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Etymology

The word 'atonement' is one of the few theological terms which derive basically from Anglo-Saxon. It means 'a making-at-one' or at-one-ment, and points to a process of bringing those who are estranged into an echad unity or agreement. The word occurs in the Tanakh (Old Testament) to translate words from the kpr word group (to 'cover', 'cancel', 'purge', 'purify' or 'decontaminate'), and is found once in the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) at Romans 5:11 (KJV), rendering katallagé (better translated as 'reconciliation' which so appears in all subsequent English translations). It also appears in Romans 3:25 (NIV, NRSV) where "propitiation" would be better and is so rendered in most English translations (including the KJV), though the Catholic NAB (Revised Edition) alone seems to prefer 'expiation' ('atonement for sins' or 'canceling of guilt', from the Gk. hilastérion). Its use in theology denotes the work of Messiah in dealing with the problem posed by the sin of man, and in bringing sinners into right relation with Elohim (God).

1. The Need for an Atonement

The need for atonement is brought about by three things:

  • 1. The universality of sin;
  • 2. The seriousness of sin; and
  • 3. Man's inability to deal with sin.

The first point is attested in many places: "for there is no one who does not sin" (1 Ki.8:46, NRSV); "there is no one who does good, no not one" (Ps.14:3b, NRSV); "surely there is not one on earth so righteous as to do good without ever sinning" (Eccl.3:20, NRSV). Yah'shua (Jesus) told the rich young ruler, "no one is good but Elohim (God) alone" (Mk.10:18, NRSV), and Paul writes, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Elohim (God)" (Rom.3:23, NRSV). Much more could be cited in proof.

The seriousness of sin is seen in passages which show Yahweh's aversion to it. Habakkuk prays "Your eyes are too pure to behold evil, and you cannot look on wrongdoing" (Hab.1:13a, NRSV). Sin separates from Elohim (God) (Is.59:2; Prov.15:29). Yah'shua (Jesus) said of one sin, blasphemy of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), that it will never be forgiven (Mk.3:29), and of Judas He said, "it would have been better for that one not to have been born" (Mk.14:21, NRSV). Before being saved men are "estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds" (Col.1:21, NRSV). There awaits the unrepentant sinner only "a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that that will consume the adversaries" (Heb.10:29, NRSV).

And man cannot deal with the situation. He is not able to keep his sin hidden (Num.32:23), and he cannot cleanse himself of it (Prov.20:9). No deeds of law will ever enable man to stand before Elohim (God) justified (Rom.3:20; Gal.2:16). If he must depend on himself, then man will never be saved. Perhaps the most important evidence of this is the very fact of the atonement. If the Son of Elohim (God) came to earth to save men, then men were sinners and their plight serious indeed,

2. Atonement in the Tanakh

Elohim (God) and man, then, are hopelessly estranged by man's sin, and there is no way back from man's side. But Elohim (God) provides the way. In the Tanakh (Old Testament) atonement is usually said to be obtained by the sacrifices, but it must never be forgotten that Yahweh says of atoning blood, "I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar" (Lev.17:11, NRSV). Thus it was that the consecration of cohenim (priests) required sacrifice of a bull as a "sin offering for atonement" (Ex.29:36, NRSV). Daily sacrifices (the tâmîd) were offered for the forgiveness of sin (Lev.4:20). The repentant sinner "slaughtered a sin offering" (Lev.4:29, NRSV). On the Day of Atonement a goat was slain (Lev.16:9). Hence atonement necessitated the death of a victim.

Atonement is secured, not by any value inherent in the sacrificial victim, but because sacrifice is the divinely appointed way of securing atonement. The sacrifices point us to certain truths concerning atonement. Thus the victim must always be unblemished, which indicates the necessity for perfection. The victims cost something, for atonement is not cheap, and sin is never to be taken lightly. The death of the victim was the important thing. This is brought out partly in the allusions to blood, partly in the general character of the rite itself, and partly in other references to atonement. There are several allusions to atonement, either effected or contemplated by means other than the cultus (a theological term for 'a system or variety of religious worship'), and where these bear on the problem they point to death as the way. Thus in Exodus 32:30-32 Moses seeks to make an atonement for the sin of the people, and he does so by asking Yahweh to blot him out of the book which He has written. Phinehas makes an atonement by slaying certain transgressors (Num.25:6-8,13). Other passages might be cited. It is clear than in the Tanakh (Old Testament) it was recognised that death was the penalty for sin (Ezek.18:20), but that Elohim (God) graciously permitted the death of a sacrificial victim to substitute for the death of the sinner. So clear is the connection that the writer of Hebrews can sum it up by saying "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb.9:22b, NRSV).

