Remission of Sins

What does "remission of sins" mean?  Remission is not a word that we use in ordinary conversation— except, perhaps, in describing a cancer that is "in remission."  The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines remission as follows:

1. Forgiveness or pardon of sin or other offence; deliverence from guilt or punishment.
2. a) (obsolete) Release from a debt or payment; b) Release from captivity, liberation, respite.
3. The action of giving up or reducing a debt, tax, or punishment, etc.
4. a) A reduction in force or intensity; b) (Medical) A lessening in the degree or intensity of an illness; the temporary disappearance of symptoms.
5. (obsolete) Relaxation; a lessening of tension; a slacking of energy or application.
6. The action of sending back a person or thing; a remittal.

Before going further, I would like to suggest that the "obsolete" definition (2b – highlighted) is the most Biblical one when it comes to understanding the New Testament uses of this word.  The word remission is used 10 times in the King James Version; 9 of the uses translate the Greek word aphesis (αφεσις – G859).  Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines aphesis as follows:

1. release, as from bondage, imprisonment, etc.
2. forgiveness, pardon, of sins (properly, the letting them go, as if they had not been committed), remission of their penalty.

Notice that the primary definition is release rather than forgiveness.  Most recent translations, however, have chosen to go with forgiveness when translating aphesis when used together with sins (hamartia – αμαρτια – G266).

Following are the New Testament texts (KJV) where aphesis (remission) is used in the Greek.   When reading them, try substituting release in place of remission or forgiveness to see if it makes sense.



Not only does it make sense, but it is consistent with Old Testament uses of aphesis in the Septuagint.  Notice that Luke 4:18 already translates aphesis as a release ("deliverence", "liberty").  When reading "remission of sins", substitute "release from sins"— I will explain why later in this post.  Also notice the orange highlighting of repentance or "turning from" that is used several times in these texts.  I have discussed in series of posts the meaning of repentance as a "turning back" (or away from) from sin rather than merely a feeling of regret.   Repentance as a turning away from sin is consistent with remission as a release from sins.

• Matthew 26:28 – For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins.
• Mark 1:4 – John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins.
• Mark 3:29 – But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness (αφεσιν – aphesin), but is in danger of eternal damnation:
• Luke 1:77 – To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission (αφεσει – aphesei) of their sins,
• Luke 3:3 – And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins;
• Luke 4:18 – The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance (αφεσιν – aphesin) to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty (αφεσει – aphesei) them that are bruised,
• Luke 24:47 – And that repentance and remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
• Acts 2:38 – Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
• Acts 5:31 – Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins.
• Acts 10:43 – To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins.
• Acts 13:38 – Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness (αφεσις – aphesis) of sins:
• Acts 26:18 – To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
• Ephesians 1:7 – In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
• Colossians 1:14 – In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness (αφεσιν – aphesin) of sins:
• Hebrews 9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (αφεσις – aphesis).
• Hebrews 10:18 – Now where remission (αφεσις – aphesis) of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

Following are several Old Testament where aphesis occurs in the Septuagint.   Notice that they are translated (in the KJV) as "liberty," "release," "free." Aphesis is also used together with semasia (σημασια – symbol, signal, significance) where the Hebrew is yovel (יוול)— "jubilee" in English. 

Leviticus 25:9 – Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. 10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty (αφεσιν – aphesin / ‏דרור – d'ror) throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile (αφεσεως σημασια – apheseos semasia / ‏יובל – yovel) unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. 11 A jubile (αφεσεως σημασια – apheseos semasia / ‏יובל – yovel) shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. 12 For it is the jubile (αφεσεως σημασια – apheseos semasia / ‏יובל – yovel); it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.

Deuteronomy 15:1 – At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release (αφεσιν – aphesin /  ‏שׁמטה – shmitah). 2 And this is the manner of the release (της αφεσεως – tes apheseos / ‏השׁמטה – hashmitah): Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD’S release (αφεσις – aphesis / ‏שׁמטה – shmitah).

Deuteronomy 31:10 – And Moses commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release (εν καιρω ενιαυτου αφεσεως – en kairo eniautou apheseos / ‏במעד שׁנת השׁמטה – b'moed shnat hashmitah), in the feast of tabernacles, 11 When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

Isaiah 58:6 – Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free (αφεσει – aphesei / ‏חפשׁים – chafshim), and that ye break every yoke?

Isaiah 61:1 – The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty (αφεσιν – aphesin / ‏דרור – d'ror) to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Notice that aphesis is used primarily in the sense of release in the Old Testament.

The Greek phrase translated as remission of sins in several of the earlier New Testament texts— Matt 26:28; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; 24:47; Acts 2:38; 10:43 — is aphesin amartion (αφεσιν αμαρτιων).  Following is a grammatical summary of this phrase (source: Accordance Bible Software).

1. αφεσιν aphesin – Noun feminine singular accusative – forgiveness, release, remission
2. αμαρτιων amartion – Noun feminine plural genitive – sin, sin offering

Notice that the second word in the phrase aphesin amartion is in the genitive case.  The "key word" used to mechanically translate the genitive case is "of"— thus, the word-pair aphesin amartion is usually translated remission of sins.  The "of" is implied by the grammar— it does not correspond to a separate word in the Greek.

Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar (by William D. Mounce) on page 342 gives a summary of the genitive case.   It describes several uses of the genitive case in addition to the possessive "of" use; the ablative use of the genitive case may be relelevant for understanding remission of sins.  In the ablative use of the genitive case, the keyword is "from", as in remission from sins.

The Wikipedia article on Grammatical Case mentions that "genitive and ablative cases became combined" in ancient Greek.  The article describes the ablative case as indicating "movement from something" and provides an example sentance "John kicked the ball away from the house".  A separate Wikipedia article on Ablative Case describes it marking "motion away from something." 

We can see examples of the ablative use of the genitive case in Ephesians 2:12; notice the "from" in the KJV translation below.  (The yellow and orange highlighting used below identify corresponding portions of the text in the different versions.)

Ephesians 2:12 KJV – That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

The Apostolic Bible translation that follows uses "of" in the places that are translated as "from" in the KJV.  The Apostolic Bible is an interlinear that translation that is generally quite literal and mechanical in how it translates the text.  In this case it uses "of" to translate the case used in the Greek text.

Ephesians 2:12 The Apostolic Bible – that you were in that time separate from Christ, being separate of the citizenship of Israel, and strangers of the covenants of the promise, not having hope, and atheists in the world!

Following is the Greek text (and transliteration) of Ephesians 2:12.  (I have inserted an asterisk in the places where "of" occurs in The Apostolic Bible and "from" occurs in the KJV.

Ephesians 2:12 Greek – οτι ητε εν τω καιρω εκεινω χωρις Χριστου, απηλλοτριωμενοι * της πολιτειας του Ισραηλ, και ξενοι * των διαθηκων της επαγγελιας, ελπιδα μη εχοντες, και αθεοι εν τω κοσμω. 

Ephesians 2:12 Greek transliteration – oti ete en tō kairo ekeino chōris Christou, apellotriomenoi * tes politeias tou Israel, kai xenoi * ton diathekon tes epaggelias, elpida me echontes, kai atheoi en to kosmo. 

Following are grammatical summaries of the two highlighted portions of the Greek text.  Notice that the second and third words— the "article" and the ending noun— are in the genitive case.

1. απηλλοτριωμενοι apellotriomenoi – Verb perfect middle participle masculine plural nominative – to estrange, alienate, be a stranger
2. της tes – Article feminine singular genitive – the, who, which
3. πολιτειας politeias  – Noun feminine singular genitive – citizenship; civic life, republic; life

The alternative choices are separated by the slash— "alienated of/from the citizenship."  The "of" is a possessive use of the genitive case and the "from" is an ablative use of the genitive case.

1. ξενοι xenoi – Adjective masculine plural nominative – stranger; strange
2. των ton – Article feminine plural genitive – the, who, which
3. διαθηκων diathekon – Noun feminine plural genitive – covenant; testament

The same possibilities are available in the second phrase— "strangers of/from the covenant."  Notice that diathekon in this phrase is "noun feminine plural genitive", exactly the same grammatical form as amartion in "remission of sins".  Most translations have chosen to interpret the genitive cases in these examples as ablative— indicating a separation.

Ephesians 2:12 NKJV –  that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 

Ephesians 2:12 NIV – remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

Ephesians 2:12 ESV – remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Given the Septuagint (Old Testament) precedent for using aphesis, clearly, as a release and the "ablative genitive" grammatical option to use "from" rather than "of",  is "release from sins" a viable interpretation of aphesin amartion ("remission of sins").

Here are The Apostolic Bible translations for the New Testament aphesin amartion ("remission of sins") texts.  (The English would be less awkward as "a release from sins.")

Matthew 26:28 – For this is my blood, the blood of the new covenant, the one for many, being poured out for a release of sins.

Mark 1:4 – John came immersing in the wilderness, and proclaiming an immersion of repentance for a release of sins.

Luke 1:77 – to give knowledge of deliverance to his people in a release of their sins

Luke 24:47 – and repentance and release of sins to be proclaimed in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Acts 2:38 – And Peter said to them, Repent, and be immersed each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for a release of sins! and you shall receive the present of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5:31 – This one— God, chief and deliverer, exalted by his right hand, to give repentance to Israel and release of sins.

Acts 10:43 – To him all the prophets bear witness, to receive a release of sins through his name for every one believing in him.

Acts 13:38 – Let it be made known then to you men, brethren, that through this one a release of sins is announced to you.

Acts 28:18 – to open their eyes to turn from darkness unto light, and the authority of Satan unto God, for them to receive a release of sins, and a lot among the ones having been sanctified by the belief in me.

Colossians 1:14 – in whom we have the release by ransom through his blood— the release of sins

What are these texts saying?  It is not just the release from the penalty of sin, but a release from the sin itself— a release, a liberty, a freedom from the power of sin over our lives.  The following texts add to this perspective.

Matthew 1:21 – And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

John 5:14 – Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

John 8:11 – She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Romans 6:1 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Romans 6:6 – Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.

Romans 6:18 – Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

1 John 2:1 – My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1 John 3:6 – Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1 John 3:9 – Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18 – We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Perhaps the words of Jesus in John 8:31-36 best express this understanding— Jesus came to free us from sin.

John 8:34 NKJV – Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

John 8:31 NKJV – ....  “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”