158 Dimensions of Baptism
(uTTEp)his people or his disciples in the Gospel of John(10.11,15; 11.51;
15.13-14; 17.19), but not explicitly for their'sins'.^18 The notion that believ-
ers are also 'sinners' who need to 'repent' and be 'forgiven' is left implicit.
The only hints in John that they need cleansing from their sins are a single
reference to water-baptism as 'purification' (3.25), a strategically-placed
account of Jesus washing the disciples' feet (13.1-17), and one verifiable
incident of 'blood and water' flowing from Jesus' pierced side (19.34-35).
In 1 John, these small hints become a major theme, as the author attempts
to counter the extravagant claims of those who say, 'We do not have sin', or
'We have not sinned'. Intentionally or not, such claims deny 'the truth'
(v. 8), and'make God a liar'(v. 10) by rejecting God'sword.^19 They rest ona misreading of John's Gospel, the author believes, and he writes in order to
correct it. Twice he introduces the ternn ACXGIJOS (1 Jn 2.2,4.10), translated
as either 'propitiation', 'expiation', or 'atoning sacrifice',^20 to explain more
precisely what it meant for Jesus to give his life 'for' or 'on behalf of
(virep) his 'sheep' (Jn 10.11, 15), or his 'friends'(15.13; cf. 17.19). In 1
John the beneficiaries of Jesus' death speak for themselves, as 'we', the
confessing community: Jesus is 'the propitiation for our sins' (IACXGMOS
...TTEpi TGOV apapxicov fipcov, 2.2a; cf. 4.10). Even though the author is
quick to add, 'and not for ours alone, but also for the whole world' (2.2b),
- This in contrast to Paul (e.g. Rom. 4.25; 1 Cor. 15.3; Gal. 1.4), Peter (1 Pet.
2.24; 3.18), the author of Hebrews (9.28) and the John of Revelation (1.5). - In Flannery O'Connor's novel, Wise Blood, the would-be prophet Hazel Motes
announces, 'I want to tell you people something. Maybe you think you're not clean
because you don't believe. Well, you are clean, let me tell you that. Every one of you
people are clean and let me tell you why if you think it's because of Jesus Christ
Crucified you're wrong. I don't say he wasn't crucified but I say it wasn't for you.
Listenhere, I'm a preacher myself and I preach the truth' {Flannery O'Connor:
Collected Works [New York: Library of America, 1984], p. 30). Later he keeps
insisting, 'I AM clean' (pp. 51-52, 54), but in the end, after losing the car that had
served as both his transportation and his pulpit, Haze realizes that 'I'm not clean'
(p. 127), as he blinds himself and moves inevitably toward martyrdom and redemption. - For 'expiation', meaning simply the removal of sin, see C.H. Dodd, The Bible
and the Greeks (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1935), pp. 82-95 (cf. RSV). For 'propi-
tiation' (with KJV) in the sense of removing guilt by placating God's wrath or justice,
see R.R. Nicole, 'C.H. Dodd and the Doctrine of Propitiation', WTJ17 (1954-55), pp.
117-57, and 'Hilaskesthai Revisited', EvQ 49 (1977), pp. 173-77. Most modern ver-
sions (including NIV and NRSV) adopt a less specific alternative, 'atoning sacrifice', but
the accompanying reference to Jesus' role as 'advocate with the Father' (TrapaKAr)Tov
...Trpos TOV TTCXTEpa, 1 Jn 2.1), supports 'propitiation' as the correct interpretation,
even if 'atoning sacrifice' is retained as a more understandable translation.