Righteous, Forgive and Pardon, What is the Difference?

By Mark Farquharson

The scriptures mention a number of different words relating to your sins, which each mean different things. Then those studying and teaching the scriptures go ahead and say that they actually mean the same thing. For they will say a person is forgiven or pardoned, and they will say that the same person is righteous, but a person can not be forgive of their sins and be pardoned and be righteous at the same time. The question then is, are you forgiven or pardoned or are you righteous? For a number of verses indicate that you are forgiven of your sins, while others claim you are pardoned of your sins. Adding to the confusion is the use of the words remission and remit. However other verses state the faithful are justified and righteous. Lets first see what different words mean.

Pardon: A person who is in jail for a crime, can receive a pardon. Once they get a pardon they are released from prison. They receive no further punishment for their crime. A person can be pardon before they are jailed, and therefore will not be punished for their crime. The person still did wrong, they are still guilty and the pardon can be withdrawn at anytime. Meaning the person would go back to jail.

Forgiven: When you forgive someone, you cease to hold them to blame for what they did. You stop having resentment for what they did. If you are forgiven, it still means that you did something wrong, you are still guilty of the offense, but the person who you offended is no longer holding you to blame for it.

Remission: Can mean the reduction of a prison sentence, or forgiveness or pardon. It can also mean that a person is release from a debt or a penalty.

Remits: Means to hold back from enforcement or cancel something. That is not enforce payment of a loan or cancel a loan for instance. The enforcement can be put back in place at a later time.

Righteous: Those who are deemed righteous by God, are deemed to not have done anything wrong, that is they are innocent of all sins. They are deemed not to have sinned. It is not that they have been forgiven, for it is far greater than that, it is that they have been deemed not to have done anything wrong. Righteousness can not be withdrawn at anytime, it is permanent.

Justified: When Christ takes away the sins of a person, then that person is justified. Of course Christ has taken away the sins of the whole world at the cross, but it only applies to the faithful at the moment. The faithful are both justified and righteous. This can not be reversed.

Part of the problem arises due to translational problems with the scriptures. Both Greek words aphesis and aphiemi have been translated pardon, pardoning, remission, forgive, forgiveness, remits and even letting and leaving indifferent translations.

With translation a word in one language will not always have a direct match in another language. Thus you can not directly match the word meaning, but you try to get it close to the meaning with the word you use. However problems can arise if you use the same word all the time. As use in a sentence it may result in a incorrect out come. This may result in confusion or misunderstanding as you will see. The other problem is variations of words. Do you translate the variations differently?

1John 1:9 If we should be avowing our sins, He is faithful and just that He may be pardoning {aphiemi} us our sins and should be cleansing us from all injustice." {CLV}

If your sins where pardoned, then you would not be Righteous or Justified. You would still be guilty. If it was forgiveness, then you still would not be Righteous or Justified.

Acts 13:38-39 Let it then be known to you, men, brethren that through this One is being announced to you the pardon {aphesis} of sins, and from all from which you could not be justified in the law of Moses, in this One everyone who is believing is being justified." {CLV}

This states that the brethren are justified, which means the word can not be pardon. There are a number of verses that state the brethren are justified.

Righteousness & Justified:

Righteousness & Justified are translated from the two Greek words: dikaiosune & dikaioo. The definitions below from Strong’s numbers.

Dikaiosune: equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification: - righteousness.

Dikaioo: to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent: - free, justify (-ier), be righteous.

Both dikaiosune & dikaioo come from the word dikaios

Dikaios: equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively): - just, meet, right (-eous).

Lets now briefly look at Righteousness & Justified, before getting into the meaning of aphesis & aphiemi.

2Corinthians 5:21 For the One not knowing sin, He makes to be a sin offering for our sakes that we may be becoming God's righteousness {dikaiosune} in Him." {CLV}

Romans 3:21-26 Yet now, apart from law, a righteousness of God is manifest (being attested by the law and the prophets), yet a righteousness of God through Jesus Christ's faith, for all, and on all who are believing, for there is no distinction, for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. Being justified gratuitously in His grace, through the deliverance which is in Christ Jesus" (Whom God purposed for a Propitiatory shelter, through faith in His blood, for a display of His righteousness because of the passing over of the penalties of sins which occurred before in the forbearance of God), toward the display of His righteousness in the current era, for Him to be just and a Justifier of the one who is of the faith of Jesus." {CLV}

There is a righteousness for all, not just all those who believe, but for all mankind and all who believe. Thus all will be righteous and all will be justified. Now that means the sins of all are not pardoned, or forgiven because then all would not be Righteousness & Justified. Pardon would mean they are still guilty, and forgiven would also mean they are still guilty. However as explain Righteousness & Justified means they are not guilty.

