a reminder of sins

ἁμαρτία, ίας, ἡ (w. mngs. ranging fr. involuntary mistake/ error to serious offenses against a deity: Aeschyl., Antiphon, Democr.+; ins fr. Cyzicus JHS 27, 1907, p. 63 [III B.C.] ἁμαρτίαν μετανόει; PLips 119 recto, 3; POxy 1119, 11; LXX; En, TestSol, TestAbr, TestJob, Test12Patr; JosAs 12:14; ParJer, ApcEsdr, ApcSed, ApcMos; EpArist 192; Philo; Jos., Ant. 13, 69 al.; Ar. [Milne 76, 42]; Just., A I, 61, 6; 10; 66, 1, D. 13, 1 al.; Tat. 14, 1f; 20, 1; Mel., P. 50, 359; 55, 400; s. ClR 24, 1910, 88; 234; 25, 1911, 195–97).

① a departure fr. either human or divine standards of uprightness

ⓐ sin (w. context ordinarily suggesting the level of heinousness), the action itself (ἁμάρτησις s. prec.), as well as its result (ἁμάρτημα), πᾶσα ἀδικία ἁ. ἐστίν 1J 5:17 (cp. Eur., Or. 649; Gen 50:17). ἁ. w. ἀνομήματα Hv 1, 3, 1; descr. as ἀνομία (cp. Ps 58:3; TestJob 43:17) 1J 3:4; but one who loves is far from sin Pol 3:3, cp. Js 5:20; 1 Pt 4:8, 1 Cl 49:5; Agr 13. ἀναπληρῶσαι τὰς ἁ. fill up the measure of sins (Gen 15:16) 1 Th 2:16. κοινωνεῖν ἁ. ἀλλοτρίαις 1 Ti 5:22. ποιεῖν ἁ. commit a sin (Tob 12:10; 14:7S; Dt 9:21) 2 Cor 11:7; 1 Pt 2:22; Js 5:15; 1J 3:4, 8. For this ἁμαρτάνειν ἁ. (Ex 32:30; La 1:8) 1J 5:16; ἐργάζεσθαι ἁ. Js 2:9; Hm 4, 1, 2 (LXX oft. ἐργάζ. ἀδικίαν or ἀνομίαν). μεγάλην ἁ. ἐργάζεσθαι commit a great sin m 4, 1, 1; 8:2. Pl. (cp. Pla., Ep. 7, 335a τὰ μεγάλα ἁμαρτήματα κ. ἀδικήματα) Hs 7:2. ἐπιφέρειν ἁ. τινί Hv 1, 2, 4. ἑαυτῷ ἁ. ἐπιφέρειν bring sin upon oneself m 11:4; for this ἁ. ἐπισπᾶσθαί τινι m 4, 1, 8 (cp. Is 5:18). προστιθέναι ταῖς ἁ. add to one’s sins (cp. προσέθηκεν ἁμαρτίας ἐφʼ ἁμαρτίας PsSol 3:10) Hv 5:7; m 4, 3, 7; Hs 6, 2, 3; 8, 11, 3; φέρειν ἁ. 1 Cl 16:4 (Is 53:4). ἀναφέρειν vs. 14 (Is 53:12). γέμειν ἁμαρτιῶν B 11:11. εἶναι ἐν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις 1 Cor 15:17 (cp. Alex. Aphr., Eth. Probl. 9 II 2 p. 129, 13 ἐν ἁμαρτήμασιν εἶναι).—Sin viewed from the perspective of God’s or Christ’s response: ἀφιέναι τὰς ἁ. let go = forgive sins (Lev 4:20 al.) Mt 9:2, 5f; Mk 2:5, 7, 9f; Lk 5:20ff; Hv 2, 2, 4; 1 Cl 50:5; 53:5 (Ex 32:32) al. (ἀφίημι 2); hence ἄφεσις (τῶν) ἁμαρτιῶν (Iren. 1, 21, 2 [Harv. I 182, 4]) forgiveness of sins Mt 26:28; Mk 1:4; Lk 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Ac 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; Hm 4, 3, 2; B 5:1; 6:11; 8:3; 11:1; 16:8. διδόναι ἄφεσιν ἁ. AcPl Ha 2, 30; λαβεῖν ἄφεσιν ἁ. receive forgiveness of sins Ac 26:18 (Just., D. 54 al); καθαρίζειν τὰς ἁ. cleanse the sins (thought of as a stain) Hs 5, 6, 3; καθαρίζειν ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 18:3 (Ps 50:4; cp. Sir 23:10; PsSol 10:1); also καθαρισμὸν ποιεῖσθαι τῶν ἁ. Hb 1:3; ἀπολούεσθαι τὰς ἁ. Ac 22:16 ([w. βαπτίζειν] Just., D. 13, 1 al.). λύτρον ἁ. ransom for sins B 19:10.—αἴρειν J 1:29; περιελεῖν ἁ. Hb 10:11; ἀφαιρεῖν (Ex 34:9; Is 27; 9) vs. 4; Hs 9, 28, 3; ῥυσθῆναι ἀπὸ ἁ. 1 Cl 60:3; ἀπὸ τῶν ἁ. ἀποσπασθῆναι AcPlCor 2:9. Sin as a burden αἱ ἁ. κατεβάρησαν Hs 9, 28, 6; as a disease ἰᾶσθαι Hs 9, 28, 5 (cp. Dt 30:3); s. also the verbs in question.—Looked upon as an entry in a ledger; hence ἐξαλείφεται ἡ ἁ. wiped away, cancelled (Ps 108:14; Jer 18:23; Is 43:25) Ac 3:19.—Opp. στῆσαι τὴν ἁ. 7:60; λογίζεσθαι ἁ. take account of sin (as a debt; cp. the commercial metaphor Ro 4:6 and s. FDanker, Gingrich Festschr. 104, n. 2) Ro 4:8 (Ps 31:2); 1 Cl 60:2 (Just., D. 141, 3). Pass. ἁ. οὐκ ἐλλογεῖται is not entered in the account Ro 5:13 (GFriedrich, TLZ 77, ’52, 523–28). Of sinners ὀφειλέτης ἁ. Pol 6:1 (cp. SIG 1042, 14–16 [II A.D.] ὸ̔ς ἂν δὲ πολυπραγμονήσῃ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἢ περιεργάσηται, ἁμαρτίαν ὀφιλέτω Μηνὶ Τυράννωι, ἣν οὐ μὴ δύνηται ἐξειλάσασθαι).—γινώσκειν ἁ. (cp. Num 32:23) Ro 7:7; Hm 4, 1, 5. ἐπίγνωσις ἁμαρτίας Ro 3:20; ὁμολογεῖν τὰς ἁ. 1J 1:9; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἐπὶ ταῖς ἁ. B 19:12; ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τὰς ἁ. Mt 3:6; Mk 1:5; Hv 3, 1, 5f; Hs 9, 23, 4; ἐξομολογεῖσθε ἀλλήλοις τὰς ἁ. confess your sins to each other Js 5:16.—ἐλέγχειν τινὰ περὶ ἁ. convict someone of sin J 8:46; cp. ἵνα σου τὰς ἁ. ἐλέγξω πρὸς τὸν κύριον that I might reveal your sins before the Lord Hv 1, 1, 5.—σεσωρευμένος ἁμαρτίαις loaded down w. sins 2 Ti 3:6; cp. ἐπισωρεύειν ταῖς ἁ. B 4:6; ἔνοχος τῆς ἁ. involved in the sin Hm 2:2; 4, 1, 5. μέτοχος τῆς ἁ. m 4, 1, 9.—In Hb sin is atoned for (ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁ. 2:17) by sacrifices θυσίαι ὑπὲρ ἁ. 5:1 (cp. 1 Cl 41:2). προσφορὰ περὶ ἁ. sin-offering 10:18; also simply περὶ ἁ. (Lev 5:11; 7:37) vss. 6, 8 (both Ps 39:7; cp. 1 Pt 3:18); προσφέρειν περὶ ἁ. bring a sin-offering Hb 5:3; cp. 10:12; 13:11. Christ has made the perfect sacrifice for sin 9:23ff; συνείδησις ἁ. consciousness of sin 10:2; ἀνάμνησις ἁ. a reminder of sins of the feast of atonement vs. 3.

