Luke 1:77

Luk_1:77

To give knowledge of salvation

Source of salvation

All great rivers, unlike some great men who have begun life in lowly circumstances, boast a lofty descent.

It is after the Alpine traveller has left smiling valleys beneath him, and toiling along rugged glens and through deep mountain gorges, reaches at length the shores of an icy sea, that he stands at the source of the river, which, cold as the snows that feed it, and a full-grown torrent at its birth, rushes out from the cavern of the hollowed glacier. Yet such a river, in the loftiness of its birth-place, is but an humble image of salvation. How high its source! He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (T. Guthrie, D. D.)

God a great forgiver

Mr. Fleming, in his Fulfilling of the Scriptures, relates the case of a man who was a very great sinner, and for his horrible wickedness was put to death in the town of Ayr. This man had been so stupid and brutish a fellow, that all who knew him thought him beyond the reach of all ordinary means of grace; but while the man was in prison the Lord wonderfully wrought on his heart, and in such a measure discovered to him his sinfulness, that, after much serious exercise and sore wrestling, a most kindly work of repentance followed, with great assurance of mercy, insomuch that when he came to the place of execution he could not cease crying out to the people, under the sense of pardon and the comforts of the presence and favour of God, Oh, He is a great forgiver! He is a great forgiver! And he added the following words: Now hath perfect love cast out fear. I know God hath nothing to lay against me, for Jesus Christ hath paid all; and those are free whom the Son makes free. (Arvine.)

Nature silent concerning salvation.

On one occasion the late Dr. Newton was travelling in a railway carriage, when he found himself in the presence of an infidel, who soon began to obtrude his opinions upon his fellow passengers, declaring his contempt for the Bible, adding that he did not need it; the book of nature affording him all the information that he required on religious and moral subjects. Dr. Newton, observing a young man in the company who might receive some injury from these remarks, deemed it his duty to interfere. Looking at the infidel, he said, The book of nature, sir, that you have mentioned, is a large volume, and he is a very learned man that is acquainted with all its contents. Yet there is one subject on which I think it gives no information. Indeed, said the infidel, what is that? What is that, rejoined Dr. Newton, it is salvation. Salvation! exclaimed the infidel. Aye, salvation, rejoined the Doctor. Every man is sensible from what passes in his own conscience that he has done wrong, and that that which all people confess to be morally wrong, everywhere meets our sight. To do wrong renders us liable to punishment, and therefore we need salvation. But where do you find anything about salvation in the book of nature? Do you find it in the grass of the fields, either when it grows or when it fades away? Do you find it in the ever-varying surface of the sea? or in the clouds as they pass over your head? The book which you too exclusively admire was written too soon for the purpose of instructing men with respect to the nature and method of salvation. It was written before there was sin in the world, and therefore before salvation was needed. The infidel stood aghast, and said not a word.

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 1:77. Γνῶσιν—ἀφέσει, knowledge—in [by] the remission) Heb 8:11-12; Jer 9:23.—ἐν, in [Engl. Vers. by]) Construe in with salvation [σωτηρίας—ἐν ἀφέσει].—ἀφέσει, remission) which is the Foundation of Salvation.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Luk 1:77 . τοῦ δοῦναι , the infinitive of purpose, to be connected with προπορεύσῃ in Luk 1:76 = John will go before the Lord (Jehovah), with the view of giving the knowledge of salvation in the forgiveness of sins. This is a very general description of John’s ministry, hardly differentiating it from that of Christ. The knowledge of salvation in forgiveness is salvation = Christ’s gift.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Forgiveness of sins, is the means whereby God saveth us, Rom. 4:7.

Open the way.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

to give knowledge of salvation--To sound the note of a needed and provided "salvation" was the noble office of John, above all that preceded him; as it is that of all subsequent ministers of Christ; but infinitely loftier was it to be the "Salvation" itself (Luk 1:69 and Luk 2:30).

by the remission of . . . sins--This stamps at once the spiritual nature of the salvation here intended, and explains Luk 1:71, Luk 1:74.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(77) To give knowledge of salvation.—This, as the form of the Greek verb shows, was to be the object of the Baptist’s mission. Men had lost sight of the true nature of salvation. They were wrapt in dreams of deliverance from outward enemies, and needed to be taught that it consisted in forgiveness for the sins of the past, and power to overcome sins in the future.

The remission of their sins.—Historically, this was the first utterance of the words in the Gospel records, and we may well think of it as having helped to determine the form which the work of the Baptist eventually took. It is interesting to compare it with our Lord’s words at the Last Supper (Mat_26:28), and so to think of it as being the key-note of the whole work from the beginning to the end. Different in outward form as were the ministries of the Baptist and our Lord, they agreed in this.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

77. knowledge of salvation] A clear proof that these prophecies had not the local and limited sense of national prosperity which some have supposed.