3. Atonement in the Messianic Scriptures

The Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) take the line that the sacrifices of old were not the root cause of the putting away of sins. Redemption is to be obtained even "from the transgressions under the first covenant" only by the death of Messiah (Heb.9:15, NRSV). The cross is absolutely essential to the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), and, indeed, to the whole Bible. All before leads up to it. All after looks back to it. Since it occupies the critical place, it is not surprising that there is a vast volume of teaching about it. The Messianic Scripture (New Testament) writers, writing from different standpoints, and with different emphases, give us a number of facets of the atonement. There is no repetition of a sterotyped line of teaching. Each writes as he sees. Some saw more and more deeply than others. But they did not see something different. In what follows we shall consider first of all what might be termed the common, basic teaching about the atonement, and then some of the information that we owe to one or other of the theologians of the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament).

3a. It Reveals Elohim's Love For Men

All are agreed that the atonement proceeds from the ahavah (love) of Elohim (God). It is not something wrung from a stern and unwilling Father, perfectly just, but perfectly inflexible, by a loving Son. The atonement shows us the ahavah (love) of the Father just as it does the ahavah (love) of the Son. Paul gives us the classic exposition of this when he says, "Elohim (God) proves His ahavah (love) for us in that while we were yet sinners Messiah died for us" (Heb.5:8, NRSV). In the best known text in the Bible we find that "Elohim (God) so loved the world that he gave His only [begotten] Son..." (Jn.3:16, NRSV). In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) it is emphasised that the Son of man "must undergo great suffering" (Mk.8:31, NRSV, etc.). That is to say, the death of Messiah was no accident: it was rooted in a compelling divine necessity. This we also see our Master's prayer in Gethsemane that the will of the Father be done (Mt.26:42). Similarly, in Hebrews we read that it was "by the grace (undeserved loving kindness) of Elohim (God)" (Heb.2:9, NRSV) that Messiah tasted of death for us all (Heb.2:9). The thought is found throughout the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), and we must bear it well in mind when we reflect on the manner of the atonement.

3b. The Sacrificial Aspect of Messiah's Death

Another thought that is widespread is that the death of Messiah is a death for sin. It is not simply that certain wicked men rose up against Him. It is not that His enemies conspired against Him and that he was not able to resist them. He "was handed over to death for our trespasses" (Rom.4:25, NRSV), He came specifically to die for our sins. His blood was shed "for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Mt.26:28, NRSV). He "made purification for our sins" (Heb.1:3, NRSV). He "carried up our sins to the tree", which is to say, He "bore our sins in His body on the cross" (1 Pet.2:24, NRSV). He is "the atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 Jn.2:2, NRSV), "the propitiation for our sins" (KJV). The cross of Messiah will never be understood unless it is seen that thereon the Saviour was dealing with the sins of all mankind.

In doing this He fulfilled all that the old sacrifices had foreshadowed, and the New Testament writers love to think of His death as a sacrifice. Yah'shua (Jesus) Himself referred to His blood as "blood of the covenant" (Mk.14:24, NRSV), which points us to the sacrificial rites for its understanding. Indeed, much of the language used in the institution of the Master's Supper is sacrificial, pointing to the sacrifice to be accomplished on the cross. Paul tells us that Messiah has "loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to Elohim (God)" (Eph.5:2, NRSV). On occasion he can refer, not to sacrifice in general, but to a specific sacrifice, as in 1 Corinthians 5:7, "for our paschal (Passover) lamb, Messiah, has been sacrificed" (1 Cor.5:7, NRSV), and then urges believers to continue observing Pesach (Passover) but in a new way, without animal sacrifices, "therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old chametz (yeast), the chametz (yeast) of malice and wickedness, but with bread without chametz (yeast), the bread of sincerity and emet (truth)" (1 Cor.5:8, NIV). Peter speaks of "the precious blood of Messiah, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish" (1 Pet.1:19, NRSV), which indicates that in one aspect Messiah's death was a sacrifice. And in John's Gospel we read the words of John the Baptist, "Here is the Lamb of Elohim (God) who takes away the sin of the world!" (1 Jn.1:29, NRSV). Sacrifice was practically the universal religious rite of the first century. Wherever men were, and whatever their background, they would discern a sacrificial allusion. The New Testament writers made use of this, and employed sacrificial terminology to bring out what Messiah had done for men. All that to which sacrifices pointed, and more, He had fully accomplished by His death.

