An Examination of ἁμαρτια (sin) in 1 John and the Akan Concept of Bɔne (sin)

Abstract

The concept of sin or what constitutes sin is very crucial in any culture insofar as the conduct of the people and their relation to the divine is concerned. Using the mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics approach because of the insight it brings to the text, the writer did a comparative study of ἁμαρτια (sin) in 1 John and bɔne (sin) among the Akan of Ghana. The study revealed that even though there is a critical divergence in the way sin is dealt with in 1 John from the Akan concept, there are, however, several similarities. The one-time sacrifice for sin by Christ in 1 John calls for the Akan of Ghana to rethink the efficacy of the annual purification rites for sin. The study contributed to the study of mother-tongue biblical hermeneutics by explaining the concept of sin from the Akan mother-tongue biblical perspective. Keywords: Sin, bɔne, propitiation, sacrifice, cleansing, 1 John