Archive for September 11th, 2014

11
Sep

John Owen (1616-1683) on What It Means To “Bear Sin”

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism    in The Imputation of Sin

Owen:

נָשׂא (nasa) also, verse 12, arguing a taking of the punishment of sin from us and translating it to himself, signifies as much, yea all that we do by the word satisfaction. So also doth that of ἀνήνεγκεν, used by Peter in the room thereof: for to bear iniquity, in the Scripture language, is to undergo the punishment due to it, Lev. v. 1; which we call to make satisfaction for it;—which is farther illustrated by a declaration how he bare our sins, even by being “wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities,” Isa. liii. 5; whereunto is added, in the close, that “the chastisement of our peace was upon him.” Every chastisement is either νουθετική, for instruction, or παραδειγματική, for example, punishment and correction. The first can have no place in our Saviour; the Son of God had no need to be taught with such thorns and briers. It must, therefore, be for punishment and correction, and that for our sins then upon him; whereby our peace or freedom
from punishment was procured.

John Owen, “The Death of Death” in, Works, 10:266; or, Death of Death, 154. [Some spelling modernized and underlining mine.]