3c. The Representative Nature of Messiah's Death

It is agreed by nearly all students that Messiah's death was vicarious. If in one sense He died "for sin", in another He died "for us". But 'vicarious' ('undergone or done as a substitute for another') is a term which may mean much or little. It is better to be more precise. Most scholars today accept the view that the death of Messiah is representative. That is to say, it is not that Messiah died and somehow the benefits of that death became available to men (did not even Anselm ask to whom more fittingly than to us they could be assigned?). It is rather that He died specifically for us. He was our representative as He hung on the cross. This is expressed succinctly in 2 Corinthians 5:14, "one had died for all; therefore all have died" (2 Cor.5:14, NRSV), "one died for all, then were all dead" (KJV). The death of the Representative counts as the death of those He represents. When Messiah is spoken of as our "advocate with the Father" (1 Jn.2:1, NRSV) there is the plain thought of representation, and as the passage immediately goes on to deal with with His death for sin it is relevant for our purpose. The Epistle to the Hebrews has as one of its major themes that of Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol or High Priest. The thought is repeated over and over. Now whatever else may be said about a Cohen Gadol (High Priest), he represents men. The thought of representation may thus be said to be very strong in this Epistle.

3d. Substitution Taught in the New Testament

But can we say more? There is a marked disinclination amongst many modern scholars (though not by any means all) to use the older language of substitution. Nevertheless, this seems to be the teaching of the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), and that not in one or two places only, but throughout. In the Synoptic Gospels there is the great ransom saying, "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mk.10:45, NRSV). Both the details ("ransom" has a substitutionary connotation, and anti, "for", is the preposition of substitution), and the general thought of the passage (men should die, Messiah dies instead, men no longer die) point to substitution. The same emet (truth) is indicated by passages which speak of Messiah as the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, for of Him it is said, "He was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the punishment that made us whole, and by His bruises we are healed...Yahweh has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Is.53:5-6, NRSV). The shrinking of Messiah in Gethsemane points in the same direction. He was courageous, and many far less worthy than He have faced death calmly. The agony seems to be inexplicable other than on the grounds disclosed by Paul, that Elohim (God) "made Him to be sin who knew no sin" (2 Cor.5:21, NRSV). In His death He took our place, and His qadosh (holy, set-apart) soul shrank from this identification with sinners. And it seems that no less than this gives meaning to the cry of dereliction, "My Elohim (God), My Elohim (God), why have You forsaken Me?" (Mk.15:34, NIV).

Paul tells us that Messiah "redeemed us from the curse pronounced in the Torah (Law) by becoming cursed on our behalf" (Gal.3:13, JNT). He bore our curse, which is but another way of saying substitution. The same thought lies behind Romans 3:21-26, where the apostle develops the thought that Yahweh's justice is manifested in the process whereby sin is forgiven, i.e. the cross. He is not saying, as some have thought, that Elohim's (God's) righteousness is shown in the fact that sin is forgiven, but that it is shown in the way in which sin is forgiven. Atonement is not a matter of passing over sin as had been done aforetime (Rom.3:25). The cross shows that Elohim (God) is just at the same time as it shows Him justifying believers. This must mean that Elohim's (God's) justice is vindicated in the way sin is dealt with. And this seems another way of saying that Messiah bore the penalty of men's sins. This is also the thought in passages dealing with sin-bearing as Hebrews 9:28 and 1 Peter 2:24. The meaning of bearing sin is made clear by a number of Tanakh (Old Testament) passages where the context shows that the bearing of penalty is meant. For example, in Ezekiel 18:20 we read, "the son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father..." (Ezek.18:20, ESV), and in Num 14:34 the wilderness wanderings as a bearing of iniquities. Messiah's bearing of our sins, then, means that He bore our penalty.

Substitution lies behind the statement in 1 Timothy 2:6 that Messiah gave Himself "a ransom for all" (1 Tim.2:6, NRSV). Antilytron, translated "ransom", is a strong compound meanining 'substitute-ransom'. Grimm-Thayer define it as 'what is given in exchange for another as the price of his redemption'. It is impossible to empty the word of substitutionary associations. A similar thought lies behind John's recording of the cynical prophecy of Caiaphas, "it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed" (Jn.11:50, NRSV). For Caiaphas the words were sheer political expediency, but John sees in them a prophecy that Messiah would die instead of the people.

