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BATHEING, RINSING, WASHING
19
There is a verse in Leviticus that uses the three words louo, nipto and pluno with precision. We give the LXX
version :
` And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue, and hath not rinsed (nipto) his hands in water, he shall wash
(pluno) his clothes, and bathe (louo) himself in water, and shall be unclean until evening' (15:11).
Let us now turn to the thirteenth of John. There in wondrous humility, the Lord of glory took a towel and girded
Himself and began to wash the disciples' feet. Apparently everyone was held speechless at the wonder of it, until
the Lord reached Peter, and this impetuous man giving voice, no doubt, to what was passing through the minds of
all, said, `Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?' After hearing the Lord's reply, but without stopping to consider that the
act was evidently symbolic, Peter continued `Thou shalt never wash my feet'. To this the Lord patiently replied : `If
I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me'. We can forgive the sudden rush of feeling, we can sympathize with that
impetuous soul and his complete volte face, as he contemplates with shrinking and with horror, life having no part
with the Saviour. Away went every scruple, as he said : `Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head'.
Again the patient reply, correcting the doctrine but apprising at its true worth the love that prompted even the
mistake.
` He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit' (13:10).
Let us translate this verse again a little more carefully, paying attention both to the tense of the verb and of the
actual words used for `washing'.
` He who hath been bathed, has no need except to wash his feet, but is altogether clean'.
Here we have indicated the important distinction which the Scripture always makes, but which teaching
concerning holiness appears to confuse, namely, the complete sanctification of the believing sinner, holy,
unblameable, unreproveable, in the sight of God, the consequence of the offering of the Lord Jesus Christ, and
having no reference to merit or demerit on the part of the sanctified, and the progressive sanctification, the practical
outworking of this acceptance in the daily cleansing that goes on while the believer `walks in the light', even though
walking here below. He needs the washing of the feet continually, that is, cleansing from the defilement of daily
contact, but so far as his standing in Christ is concerned, `he hath been bathed' and a repetition of that is unthinkable.
There is but one occurrence of pluno to be considered, but that is found in Revelation 7:14 :
` These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the
blood of the lamb'.
What are we to understand by the statement `in the blood of the lamb'? To wash robes `in' blood is an
incongruous figure, yet the fact remains that the Greek reads en to haimati. Before we come to any conclusion it
will be as well to see how such a phrase is used elsewhere. We have already referred to the fact that the Revisers
found sufficient evidence to alter `washed' to `loosed' in Revelation 1:5. Therefore we read in the Revised Version
`loosed us from our sins BY His blood' yet the Greek reads en to haimati. No one could, however he felt about the
matter, offer the translation `loosed or freed from sin in blood'.
In Revelation 5:9 we meet the phrase once more, and once more we must translate `by Thy blood' not `in Thy
blood'. Let us look through the Apocalypse and observe the way in which the preposition `in' often indicates `the
instrumental cause', rather than the literal idea of `in': `with a rod of iron' (2:27); `with sword, with hunger and with
death' (6:8); `harping with their harps' (14:2); `tormented with fire' (14:10).
Revelation 7:14 therefore falls into line with this usage and should be rendered `washed their robes and made
them white, by means of the blood of the Lamb'. Robes or clothing in Scripture, deal with that which may be `put
on'; they indicate `habits' rather than the inner man.
We realize a little what cleansing is indicated in our acceptance as we review the Scriptures on this one matter of
washing, whether it be apolouo, louo, nipto or pluno, whether it be the washing away of sin, the complete batheing
of the whole person, or the daily rinsing of the defilement of our pilgrimage, or our habits, all and more, is included
in that Ephesian jewel - `accepted in the Beloved'.