Bible Dictionary
REMISSION OF SINS
Remission of sins is the forgiveness or removal of the penalty of offenses against God’s law. It is distinguished in some passages from the temporary passing over of sins before their penalty is fully addressed.
Definition
Remission of sins is forgiveness or exemption from the consequences of an offense against God’s law. The term is distinguished from pretermission, which is the passing over or suspension of punishment.
Biblical Usage
When sins are remitted, the offender is treated as though the offense had not been committed. Remission concerns the penalty, while forgiveness may refer more particularly to the person or to the sin itself.
Historical Background
The distinction rests on two Greek terms. One is translated “remission,” while the other, occurring in Romans 3:25, is rendered “passing over” in the Revised Version.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>re-mish'-un (aphesis, paresis): The two Greek words, of which the latter occurs only in Ro 3:25, were translated by the same English word in the King James Version. In the Revised Version (British and American), paresis is translation "passing over." It is contrasted with the other term as pretermission with remission. Remission is exemption from the consequences of an offense, forgiveness; pretermission is the suspension of the penalty (Philippi, Ellicott, Trench (Synonyms, XXXIII), Weiss; compare Ac 17:30). Cremer (Lexicon of N T Gr) regards the meaning of the two words as identical, except that the one refers to the Old Testament and the other to the New Testament. Sins are remitted when the offender is treated as though the offense had never been committed. Remission is restricted to the penalty, while forgiveness refers more particularly to the person, although it may be used also of the sin itself. Remission also is used of offenses against God's law; forgiveness, against either divine or human law.</p><p>See ABSOLUTION; FORGIVENESS.</p><p>H. E. Jacobs</p>