ⓑ special sins (ἁ. τῆς ἀποστασίας Iren. 5, 26, 2 [Harv. II 397, 4]): πρὸς θάνατον that leads to death 1J 5:16b (ἁμαρτάνω e); opp. οὐ πρὸς θάνατον vs. 17. μεγάλη ἁ. a great sin Hv 1, 1, 8 al. (Gen 20:9; Ex 32:30 al.; cp. Schol. on Pla., Tht. 189d ἁμαρτήματα μεγάλα). μείζων ἁ. m 11:4; ἥττων 1 Cl 47:4. μεγάλη κ. ἀνίατος Hm 5, 2, 4; τέλειαι ἁ. Hv 1, 2, 1; B 8:1, cp. τὸ τέλειον τῶν ἁ. 5:11 (Philo, Mos. 1, 96 κατὰ τῶν τέλεια ἡμαρτηκότων); ἡ προτέρα ἁ. (Arrian, Anab. 7, 23, 8 εἴ τι πρότερον ἡμάρτηκας) sin committed before baptism Hm 4, 1, 11; 4, 3, 3; Hs 8, 11, 3; cp. v 2, 1, 2.

② a state of being sinful, sinfulness, a prominent feature in Johannine thought, and opposed to ἀλήθεια; hence ἁ. ἔχειν J 9:41; 15:24; 1J 1:8. μείζονα ἁ. ἔχειν J 19:11; ἁ. μένει 9:41. γεννᾶσθαι ἐν ἁμαρτίαις be born in sin 9:34 (ἐν ἁμαρτίᾳ v.l).; opp. ἐν ἁ. ἀποθανεῖν die in sin 8:21, 24; AcPl Ha 1, 16. ἁ. ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν 1J 3:5.

