There is no description of atonement in the New Testament; the understanding of atonement therefore must be based on the Old Testament. Surveying the meaning and application of atonement in the New Testament is much less daunting. In fact, the Greek Old Testament, which is called the Septuagint, gives us a valuable start. The 70 men who translated that work used the word ilasterion (place of mercy) and words similar to it to define the act and place of atonement. These words are used only six times in the New Testament. Interestingly, the KJV translates another word atonement in Romans 5:11. That word is actually reconciliation. The NAS does not have the word atonement anywhere in the NT.
Any doctrine or understanding of the atonement ought to include the truth of these verses since they are the only verses in the New Testament that even talk about atonement. Let’s examine these 6 verses more closely to see how they connect with atonement and its definition.
Luke 18:13 has the tax collector praying to God, “Have mercy on me the sinner.” Two things are evident. He knew that sin was a problem. He knew that God could solve it. This man was a Jewish employee of Rome. His understanding of where mercy could be found was naturally based on his knowledge of the OT laws of atonement. He asks God to ‘atone’ for him. What did that mean? Whatever it meant in the Old Testament.
The verb form is used again in Hebrews 2:17. The KJV says that Jesus would make reconciliation for the sins of the people. The NAS says he would make propitiation. Reconciliation and propitiation are similar terms and bear further study but let’s use this word the same way it is used in the LXX (Greek Old Testament) . The NET Bible actually does use the word atonement here. “Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.” Jesus is now the high priest who makes atonement for sin. This is clearly an Old Testament illustration. And based on the OT, atonement means cleansing and forgiveness. Jesus is a merciful and faithful high priest who cleanses and forgives the sin of people.
John uses the term ilasmos twice in his first letter. It is translated propitiation in most versions of the NT. The NET Bible reads ‘atoning sacrifice.’ 1 Jn 2:2 - “and He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.” 1 Jn 4:10- “In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Atoning sacrifice is a more accurate translation. It is consistent with the Greek OT. But what does it mean that Jesus is ‘the atoning sacrifice’ for sins? The OT meaning gives the New Testament application. Lacking any new information and maintaining consistency in word usage leads to this sense. Jesus, as the atoning sacrifice forgives sins, cleanses sins, purges sins. And John says that He does this for the sins of the whole world. (4:10 is briefer, ‘the atoning sacrifice for our sins.’)
Here we are met with an apparent contradiction. Does not Scripture teach that forgiveness comes through confession and that only those who have trusted Christ are forgiven? I John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7. Romans 10:9-10, et.al How then can Jesus be the forgiveness for the whole world’s sins. Aren’t forgiveness and whole world incompatible? This is the kind of question that offers an exciting challenge for Bible study. And here is the principle that helps us in the work. Focus on the words that have a fixed meaning. Of “world” and “propitiation” it is propitiation which has the fixed meaning. There are no variants in its definition. It always means exactly what it means here. Jesus is right now the atonement- the one who forgives, cleanses and purges sin. Is every man, woman and child right now forgiven and cleansed? Will every man and woman and child who ever lives be forgiven and cleansed? Has every man, woman, and child who has ever lived been forgiven and cleansed? Forgiveness and cleansing are the results of atonement. So how can it be said with certainty that Jesus is the one who forgives, cleanses, and purges the sins of the whole world?
Since atonement always has the same meaning could the expression ‘whole world’ have a different sense? Does it always mean every single person? John himself answers the question. Right here in the same letter. It is in fact the only other time that John uses these two words together. (olos and kosmos) Chapter 5, verse 19- “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.” Does the whole world, every man, woman and child, lie under the power of the evil one? No, because verse 18 says that those who are kept by Christ are not touched by the evil one. So clearly ‘whole world’ here does not mean every person. How about 2:2? Does whole world mean every person or could John be stating a general principle that Jesus is the only atoning sacrifice the world has? Could he be reminding his Jewish readers that the atonement was no longer just for Jews but included some from among the whole world? You may find other ways in which “world” is used. But it cannot mean every living person in this verse. The one thing that is fixed is the definition of atonement. If you want to understand this verse you dare not redefine atonement to mean that Jesus died for everybody. That will not fit the fixed meaning of atonement. But “world” may safely be defined in other ways.
There is another relevant point to be made. John himself uses a term in Revelation 3:10, 12:9, and 16:14 that means inhabited earth, those who dwell on the earth. It is a much more specific term meaning people. He could very well have used this term if “every person“ was intended.
The last two references to atonement in the NT are a form of the Greek word that means place of atonement, ilasterion. We call it the “mercy seat” but the cover of the Ark of the Covenant was not really a seat. No one would dare sit there. It is the place where the High Priest sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement.
The first reference to this ‘place of atonement’ is Romans 3:25 where the word is translated propitiation in the KJV and propitiatory sacrifice in the NAS. Or as the NET Bible reads, “God publicly displayed him at his death as the mercy seat accessible through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because God in his forbearance had passed over the sins previously committed.” Romans 3:25 establishes the satisfaction of God as being based on faith in His blood. Is the propitiation universal or based on faith and applied to God’s chosen ones? Is the entire world now acceptable to God just like a Jew whose sacrifice had been accepted at the mercy seat? Have those without faith been appeased before God? Has His anger subsided in spite of the fact that they have not come to Him for mercy? Is Jesus the propitiation or is He not? There is no room for potential redemption at the Cross. It either saves or does not save.
The final reference to atonement in the New Testament is Hebrews 9:5. This is a reference to the actual mercy seat and consequently offers no new information to our pursuit.
So there are 5 verses in the New Testament that actually refer to atonement. This is where any discussion on the topic must be centered. Arguments regarding any aspect of atonement that do not use these verses should be made with extreme caution. But only one of those verses, 1 John 2:2, seems to appear in any atonement dialogue. Is this too much ado about one thing?
Taking the NT verses in summary we learn this.
1. Atonement, having mercy, was not considered a natural gift. The tax collector believed he must ask for it.
2. Jesus is the new High Priest who makes atonement for sin.
3. Jesus is also the atoning sacrifice for the world. He is the only one who forgives, cleanses and redeems.
4. His mercy, atonement, is available through faith.
5. Unlike OT atonement which had to be repeated over and over again Jesus shed His blood as a permanent and eternal sacrifice for sins. He was the final substitute whose blood cleanses even the conscience. Hebrews 9 and 10
Can His atonement be applied to everyone? Is it possible that souls in hell have been forgiven, cleansed, purged and redeemed?
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