Romans 5:1-2 Being, then, justified by faith, we may be having peace toward God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we have the access also, by faith, into this grace in which we stand, and we may be glorying in expectation of the glory of God."

The faithful are justified by faith, they are not pardoned or forgive by faith.

Romans 5:6-11 For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died." For hardly for the sake of a just man will anyone be dying: for, for the sake of a good man, perhaps someone may even be daring to die, yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes." Much rather, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from indignation, through Him." For if, being enemies, we were conciliated to God through the death of His Son, much rather, being conciliated, we shall be saved in His life." Yet not only so, but we are glorying also in God, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, through Whom we now obtained the conciliation."

The faithful are being now justified in His blood, they are not being pardoned or forgiven in His blood, but actually justified.

There are many more verses covering Righteousness & Justified, but I think this should be enough for this study.

Why should everyone not be guilty, because ultimately your actions were beyond you control. Remember ultimately God is the one in control, and He made you how you are. Therefore God is great and gracious in that He through Christ makes us, everyone Righteousness & Justified. However not everyone at the same time.

aphesis & aphiemi

Lets now look at these two Greek words: aphesis & aphiemi

Now aphesis comes from aphiemi & aphiemi comes from apo and hiemi.

From Strong’s Numbers:

Hiemi: to send; an intensive form of eimi (to go)

apo: A primary particle; “off”, that is, away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literally or figuratively): - (X here-) after, ago, at, because of, before, by (the space of), for (-th), from, in, (out) of, off, (up-) on (-ce), since, with. In composition (as a prefix) it usually denotes separation, departure, cessation, completion, reversal, etc.

Aphiemi then means to send off, send away, or send forth. Now while the Strong’s indicates that it can also mean forgive, I reason that it does not. Strong’s also lists: cry, forsake, lay aside, leave, let (alone, be, go, have), omit, put (send) away, remit, suffer, yield up.

Aphesis is from aphiemi, and according to Strong’s means: freedom; (figuratively) pardon: - deliverance, forgiveness, liberty, remission.

Aphesis comes from aphiemi. Thus should not the two words mean the same or similar thing? Aphesis then means send away or sending away.

However it is not as easy as all that. For the “Interlinear Scripture Analyzer” has a ultra literal translation a bit different to that. According to the ISA the ultra literal translation of these two words are:

Aphesis: From-letting

Aphiemi: Shall be from letting or From-letting. This is basically, there are numerous similar translations based on the variations of this word. But I think getting into that might be going a bit far for this study. You can do that on your own if you want.

Lets look now at a direct translational use based on this.

Mark 15:37 Now Jesus, letting {Aphiemi} out a loud sound, expires." {CLV}

Matthew 4:20 Now immediately leaving {Aphiemi} the nets, they follow Him. {CLV}

Matthew 4:20 and they, immediately, having left the nets, did follow him. (YLT)

Using letting: “Now immediately letting go the nets, they follow Him.”

Here above the word does work in these cases but can cause confusion if used else where as you will see.

You sins are not forgiven or pardoned they are sent away. Actually they are taken away, by Christ. It is not that you are forgive or pardoned, it is that he takes them away. In fact He has already taken them away at the Cross.

1John 3:5 And you are aware that He was manifested that He should be taking away our sins, and in Him is no sin." {CLV}

This verse applies to believers, Christ was manifested that He should be taking away the sins of believers, and in Christ is no sin.

John 1:29 On the morrow he is observing Jesus coming toward him, and is saying, "Lo! the Lamb of God Which is taking away the sin of the world!" {CLV}

However Christ was not just manifested that He should take away believers sins only, but actually He was manifested that He should be taking away the sin of the world. That is that he should be taking away the sin of all mankind. The sin of all mankind was take away, when Christ died on the cross. That is He paid the price for all the sins of mankind. However at the moment it is only recognised that those who believe in Christ are righteous. Everyone will be righteous in the future. When all mankind are spiritually in Christ, then they will all be righteous.

Lets now apply this to different verses:

1John 1:9 If we should be avowing our sins, He is faithful and just that He may be pardoning {aphiemi} us our sins and should be cleansing us from all injustice." {CLV}

“He may be sending away us our sins.” That is sending away our sins. However as explained in the above verses, it is that He is taking away our sins. The word “may” is just a possibility, “shall” is more correct. Thus: “Christ is faithful and just that He shall be taking away us our sins.” What of using “Shall be from letting”? The first bit is actually used since aphiemi is translated “He may be pardoning”. “He shall be Letting go” us our sins? While they are let go from us, it is more correct to me that they are sent or take away by him.