③ a destructive evil power, sin

ⓐ Paul thinks of sin almost in pers. terms (cp. Sir 27:10; Mel., P. 50, 359; PGM 4, 1448 w. other divinities of the nether world, also Ἁμαρτίαι χθόνιαι; Dibelius, Geisterwelt 119ff) as a ruling power that invades the world. Sin came into the world Ro 5:12 (JFreundorfer, Erbsünde u. Erbtod b. Ap. Pls 1927; ELohmeyer, ZNW 29, 1930, 1–59; JSchnitzer, D. Erbsünde im Lichte d. Religionsgesch. ’31; ROtto, Sünde u. Urschuld ’32; FDanker, Ro 5:12: Sin under Law: NTS 14, ’67/68, 424–39), reigns there vs. 21; 6:14; everything was subject to it Gal 3:22; people serve it Ro 6:6; are its slaves vss. 17, 20; are sold into its service 7:14 or set free from it 6:22; it has its law 7:23; 8:2; it revives (ἀνέζησεν) Ro 7:9 or is dead vs. 8; it pays its wages, viz., death 6:23, cp. 5:12 (see lit. s.v. ἐπί 6c). As a pers. principle it dwells in humans Ro 7:17, 20, viz., in the flesh (s. σάρξ 2cα) 8:3; cp. vs. 2; 7:25. The earthly body is hence a σῶμα τῆς ἁ. 6:6 (Col 2:11 v.l.).—As abstr. for concr. τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁ. ὑπέρ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτίαν ἐποίησεν (God) made him, who never sinned, to be sin (i.e. the guilty one) for our sakes 2 Cor 5:21.

ⓑ In Hb (as in OT) sin appears as the power that deceives humanity and leads it to destruction, whose influence and activity can be ended only by sacrifices (s. 1a end): ἀπάτη τῆς ἁ. Hb 3:13.—On the whole word s. ἁμαρτάνω, end. GMoore, Judaism I 445–52; ABüchler, Studies in Sin and Atonement in the Rabb. Lit. of the I Cent. 1928; WKnuth, D. Begriff der Sünde b. Philon v. Alex., diss. Jena ’34; EThomas, The Problem of Sin in the NT 1927; Dodd 76–81; DDaube, Sin, Ignorance and Forgiveness in the Bible, ’61; AGelin and ADescamps, Sin in the Bible, ’65.—On the special question ‘The Christian and Sin’ see PWernle 1897; HWindisch 1908; EHedström 1911; RBultmann, ZNW 23, 1924, 123–40; Windisch, ibid. 265–81; RSchulz, D. Frage nach der Selbsttätigkt. d. Menschen im sittl. Leben b. Pls., diss. Hdlb. ’40.—JAddison, ATR 33, ’51, 137–48; KKuhn, πειρασμός ἁμαρτία σάρξ im NT: ZTK 49, ’52, 200–222; JBremer, Hamartia ’69 (Gk. views).—B. 1182. EDNT. DELG s.v. ἁμαρτάνω. M-M. TW.

ἀνάμνησις, εως, ἡ (s. ἀναμιμνῄσκω; Pla. et al.; ins, LXX, Philo; Jos., Ant. 4, 189; Just.) reminder, remembrance τινός of something (Diod S 20, 93, 7 τῆς φιλίας ἀν.; Wsd 16:6; Jos., Bell. 3, 394; Just., D. 27, 4; 117, 3) ἀ. ἁμαρτιῶν a reminder of sins, of the sacrifices repeated every year Hb 10:3. In the account of the Eucharist εἰς τὴν ἐμὴν ἀνάμνησιν in remembrance (memory) of me 1 Cor 11:24f; Lk 22:19 (εἰς ἀ. Appian, Hann. 1 §2; Hierocles 11, 440 εἰς ἀ. τοῦ νόμου, 441 εἰς ἀ. τοῦ ὀρθοῦ λόγου=‘to remind them of’; Lev 24:7; Ps 37:1; 69:1; Jos., Ant. 19, 318. Cp. μνήμη 2. In Diod S 3, 57, 8 Basileia is honored as a deity by the people from whose midst she has disappeared. And when they offer sacrifices or show other honors to her, they beat kettledrums and cymbals, as Basileia did, and put on a representation [ἀπομιμουμένους] of her experiences; POxy 494, 22ff; Ltzm., Messe u. Herrenmahl⁴ 1926; ELohmeyer, JBL 56, ’37, 244f; JJeremias, D. Abendmahlsworte Jesu ’67; DJones, JTS 6, ’55, 183–91; HKosmala, NovT 4, ’60, 81–94.—For the mng. memorial sacrifice, cp. Num 10:10 and s. L-S-J-M, but s. GCaird, JTS 19, ’68, 458; cp. EPeters, CBQ 10, ’48, 248f).—πρὸς ἀ. γράφειν to remind (you) 1 Cl 53:1.—M-M. TW. Sv.