Reconciliation / Atonement / Propitiation

The Dark Mystery of Atonement: Most Christian groups know that Good Friday relates to events far beyond our human understanding in their totality.

The atonement has many positive aspects. It must suffice simply to mention such things as redemption, reconciliation, justification, adoption and propitiation. These are great concepts and mean much to Paul. In some cases he is the first Christian to make mention of them. Clearly, he thought of Christ as having wrought much for his people by his atoning death.

Propitiation properly signifies the removal of wrath by the offering of a gift. In the OT it is expressed by the word kipper (Atonement). In the NT the word [is hilasterion]. In modern times the whole idea of propitiation has been strongly criticized as savoring of unworthy ideas of God. Many suggest the term propitiation should be abandoned…

The objection to propitiation arises largely from an objection to the whole idea of the wrath of God, which many exponents relegate to the status of an archaism. But God is not to be accused of moral flabbiness. He is vigorously opposed to evil in every shape and form (Psalm 7:11; Numbers 14:18).

We human beings seem to need heroes and invent them when necessary. True heroes reflect some of the sacrifical traits of the man from Galilee.

In 1 John 2:2, Jesus is described as ‘the propitiation for our sins.’ In the previous verse he is our ‘advocate with the Father.’ If we need an advocate with God, then our position is indeed a dangerous one. We are in dire peril. All this helps us to see that ‘propitiation’ is to be taken here in its usual sense. Jesus’ activity for men is described as turning away the divine wrath.

‘Propitiation’ is a reminder that God is implacably opposed to everything that is evil, that his opposition may be described as ‘wrath,’ and that this wrath is out away only by the atoning work of Christ.

– Leon Morris in The New Bible Dictionary (Third Edition), pages 975, 104.
Glendora, September, 2001