I’ll continue to consider y^ehôvâh’s (יהוה) instruction to Moses: They^[1] are to eat those things by which atonement (kâphar, כפר; Septuagint: ἡγιάσθησαν, a form of ἁγιάζω) was made to consecrate and to set them apart, but no one else may eat them, for they are holy.^[2]

The Hebrew word translated to consecrate was למלא (mâlêʼ).  In the Septuagint למלא (mâlêʼ) was translated τελειῶσαι τὰς χεῖρας, “validate their hands” in an English translation of the Septuagint (NETS).  And τελειῶσαι (a form of τελειόω) was translated to perfect in: For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.^[3]

There isn’t a lot of wiggle room in the meaning of τελειῶσαι here.  If the sacrifices had perfected those who came to worship, the sacrifices would have ceased to be offered long before the temple was destroyed: For otherwise would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers would have been purified once for all and so have no further consciousness of sin?^[4]  John wrote (1 John 1:5-2:6 NET):

Now this is the gospel message^[5] we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth.  But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus^[6] his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.  (My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.)  But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.

Now by this we know that we have come to know God: if we keep (τηρῶμεν, a form of τηρέω) his commandments.  The one who says “I have come to know God” and yet does not keep (τηρῶν, another form of τηρέω) his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person.  But whoever obeys (τηρῇ, another form of τηρέω) his word, truly in this person the love of God has been perfected (τετελείωται, another form of τελειόω).  By this we know that we are in him.  The one who says he resides in God ought (ὀφείλει,^[7] a form of ὀφείλω) himself to walk^[8] just as Jesus walked.

If I fall back on my own strength the obligation to walk just as Jesus walked will fill me first with fear, then defensiveness, anger and eventually a pervasive desire to “chuck this whole religion thing.”  So I plan to be very gentle with myself.  I want to keep foremost in my mind the two points from the previous essay: 1) By his will we have been made holy through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all;^[9] and, 2) he will in fact do this:^[10] …make you completely holy and…[keep] your spirit and soul and body…entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.^[11]

If I’m honest my fear stems from my offended pride when I fail to walk just as Jesus walked in my own strength.  So I want to consider that pride.  Aaron and his sons^[12] were commanded to eat those things by which atonement was made to consecrate and to set them apart.  No one else could eat them, for they are holy.  For the moment it doesn’t really matter whether they meant the things by which atonement was made or Aaron and his sons or all of the above.  In any case Aaron and his sons were distinguished from everyone else in Israel by this holiness.  But how proud could they be about that?

Aaron and his sons were distinguished in holiness because they stood there while Moses performed y^ehôvâh’s prescribed rituals to them and around them.  Now to the one who works, Paul wrote believers in Rome, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation (ὀφείλημα) [Table].  But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.^[14]  The Pharisees on the other hand said, None of the rulers or the Pharisees have believed in [Jesus], have they?  But this rabble who do not know the law are accursed!^[15]

This is very interesting in this context.  The priests were made holy by atonement rituals prescribed by y^ehôvâh.  The only holiness the Pharisees could legitimately^[16] claim was atonement made by priests performing rituals prescribed by y^ehôvâh.  Yet they distinguished themselves from the rabble^[17] (ὄχλος) here, not by these rituals, but by knowledge of the law.  To seek out some other distinction was a tacit acknowledgement that the law was completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship.  So in a sense they were on the right track as it pertained to recognizing a need.

I don’t intend to minimize the value of knowing the law as a means to knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent.^[18]  As the Psalmist wrote (Psalm 119:33-40 Tanakh):

Teach me, O LORD (y^ehôvâh,יהוה), the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.

Incline my heart unto thy testimonies, and not to covetousness.

Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity; and quicken thou me in thy way.

Stablish thy word unto thy servant, who is devoted to thy fear.

Turn away my reproach which I fear: for thy judgments are good.

Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness.

But to claim knowledge of the law as a means of distinction, rendering one more holy than one who does not know it, is to not know the law: For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse, because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”^[19]  Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them.  And all the people shall say: Amen.^[20]  For all who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.^[21]

Cursed in the phrase Cursed is everyone was ἐπικατάρατος in Greek.  The Greek word translated accursed in this rabble who do not know the law are accursed was ἐπάρατοι (a form of ἐπικατάρατος).  In other words, those who know the law are as accursed as those who do not because… (Romans 3:10-18 NET):

…just as it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one, there is no one who understands, there is no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, together they have become worthless; there is no one who shows kindness, not even one.”^[22]

“Their throats are open graves, they deceive with their tongues, the poison of asps is under their lips.”^[23]

“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[24]

“Their feet are swift to shed blood, ruin and misery are in their paths, and the way of peace they have not known.”^[25]

“There is no fear of God before their eyes.”^[26]

So how proud should I, a Gentile, be, recognizing that: 1) by [Israel’s] transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous;^[27] 2) They were broken off because of their unbelief, but [I] stand by faith; Do not be arrogant, but fear; For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare [me];^[28] 3) [I] have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One, and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for [my] sins, and not only for [my] sins but also for the whole world;^[29] and, 4) Jesus Christ the righteous One promised, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself”^[30]?

It is past time that I give up my pride, quit trying to distinguish myself from others by some holiness I have achieved rather than received, and start gathering with Jesus rather than scattering (Matthew 12:30-32).  So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.^[31]  Just as you were formerly disobedient to God, but have now received mercy due to their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy.  For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.^[32]

The righteous never expected to keep the law in his or her own strength but in the power and presence of God (Psalm 51 Tanakh):

Have mercy upon me, O God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים), according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions (Table).

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin (Table).

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me (Table).

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest (Table).

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me [Table] (Genesis 5:1-5; Romans 5:12-21).

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים); and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me (Table).

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit (Table).

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים), thou God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

O Lord (ʼădônây, אדני), open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים), thou wilt not despise.

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

A table comparing the NET and KJV translation of 1 John 1:5-2:6 follows.  I broke the table whenever the NET parallel Greek text differed from the Stephanus Textus Receptus or the Byzantine Majority Text.