Week of June 15, 2025: 1 John 2:1-2, Sin and Christians

AD'VOCATE, n.  [L. advocatus, from advoco, to call for, to plead for; of ad and voco, to call.  See Vocal.]
1.  Advocate, in its primary sense, signifies, one who pleads the cause of another in a court of civil law.  Hence,
2.  One who pleads the cause of another before any tribunal or judicial court, as a barrister in the English courts.  We say, a man is a learned lawyer and an able advocate.
In Europe, advocates have different titles, according to their particular duties.
Consistorial advocates, in Rome, appear before the Consistory, in opposition to the disposal of benefices.
Elective advocates are chosen by a bishop, abbot, or chapter, with license from the prince.
Feudal advocates were of a military kind, and to attach them to the church, had grants of land, with power to lead the vassals of the church war.
Fiscal advocates, in ancient Rome, defended causes in which the public revenue was concerned.
Juridical advocates became judges, in consequence of their attending causes in the earl's court.
Matricular advocates defended the cathedral churches.
Military advocates were employed by the church to defend it by arms, when force gave law to Europe.
Some advocates were called nominative, from their being nominated by the pope or king; some regular, from their being qualified by a proper course of study.  Some were supreme; others, subordinate.
Advocate, in the German polity, is a magistrate, appointed in the emperor's name, to administer justice.
Faculty of advocates, in Scotland, is a society of eminent lawyers, who practice in the highest courts, and who are admitted members only upon the severest examination, at three different times.  It consists of about two hundred members, and from this body are vacancies on the bench usually supplied.
Lord advocate, in Scotland, the principal crown lawyer, or prosecutor of crimes.
Judge advocate, in courts martial, a person who manages the prosecution.
In English and American courts, advocates are the same as counsel, or counselors.  In England,they are of two degrees, barristers and serjeants; the former, being apprentices or learners, cannot, by ancient custom, be admitted serjeants, till of sixteen years standing.
3.  One who defends, vindicates, or espouses a cause, by argument; one who is friendly to; as, an advocate for peace, or for the oppressed.
In scripture, Christ is called an advocate for his people.
We have an advocate with the father.  1 John 2.
AD'VOCATE, v.t.  To plead in favor of; to defend by argument, before a tribunal; to support or vindicate.
Those who advocate a discrimination.
The Duke of York advocated the amendment.
The Earl of Buckingham advocated the original resolution.
The idea of a legislature, consisting of a single branch, though advocated by some, was generally reprobated.
How little claim persons, who advocate this sentiment, really posses to be considered calvinists, will appear from the following quotation.
The most eminent orators were engaged to advocate his cause.
A part only of the body, whose cause be advocates, coincide with him in judgment.

PROPITIATION, n. propisia'shon.
1.  The act of appeasing wrath and conciliating the favor of an offended person; the act of making propitious.
2.  In theology, the atonement or atoning sacrifice offered to God to assuage his wrath and render him propitious to sinners.  Christ is the propitiation for the sins of men.  Romans 3. 1 John 2.
PROPI'TIOUS, a. [L.propitius.]  Favorable; kind; applied to men.
1.  Disposed to be gracious or merciful; ready to forgive sins and bestow blessings; applied to God.
2.  Favorable; as a propitious season.

RIGHTEOUS, a. ri'chus.
1.  Just; accordant to the divine law.  Applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands in practice; as a righteous man.  Applied to things, it denotes consonant to the divine will or to justice; as a righteous act.  It is used chiefly in theology, and applied to God, to his testimonies and to his saints.
The righteous, in Scripture, denote the servants of God, the saints.
2.  Just; equitable; merited.
And I thy righteous doom will bless.

1 John 2:1-2 KJV
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:
[2] And He is the propitiation for our sins:
and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.

Acts 1:7-8 KJV
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons,
which the Father hath put in His own power.
[8] But ye shall receive power,
after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you:
and ye shall be witnesses unto me
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria,
and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Revelation 7:9-10 KJV
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude,
which no man could number, of all nations,
and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb,
clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
[10] And cried with a loud voice, saying,
Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

John 3:14-21 KJV
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
[15] That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
[16] For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
[17] For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
[18] He that believeth on him is not condemned:
but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
[19] And this is the condemnation,
that light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
[20] For every one that doeth evil hateth the light,
neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
[21] But he that doeth truth cometh to the light,
that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

John 14:6-7 KJV
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
the truth,
and the life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
[7] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also:
and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

John 14:12-21 KJV
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also;
and greater works than these shall he do;
because I go unto my Father. [13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,
that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
[14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
[15] If ye love me, keep my commandments. |
[16] And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever;
[17] Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive,
because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him:
but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
[18] I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
[19] Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more;
but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.
[20] At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.
[21] He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them,
he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father,
and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Definitions taken from Noah Webster 1828 App.