What does that mean?
A study of five words in the New Testament
Hello friends! This is Peregrino, a newsletter about the journey. The following piece was an assignment for my Introduction to the NT II class, where we studied the epistles. I think the topic fits with the Lenten season, so I decided to publish it here. Let me know what you think. Cheers.
In the New Testament, specifically in the epistles, we read words of exhortation to the different Churches, and the good news is brought to both Jews and Gentiles, proclaiming the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The use of several words throughout the epistles caught my attention: words like expiation, redemption, justification, salvation, and sanctification. I will now try to compare and contrast the meaning of these words and their relation to the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ and the life of the Church.
“He is the expiation for our sins” 1 Jn 2:2, 4:10
In his first letter, St. John calls Jesus the hilasmos–Greek for expiation, the expiatory sacrifice of atonement. In the OT, the high priest of Israel sprinkled blood on the mercy seat, the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant, once a year on the Day of Atonement to expiate the sins of the people and restore them to fellowship with Yahweh (Lev 16:1-34). For St. Paul, Jesus is the living seat of God’s presence and the place where atonement is made with sacrificial blood (CCC 433). For St. John, Jesus’s death on the Cross is the act of sacrifice that takes away the sins of the world.
Jesus' ultimate sacrifice wipes away our sins. He bore all of our sins and took our place in order to restore us to fellowship with God, open the gates of heaven, and give us hope of spending eternal life with God.
“It is God who justifies” Romans 8:33
Justified comes from the Greek dikaioō, a verb that means to acquit, vindicate, or pronounce righteous. Justification is God establishing us in a covenant relationship with him. This is possible thanks to the New Covenant, the death of Christ, which frees us from sin through the gift of grace–God’s supernatural life in us. We receive grace by faith in the sacrament of Baptism. God acquits sinners and adopts them as his children, making them heirs of eternal life.
“It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification” Romans 4:25
The resurrection constitutes his victory over sin and death. “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” 1 Cor 15:55-57. Death doesn’t have the last word anymore, and through Baptism, we share in this double victory since we die to sin and rise to new life with Christ. The death and resurrection of our souls will be followed by the death and resurrection of our bodies (CCC 654-55).
“In him, we have redemption through his blood” Ephesians 1:7
Redemption is freedom purchased for a slave or prisoner by a ransom price. Through the cross, Jesus redeems us from sin at the expense of his own blood (CCC 517). Like the Israelites leaving Egypt, we participate in a new and spiritual Exodus. Christ rescues us from the bondage of guilt and the tyranny of the devil (Rom 6:15-18).
What must we do to save our souls?
The Baltimore Catechism states that to save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart. But what exactly does being saved mean? That’s when things get a little tricky.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith” Ephesians 2:5,8
In this scripture verse, we encounter a present state resulting from a past action, not assured but a source of hope. An initial salvation that had nothing to do with our works. Grace, God’s supernatural life in us, allows us to share in the exaltation of Christ: his rising from the dead, his ascent into heaven, and his enthronement at the Father’s right hand. We receive a free, undeserved gift, a share in the divine life.
This initial salvation can be connected to Baptism. In Acts 16:30, we read, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” The reception of grace, which allows us to share in Christ's exaltation, comes through the sacrament (CCC 432). I would even dare to say that we could change “and you will be saved” to “and we’ll take it from there.” If we truly believe in Jesus, then our lives should be proof of it. This leads us to the next point.
“Work out your own salvation” Philippians 2:12
Opposite our initial salvation, we have our final salvation. This is an ongoing task that will last our whole life. Practical advice on how to work our own salvation includes:
Keeping the faith (2 Tim 4:7-8)
Following the commandments (Mt 19:17)
Persevering in good works (Rom 2:7)
Striving for holiness (Heb 12:14)
Praying in earnest (1 Thess 5:17)
Fighting against the forces of evil (Eph 6:11)
and the selfish demands of the flesh, which drag us down (Rom 8:13, 1 Cor 9:24-27)
St. Paul adds that we should do all these things with fear and trembling. Why? Because if you fear and tremble, you will not boast at your good works, since it is God who works them within you (St. Augustine, On Grace and Free Will 21). It’s not what we can do but what we allow God to do through us.
“This is the will of God, your sanctification” 1 Thessalonians 4:3
Sanctification means holiness and ties to Baptism, where the stain of original sin is wiped away from our soul, and we are made holy. This gift gradually increases as the Spirit penetrates our hearts and lives over time.
When things are sanctified, they are separated from the realm of secular life and devoted to a sacred purpose, like the vestments of a priest, the altar, candles, and the tabernacle. When people are sanctified, they are set apart to serve God in a holy way. Through Baptism, we are set apart and enter into a filial relationship with God.
In Conclusion
God wants to restore our relationship with him by the New Covenant. God raises us from creatures to adoptive sons and daughters. We belong to him, and he belongs to us. God wants to set us free. He has paid the ransom for our freedom to do what we ought. God wants to save us. Right after the fall, he already had a plan to bring us back to him. As St. Ambrose once said: “O happy fault that earned for us so great, so glorious a Redeemer.” Baptism sets this beautiful adventure in motion. God gives us intellect and free will to find him, know him, love him, and eventually, if we cooperate with him, spend eternity with him in heaven.
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Before you go
Are there any etymology fans in the house?
Do you have a favorite epistle?
Is there a word/concept you have struggled with while reading scripture?