Topic 1: "He Knew No Sin" - the sinlessness of Jesus
The phrase "He knew no sin", as Paul uses to describe Jesus in 2 Corinthians 5:21, will be the the subject of this article. (This is a continuation of our examination of the question: "Did Jesus become sin", which is a questions many people have after reading the 1st part of 2 Corinthians 5:21, and that previous article is here.)
In the list of different translations of 2 Corinthians 5:21, some of the translations have the phrase, "he knew no sin", but others leave out the translation of that Greek word, specifically the word "gnonta" (from root word "ginosko, G1097") meaning "to know, understand, have knowledge of", as in the case of the Good News Translation and GOD'S WORD Translation.
*(This is why word-for-word translations are important, because simply translating "ideas" can leave out important clues in our understanding of God's Word!)
The Greek text is laid out this way, which is important, and will be explained why:
"The (one)/Who for not knowing sin
for/on behalf of us
sin/sin-offering was made/offered
so that we (would have the potential to) become
righteousness of God in Him"
So in the first words of 2 Corinthians 5:21 we have "who for not knowing sin". The Greek word for knowledge, ginosko (G1097) is also present in Leviticus 4 and 5 below in the instructions concerning unintentional sin/sin committed unknowingly.
Leviticus 4:14
"when it becomes known (ginosthe G1097) the sin (hamartias) which they have sinned, then the assembly shall offer a young bull for the sin [offering] (hamartias)."
4:23 "or if his sin which he [a leader] has committed comes to his knowledge (ginosthe G1097), he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish."
4:28 "or if his sin (hamartia) which he [a person of the land] has sinned comes to his knowledge (ginosthe G1097),then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin (hamartias)"
Leviticus 5:3-4
3 Or if he touches human uncleanness—whatever uncleanness with which a man may be defiled, and he is unaware of it—when he knows it/realizes it (gno G1097) it then he shall [be guilty] have sinned (hamarte, (G264). 4 Or if a person swears, speaking thoughtlessly with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatever it is that a man may pronounce by an oath, and he is unaware of it—when he knows of it/ realizes it (gno G1097) it, then he will [be guilty] have sinned (hamarte, (G264).
In addition to that, in Leviticus 5, we also have the verb "agnoeó" G50 and the related noun "agnoia" G52, which mean "to be unaware or ignorant of something, not knowing it".
Leviticus 5:17-18.
"If any one sins, doing any of the things which the LORD has commanded not to be done, and trespasses, though he does not know egno (G1097), yet he is guilty and shall bear his sin (hamartian). Then he shall bring a ram that is unblemished from the flock, the value of silver for the trespass [offering] to the priest and he will atone for him the priest for the ignorance (agnoias G52) which he was ignorant (agnoesen G50) of and did not know and it will be forgiven him."
The Greek noun (agnoéma, G51) also means ignorance (in a plural form) and is from the same verb "agnoeo". It is found one time in the New Testament, and one time in the Greek Old Testament.
Hebrews 9:7
"But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the people’s [sins done] in ignorance" (agnoēmatōn, G51)
Genesis 43:12"Take double money in your hand, and take back in your hand the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks; perhaps it was an oversight" (agnoema, G51).
So when the authors of the letter to the Corinthians, Paul and Timothy, say that Jesus "knew no sin", that means that he was sinless, meaning that he never knew sin "himself", as in a sin that he himself committed.
However, even if he committed a sin unintentionally, (which feels even a little wrong even to think), but just to put it out there for arguments sake, I think we can all agree that he, being God in the flesh, would have known if he had sinned and broken a commandment or neglected to obey a commandment, since he was the word of God of that became flesh (John 1:14) .
What do other New Testament authors, such as John, the writer of Hebrews say?
1 John 3:5
And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins (hamartias), and in Him there is no sin (hamartia).
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (hamartias).
1 Peter 2:22 (quoting Isaiah 53:9)
“Who committed no sin (hamartian, G266), Nor was deceit found in His mouth”
Topic 1, Conclusion 1: From the above verses, I think we can say that Jesus did not know sin, because he neither sinned knowingly or unknowingly/unintentionally. If he did sin, he would have known it, and he would not have been described as not knowing sin and as sinless.
Topic 2: The Spotlessness of Jesus
These writers also describe Jesus as being "without spot", the Greek word "amōmos" (G299) which means without blemish or without spot - ("a" meaning without, and "momos" (G3470), meaning "spot"). This word is found 78 times in the Greek Old Testament, most often referring to how a sacrifice had to be without spot, but the word is also used to describe humans. In the New Testament, this word refers to Jesus as being without spot/blameless.