Acts 10:43 To this One are all the prophets testifying: Everyone who is believing in Him is to obtain the pardon {aphesis} of sins through His name." {CLV}

Everyone who is believing in Him is to obtain the taking away of sins through Christ’s name.

Acts 13:38-39 Let it then be known to you, men, brethren that through this One is being announced to you the pardon {aphesis} of sins, and from all from which you could not be justified in the law of Moses, in this One everyone who is believing is being justified." {CLV}

Through this One, Christ is being announced to you the taking away of sins. Now it can not be pardon, because a person who has been pardoned is not justified.

Acts 26:17-18 {the Lord said} extricating you from the people and from the nations, to whom I am commissioning you, to open their eyes, to turn them about from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, for them to get a pardon {aphesis} of sins and an allotment among those who have been hallowed by faith that is in Me.'" {CLV}

The faithful where to open the eyes of the nations, to turn them about from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, for them to get a taking away sins and an allotment among those who have been hallowed by faith that is in Christ.

Colossians 1:13-14 Who rescues us out of the jurisdiction of Darkness, and transports us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in Whom we are having deliverance, the pardon {aphesis} of sins, {CLV}

The faithful have deliverance, the taking away of sins.

Ephesians 1:5-7 in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved:" in Whom we are having the deliverance through His blood, the forgiveness {aphesis} of offenses in accord with the riches of His grace, {CLV}

The faithful are having deliverance through His blood. On the cross Christ paid the price, the ransom, through His blood for the sins of the faithful and the whole world. Thus the faithful have deliverance through His blood NOT for the forgiveness of sins, but for the taking away of sins. Christ took away the sins, thus delivery us, and the whole world from sins. You are released from the debt you owe to God, because of your sins, due to Christ’s payment.

This world does not look like it has been freed from sin. True the world is still in the grip of sin and death. While Christ paid the price on the cross for everyone’s sins, the actual process of delivering everyone takes longer.

Where to use the word “forgive”

There are a few verses where the above does not work and different wording is needed. This then is the place to use the word “forgive”

Matthew 18:21-22 Then, approaching, Peter said to Him, "Lord, how many times shall my brother be sinning against me and I shall be pardoning {aphiemi} him? Till seven times?" Jesus is saying to him, "I am not saying to you 'Till seven times,' but 'Till seventy times and seven,' {CLV}

Sending away or take away or letting go, does not work here. However the person is letting go of the blame and resentment, that they hold against their brother for what he did. Thus “forgiving” is better here.

Matthew 18:21 Then, coming near, Peter said to him—Lord! how many times, shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until, seven, times? {Rotherham}

In the parable in Matthew 18:23-35, a debtor is forgiven a debt that they owe their master. However they do not forgive someone else that owes them a debt. When the master hears about it, the master requires payment, and the debtor has to pay the master.

Matthew 18:27 Now, having compassion, the lord of that slave dismisses him, and remits {aphiemi} his loan." {CLV}

Matthew 18:27 And, moved with compassion, the master of that servant released him, and, the loan, he, forgave, him. {Rotherham}

Here “takes away” can also be used as the loan is taken away. However for consistency, because the parable relates back to what Peter was asking “forgive” might be better.

Just before Jesus was crucified, He spoke to the father:

Luke 23:34 Now Jesus said, "Father, forgive {aphiemi} them, for they are not aware what they are doing. Now dividing His garments, they cast the lot." {CLV}

Luke 23:34 But, Jesus, was saying—Father! forgive them; for they know not what they do. And, when they were parting his garments, they cast lots. {Rotherham}

Here “forgive” is the word to use. Jesus does not want them held accountable for what they are doing to him. Thus “let them go” does work, but may not be understood by the reader. That is “let them go” on their way, do not punish them.

Luke 12:10 And everyone who shall be declaring a word against the Son of Mankind, it shall be pardoned him, yet the one who blasphemes against the holy spirit shall not be pardoned." {CLV}

Luke 12:10 And, whosoever shall say a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but, unto him who, against the Holy Spirit, speaketh profanely, it shall not be forgiven. {Rotherham}

Well it is up to you if you agree with what I have explained in this study. I know being Righteousness & Justified are a lot better than being pardon or being forgiven.

Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2010

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