By the remission] Rather, In remission. Comp. Act_5:31, “to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To give knowledge of salvation,.... This is still said of John, and belongs to his work and office; though the Syriac and Arabic versions read, "that he may give"; as if it was spoken of the Lord, before whose face John was to go, and whose ways he was to prepare: by "salvation" is meant, not a temporal salvation, or a deliverance from the Roman yoke, the Jews were expecting, for John gave no intimation of any such salvation; but of a spiritual and eternal salvation, and of Christ himself, the author of it; who is often called Salvation, because he was appointed to this business, was fitted for it, and has effected it; and there is salvation in him, and in no other, the "knowledge" of this is not merely, notional and speculative, but experimental, approbative, fiducial, appropriating, sure, and certain; and is more excellent, than any other kind of knowledge whatever: and this is a "gift"; it is not what is attained unto, and acquired by application, diligence, and industry, as other sort of knowledge; but is a gift of God, though in the use of means, and through the ministry of the word: and so John is said to give it ministerially, he being an instrument in the hand of God, whereby souls came to the knowledge of salvation by Christ, and believed in him: it was communicated by God through his ministry,

unto his people: meaning not the people of John the Baptist, the Jews, though it was true of God's elect among them; but the people of Christ, and that not all mankind, who are his by creation; but a special people, whom the Father has given him, and he has purchased by his blood; whom he conquers by his grace, and makes a willing people, in the day of his power: to these, and only these, is the knowledge of salvation by Christ given; for none else are appointed to it, and for no other is it wrought out. It follows,

by the remission of their sins; the sense of which is, either that salvation is by the forgiveness of sin, and lies in it, that being a principal part of it; see Eph 1:7. Sins are debts; forgiving them is a remitting these debts, a loosing them, or the obligation to payment, which is done freely and fully, for Christ's sake, and through his blood; and herein lies the blessedness and salvation of men; see Rom 4:6. Or else that the knowledge of salvation was conveyed through the ministry of John, not by preaching the works of the law, but the doctrine of remission of sins, by Christ; Mar 1:4 and which is the sum and substance of the Gospel, as it was ordered to be preached by Christ, and was preached by his apostles. The Alexandrian copy reads, "our sins".

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

Ver. 77. To give knowledge] Not by infusion, Dan 1:17, but by instruction. See the dignity and duty of ministers.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To give knowledge of salvation - Knowledge of the “way” of salvation: that it was provided, and that the author of salvation was about to appear.

By the remission of their sins - The word remission means pardon or forgiveness. It implies that God will treat the sinner as if he had not committed the sin. The idea here is, that the “salvation” about to be offered was that which was connected with the pardon of sin. There can be no other. God cannot treat people as his friends unless they come to him by repentance and obtain forgiveness. When that is obtained, which he is always disposed to grant, they can be treated with kindness and mercy.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Jesus is our salvation, and St. John [the Baptist] was sent to give to the people the knowledge of this salvation: he bore testimony of Christ; (Theophylactus) by whom alone remission of sins can be obtained.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

To preach the doctrine of repentance to men, that they may obtain remission of sins. But it seems more natural, To teach people that the only way by which they can attain salvation, is not by any righteousness of their own, but by obtaining the free pardon and remission of their sins by Christ and his righteousness, Psa 32:1, which is in short to preach the gospel, which is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, Rom 1:16,17.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

II. Luk_1:76-79. The prediction addressed to his son, the infant Baptist, in regard to his office.

77. Salvation… by remission of sins—On condition of repentance in faith on an approaching Messiah.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins. Zacharias goes on to celebrate the splendid part his son was to play in the great Messianic drama, lie was to be Messiah"s pioneer in order to give men the true information respecting the Deliverer"s work. Israel was mistaken altogether in its conception of the salvation which they really-needed. Godet puts it with great force. "Why," he asks, "was the ministry of the Messiah preceded by that of another Divine messenger? Because the very notion of salvation was falsified in Israel, and had to be corrected before salvation could be realized. A carnal and malignant patriotism had taken possession of the people and their rulers, and the idea of a political deliverance had been substituted for that of a moral salvation. There was need, then, of another person, divinely authorized, to remind the people that perdition consisted not in subjection to the Romans, but in Divine condemnation; and that salvation, therefore, was not temporal emancipation, but forgiveness of sins."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins - The knowledge of the remission of our sins being the grand instrument of present and eternal salvation, Heb. viii, 11, 12. But the immediate sense of the words seems to be, to preach to them the Gospel doctrine of salvation by the remission of their sins.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

sins

Sin. (See Scofield "Rom 3:23")

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

77. γνῶσιν σωτηρίας. A clear proof that these prophecies had not the local and limited sense of national prosperity which some have supposed.

ἐν ἀφέσει. In remission. Comp. Act 5:31, “to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

77.] ἐν ἀφέσει, in remission, the element in which the former blessing was to be conferred. The remission of sin is the first opening for the γνῶσις σωτηρίας: see ch. 3:7.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

77. τοῦ δοῦναι γνῶσιν σωτηρίας τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ. This is the aim and end of the work of the Forerunner. In construction it comes after ἑτοιμάσαι ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ. We may take ἐν ἀφέσει ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν with either δοῦναι, or γνῶσιν, or σωτηρίας. The last is best. John did not grant remission of sins; and to make “knowledge of salvation” consist in remission of sins, yields no very clear sense. But that salvation is found in remission of sins makes excellent sense (Act 5:31). The Messiah brings the σωτηρία (vv. 69, 71): the Forerunner gives the knowledge of it to the people, as consisting, not in a political deliverance from the dominion of Rome, but in a spiritual deliverance from the dominion of sin. This is the first mention of the “remission of sins” in the Gospel narrative.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Knowledge of salvation. Wyc. has the science of health.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.