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INTRODUCTION

Propitiation is the turning away of wrath by an offering.  Jacob appeased Esau with a present in Genesis 32:20, and King Mesha of Moab offered a sacrifice to Chemosh in II Kings 3:26 thereby turning away wrath from Moab.  From an evangelical view, 'propitiation' is concerned with the turning away of divine wrath towards man, through the atoning sacrifice of Christ.

BIBLICAL TERMINOLOGY

In the Old Testament, the principal verb rendered as propitiation is kapher.  In the New Testament the idea is conveyed by the use of hilaskomai (Hebrews 2:17), hilasterion (Romans 3:25) and hilasmos (I John 2:2 and 4:10).  The hilaskesthai word group is that used also in the Septuagint for kapher (Hebert, 1950, p. 25; Easton, s.v. 'Propitiation').

Disagreement exists, however, as to whether the original Biblical words above do actually mean an atoning action directed towards God - propitiation - or rather towards the offence - expiation.

According to Morris (1984, p. 888) the word group to which the Greek words belong unquestionably has the significance of averting divine wrath (and hence the appeasement of God).  In contrast, C. H. Dodd suggests that the word group denotes expiation and not propitiation denying that "the wrath of God" means anything other than a process of cause and effect whereby disaster inevitably follows sin (Morris, 1984, p. 888).

However, Scripture cannot support expiation as the primary understanding.  It is true that the Levitical atoning actions - the basis for Old Testament atonement - had a direct effect on sins.  It covered them and 'blotting them out' (Leviticus 4:20-26) - but the idea of the wrath of God is firmly rooted in the Old Testament, with 585 References.   Further, the words of the hilaskomai group do not denote simple forgiveness or cancellation of sin, but that forgiveness or cancellation of sin, which includes the turning away of God's wrath (Thayer, 1981, p. 2417), for example, as in Lamentations 3:42-43.

Examples of expiation may be found, but to suggest it is the sole meaning of the original language words presented is disharmonious with Scripture and contemporary pagan usage of the words (Morris, 1950, p. 888; Pecota, 1994, p. 345).  Such a view is not founded on a linguistic basis but on predetermined theology. Pecota (1994, p. 346) presents the simple solution,

If one accepts what the Bible says about God's wrath, a possible solution presents itself.   We could see the words as having a vertical and a horizontal reference. When the context focuses on the Atonement in relation to God, the words speak of propitiation.   But they mean expiation when the focus is on us and our sin.

This solution is reasonable, and II Kings 24:3-4, Psalm 78:38 and Romans 3:25 all provide examples of God's anger or punishment joined with forgiveness or atoning sacrifice.   Hence, the historical and literary context determines whether propitiation or expiation is the appropriate meaning for a given passage.

DIVINE WRATH

Paul explains that man's sin receives its due reward, not because of some impersonal retribution but because God's wrath is directed against it (Romans 1:18, 24, 26, 28).   The whole of his argument in the opening chapters of Romans is that all men - Gentiles and Jews alike - are sinners.  They have come justly under the wrath and the condemnation of God.

Ultimately God Himself initiates the removal of wrath.  Of the process of atonement by sacrifice He says, "I have given it to you" (Leviticus 17:11).  Psalm 78:38 says, "Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath".  At no point do the Scriptures refer to reconciliation being required of God, rather the enmity between man and God is uniquely a problem relating to man.   Sacrifice was given by God to man as a means whereby He would not remember sins committed.

North (1950, p. 213) makes the important point that the only sins for which a sin-offering could make actual atonement were breaches of ritual committed in ignorance. In practice a person may well sincerely offer a sacrifice with the expectation that known sins would thereby be forgiven but this was an assumption with no justifiable basis in the law.   Forgiveness was certainly a real concept in the Old Testament, but it was not a quid pro quid for sacrifice.  Rather it was the free gift of God, dependent only upon repentance and confession (c.f. Psalm 32:5; Psalm 51:1, 16-17; I Samuel 15:22).

When turning to salvation, Paul thinks of Christ's death as hilasterion (Romans 3:25) - literally a "mercy seat" (Zodhiates, 1992, p. 923).  Christ is thus the antitype of the cover of the Ark of the Covenant (Hebrews 9:5) and is here designated as the actual place where the sinner deposits sin, as well as the means of removing the divine wrath itself.  As in the Old Testament, God Himself has provided the means of removing His own  wrath. Again, it is a free gift which can not be earned (Ephesians 2:8-9).

THE PURPOSE OF CHRIST

The love of the Father is shown in that He "sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins" (I John 4:10).  The purpose of Christ's coming was "to make propitiation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17). His propitiation is adequate for all people (I John 2:2).

It is not right, however, to conceive of God's wrath as having been 'appeased' by Christ's sacrifice as explained by transactional theories of the Atonement.  It is God who in Christ reconciled the world to Himself, just as He was behind the redemptive action of the servant in Isaiah 53:10.

Genesis and Exodus provide many biographical descriptions that have as their turning points the building of an altar and an act of sacrifice.  Similarly, Israel was delivered from Egypt by a method with a symbolism attached to the Passover.  Two discernible concepts arise; redemption and the shedding of blood are connected, and a form of substitution exists.  These concepts are given fuller detail in the book of Leviticus and are extensively illustrated in the instructions for the sacrifices and priesthood.  Christ's teaching was consistent with such Levitical instructions and the entire New Testament declares that His death was the consummation and fulfillment of such teaching of sacrifice.

An essential distinction must be made between the sacrifices of the Old and New Testaments.  Hebrews 10:4 explains that the Levitical priest would repeatedly make sacrifices for sins - first for himself and then for the people.  This would occur repeatedly because "it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins".  In contrast, Christ has offered one sacrifice for sin that is able to deal with the root problem of indwelling sin (Hebrews 10:11-14) – expiation of guilt was secured, effected by vicarious substitutionary punishment.

It is important to realize that Christ's atonement is not merely a 'covering' of sins whereby they are treated as non-existent and the sinner as if he had not committed them.   Sin is serious, and confession must occur for forgiveness (I John 1:8-9).   However the regenerate believer has been reconciled and united with Christ as a member of His body, and hence shares in the righteousness of Christ (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:21).  One is justified, not in the sense of possessing a righteousness of one's own (Philippians 3:9) but because one  belongs to Christ.

CONCLUSION

Lean Morris (1950, p. 888) expresses the consensus of evangelicals in saying that the consistent Biblical view is that the sin of man has incurred the wrath of God.  Only Christ's atoning offering averts that wrath. From this standpoint, His saving work is properly called propitiation.

"Reconciliation" sets forth the benefit of the death of Christ for the sinner but propitiation indicates both this and the manner whereby sinners are made friends of God.  Christ both propitiates and offers Himself as the propitiation.  He is the sacrifice and the High Priest who sacrifices Himself (John 1:29, 36; I Corinthians 5:7; Ephesians 5:2; Hebrews 10:14; I Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6, 8).

Just as the covering of the Ark in the Tabernacle was the place where God's forgiving mercy was shown, so now the cross of Christ is the place where His saving mercy has been manifested.


WORKS CITED
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