf
.
R.
J.
Knowling,
Epistle
of
St.
James,
ad
toe).
This
Epistle
betrays
its
Jewish
origin
in
the
attitude
of
the
writer
to
the
Law;
for
him
the
result
of
the
Incarnation
has
been
the
trans-muting
of
the
Mosaic
Law
into
'the
perfect
law,
the
law
of
liberty'
(.1^,
cf.
2»),
'the
royal
law'
(2').
It
may
be
said
that
he
sometimes
merely
echoes
the
well-
known
opinion
of
contemporary
Jewish
Rabbins
about
transgressing
the
minutest
behest
of
the
Law
(see
the
extracts
from
Rabbinical
writings
quoted
by
R.
J.
Knowling,
op.
cit.,
note
on
Ja
2'»).
At
the
same
time
it
must
be
admitted
that
his
conception
of
sin,
even
when
it
finds
expression
in
the
seemingly
trivial
case
of
'respect
of
persons'
(2"),
'is
founded
on
a
true
spiritual
view
of
the
relation
of
man
to
God'
(Hastings'
DB,
vol.
iv.
p.
SSS")).
The
law
of
love
is
the
essential
guiding
principle
of
all
Christian
life,
and
where
this
law
is
transgressed
in
the
social
relations
of
that
life,
the
expression
in
our
Epistle
'ye
commit
sin'
(lit.
'ye
work
sin,'
2')
is
not
too
strong
or
emphatic.
A
further
point
in
connexion
with
St.
James'
teaching
SIN
occupies
the
closing
passages
of
his
Epistle.
In
this,
as
in
the
whole
of
his
writing,
he
deals
with
it
from
the
point
of
view
of
the
daily
life.
In
his
exhortation
to
mutual
confession
of
sins
and
intercessory
prayer
for
forgiveness
he
is
incidentally
dwelling
on
the
truth
that
all
real
Christian
life
is
conditioned
by
its
ad-herence,
both
in
word
and
in
deed,
to
the
principle
of
love
(cf.
2'").
The
same
may
be
said
of
his
advice
with
regard
to
the
corporate
prayer
oJ
the
Church
on
behalf
of
one
who
is
physically
sick
(5"').
It
is
probable
that
our
author
held
the
common
Jewish
belief
that
sin
and
disease
were
connected
as
cause
and
effect,
and
his
conviction
that
'
the
prayer
of
faith
'
reaches
out
in
its
power
to
the
whole
man,
extending
even
to
the
forgive-ness
of
his
sins
by
God,
is
based
on
his
belief
in
the
solidarity
of
human
life
as
well
as
of
the
law
to
which
it
owes
its
allegiance.
As
in
the
case
of
the
member
of
the
community
whose
bodily
and
spiritual
needs
are
ministered
to
by
the
active
intervention
of
the
Church,
so
he
urges
each
individual
member
to
prayer
on
behalf
of
his
erring
brother.
The
twofold
blessing
promised
to
this
act
of
brotherly
love
may
well
be
taken
as
an
expression
of
his
conviction
that
the
individual
lives
of
the
members
of
the
Christian
community
are
knit
so
closely
together
that
no
single
act
of
sin
can
be
com-mitted
without
so
far
bringing
death
within
range
of
all,
and
that
no
act
of
love
can
be
exercised
without
so
far
bringing
mercy
and
forgiveness
to
all,
and
thus
'covering
a
multitude
of
sins'
(cf.
1
P
4?).
6.
Hebrews.
—
It
cannot
be
said
that
there
is
any
special
doctrine
of
sin
in
this
Epistle.
Its
readers
were
well
acquainted
with
OT
conceptions
and
teaching,
and
the
writer
deals
mainly
with
the
superiority
of
the
New
Covenant
over
the
Old
in
supplying
means
whereby
there
shall
be
'no
more
conscience
of
sins'
(He
10^;
cf.
Westcott,
The
Epistle
to
the
Hebrews,
Add.
Note
on
9').
The
central
feature
of
this
writing
is
the
stress
laid
on
the
discovery
by
Christianity
of
'
a
new
and
living
way'
(1021)
by
which
we
have
direct
access
to
God.
It
is
by
the
removal
of
guilt
in
the
forgiveness
of
sins
by
the
sacrifice
of
Jesus
that
this
way
is
opened
'
once
for
air
(10i»;
cf.
v."
912
etc.).
Special
emphasis
is
therefore
laid
on
the
failure
of
the
Mosaic
institutions
to
'take
away
sins'
(10",
cf.
9'),
and
on
the
awful
character
of
the
danger
of
harbouring
'an
evil
heart
of
unbelief
(S'^).
The
temptation
to
which
the
'
Hebrews
'
were
exposed
was
that,
under
stress
of
persecution,
they
would
reject
the
final
revelation
of
God
in
Christ,
or
revert,
under
the
influence
of
the
Hellenistic
Judaizers,
to
the
somewhat
eclectic
faith
of
the
latter.
This
wilfiil
sin
the
writer
characterizes
as
'
crucifying
the
Son
of
God
afresh
'
(6')
and
as
treading
Him
under
foot
(cf.
lO^').
In
warning
them
against
the
dangers
to
which
they
would
be
exposed
during
the
time
of
suffering
and
trial
now
imminent,
he
points
out
to
them
that
these
trials
may
become
in
their
own
hands
the
means
of
their
spiritual
advancement.
Instead
of
being
the
sole
outcome
of
sin,
suffering
is
often
the
chastisement
of
a
loving
Father
'that
we
may
be
partakers
of
his
holiness'
(12"').
The
great
Example,
whose
solution
of
an
age-long
problem
we
are
asked
to
study,
was
Jesus,
'
who
for
the
joy
that
was
set
before
him
endured
the
cross,
despising
the
shame'
(12^),
and
who
though
'in
all
points
tempted
like
as
we
are,
yet
without
sin'
(4"),
was
nevertheless
made
'perfect
through
sufferings'
(2").
See
also
artt.
Atonement,
Forgiveness,
Guilt,
Phopitiation,
Redemption,
etc.
J.
R.
Willis.
SIN.
—
'The
stronghold
(fortress)
of
Egypt,'
Ezk
30'»-
i«,
must
be
Felusium,
the
Egyp.
name
of
which
is
not
clearly
known,
or
some
fortress
in
its
neigh-bourhood.
In
the
list
of
governors
appointed
by
Esarhaddon
and
Ashurbanipal,
while
native
princes
were
retained
elsewhere,
Sin
is
the
only
city
put
in
charge
of
an
Assyrian:
no
doubt
he
was
placed
at