The Greek word "aspilos" (G784), meaning undefiled or unspoiled, is also used to describe Jesus.
So let's look at the Greek words for spot (momos), without spot (amomos) and undefiled/unspoiled (aspilos).
The verses in Leviticus also require that an animal used as a sin offering be without spot. In the verses above from Leviticus and Numbers, when an animal was sacrificed as a sin [offering], the animal had to be without blemish or spot.
Deuteronomy 17:1
"You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God a bull or sheep which has any blemish (momos, G3470), or defect, for that is an abomination to the LORD your God."
Leviticus 22:21 "And whoever offers a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD, to fulfill his vow, or a freewill offering from the cattle or the sheep, it must be perfect (unblemished - amomos, G299), to be accepted; there shall be no blemish/defect (momos, G3470) in it."
Leviticus 4:3 i" the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for his sin (hamartias) which he has sinned a young bull without spot (amomon G299) as a sin [offering] (hamartias)"
Leviticus 4:23 "or if his sin (hamartia) which he has sinned comes to his knowledge (ginosthe, G1097), he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a male without blemish (amomon, G299)."
Leviticus 9:2-3 "And he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a young bull as a sin [offering](hamartias) and a ram as a burnt offering, without spot (amoma, G299), and offer them before the LORD. And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a kid of the goats as a sin [offering] (hamartias) , and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish (amoma, G299), as a burnt offering."
Ezekiel 43:22 On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish (amomous, G299) for a sin [offering] (hamartias)"
Psalms 119:1
"Blessed are the undefiled/without blemish (amomoi, G299) in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!"
Proverbs 11:20
"Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless/without blemish (amomoi, G299) in their ways are His delight."
Hebrews 9:7 "But into the second part the high priest went alone once a year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for [the people’s sins committed in] ignorance (agnoemeton, G51)... 9:14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot (amomon G299) to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"
1 Peter 1:18-19
"knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold...but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish (amomon, G299) and without spot (aspilou, G784).
1 Peter 3:14
"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot (aspilou, G784) and blameless.
Not only was Jesus without spot, but we are to be diligent to be like him, to be without spot too!
Another Greek word used to describe Jesus is amiantos (G283), which means to be undefiled. This word is also used in Hebrews 13:4 in reference to the "let marriage being honored by all, and the bed undefiled (amiantos, G283)". It is also used by Peter in 1 Peter 1:3-4 where Peter describes our inheritance as being "incorruptible and undefiled (amiantos, G283)".
James 1:27
"Pure and undefiled (amiantos, G283) religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted (aspilon, G784) from the world."
Hebrews 7:26
"For such a High Priest [referring to Jesus] was fitting for us, who is holy, without evil, undefiled (amiantos, G283), separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;"
Topic 2, conclusion:
So, IF Christ had any sins, or became guilty of our sins at ANY point, including on the cross (as some teach) then:
how could Paul describe him as not knowing any sin? (2 Corinthians 5:21)
How could John describe him as having no sin? (1 John 3:5)
How could Peter describe him committing no sin, and a lamb without blemish or spot? (1 Peter 1:18-19, 2:22)
How could the author of Hebrews say he was without sin, undefiled and separate from sinners? (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26)
If *at any point*, he took our sins and became guilty of even one of them, then he would have had sin and he would have been defiled. If he became sin and God "turned his back on him" as some believe, then we would have to be described as being sinless up until the time he was crucified, OR, sinless until the moment he took on our sins and then became guilty of them. But would that have worked for a sacrifice for sin?
Hebrews 9:7 above states that he offered himself to God WITHOUT spot, so if he took on the sins of the world on the cross as his own sins, "becoming sin", or guilty of our sins, then he would NOT have been spotless when he offered himself to God, he would have been defiled, NOT separated from sinners and exactly like one of thousands of sinful humans that the Roman government killed by crucifixion, and no different from the men crucified on either side of him.
BUT he WAS SINLESS, and that is what makes his death different! Praise be to God!
The conclusion I draw from all of these verses above is that Jesus was without sin or blemish every moment that he was on this earth!
Thank you for reading and I hope you are enjoying the in-depth examination of this subject, I know I am!!! Please check out my other articles examining the sinlessness of Jesus and the purpose of his sacrifice!