This is a formidable body of evidence (and is not exhaustive). In the face of it it seems impossible to deny that substitution is one strand in the New Testament understanding of the work of Messiah.

3e. Other New Testament Aspects of the Atonement

Such are the main points attested to throughout the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament). Other important truths are set forth in individual writers (which does not, of course, mean that they are any less to be accepted; it is simply a method of classification). Thus Paul sees in the cross the way of deliverance. Men naturally are enslaved to sin (Rom.6:17; 7:14). But in Messiah men are free (Rom.6:14,22). Similarly, through Messiah men are delivered from the flesh, they "have crucified the flesh" (Gal.5:24, KJV), they "do not wage war according to the flesh" (2 Cor.10:3, NRSV var.), that flesh which "lusts against the Ruach (Spirit)" (Gal.5:17, NKJV), and which apart from Messiah spells death (Rom.8:13). Men are under the wrath of Elohim (God) on account of their unrighteousness (Rom.1:18), but Messiah delivers from this, too. Believers are "justified by His blood" and thus "will...be saved through Him from the wrath of Elohim (God)" (Rom.5:9, NRSV).

The Torah (i.e. the Pentateuch and by extension the whole Tanakh/Old Testament) may be regarded in many ways. But considered as a way of salvation it is disastrous. It shows a man his sin (Rom.7:7), and, entering into an unholy alliance with sin, slays him (Rom.7:9-11). The end result is that "everyone who depends on legalistic observance of Torah commands lives under a curse" (Gal.3:10, JNT). But Messiah has "redeemed us from the curse pronounced in the Torah" (Gal.3:13, JNT). Death to men of antiquity was a grim antagonist against whom none might prevail. But Paul sings a song of triumph in Messiah who gives victory even over death (1 Cor.15:55-57). It is abundantly plain that Paul sees in Messiah a mighty Deliverer.

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/Messianic of whom we have knowledge to make use of them. Clearly he thought of Messiah as having wrought much for His people in His atoning death.

For the writer of Hebrews the great thought is that of Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol or High Priest. He develops thoroughly the thought of the uniqueness and the finality of the offering made by Messiah. Unlike the way established on Hebrew altars and ministered by cohenim (priests) of the Aaronic line, the way established by Messiah in His death is of permanent validity. It will never be altered. Messiah has dealt fully with man's sin.

In the Johannine writings there is the thought of Messiah as the special revelation of the Father. He is One sent by the Father, and all that He does must be interpreted in the light of this fact. So John sees Messiah as winning a conflict against the darkness, as defeating the evil one. He has much to say about the working out of the purpose of Elohim (God) in Messiah. He sees the true glory in the lowly cross whereon such a mighty work was done.

From all of this it is abundantly apparent that the atonement is vast and deep. The New Testament writers strive with the inadequacy of language as they seek to present us with what this great divine act means. There is more to it by far than we have been able to indicate. But all the points we have made are important, and none is to be neglected. Nor are we to overlook the fact that the atonement represents more than something negative. We have been concerned to insist on the place of Messiah's sacrifice of Himself in the putting away of sin. But that opens up the way to a new life in Messiah. And that new life, the fruit of the atonement, is not to be thought of as an insignificant detail. It is that to which all the rest leads.

28 January 2018

The Atonement: Getting Right with Yahweh
1. The Atonement: Yahweh's Provision for Man's Sin (Study)
2. The Atonement: Yahweh's Provision for Man's Sin (Sermon)
3. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Atonement (FAQ)
4. The Cross Schedule (Art)
5. The Cross of Messiah vs. Signs and Wisdom (Art)
6. On Blood Atonement (OB 163)
7. An Aged Jew's Discovery (Art)
8. Why I am Not a Calvinist (Art)
9. Philosophy vs. the Cross (OB 100)
10. Johannine Essays: The Ruach haQodesh and Truth in 1 John (Art)
11. The Shoob Heresy: Denying the Incarnation & the New Testament (Art)
12. Cleansing the Temple of Tresspasses III & the Brazen Laver (Art)
13. Belief in Messiah: Understanding Judgment, Grace & Holiness (Art)
14. Yahweh's Priorities (Art)
15. Are We Predestined? Calvinism & Arminianism Compared (Art)
16. Teshuvah #5 Micah: Learning to Repent for Sinners (Art)
17. Sukkot 2012: I. The River Within (Art)
18. Nothing Apart from You: A Revelation About Ivory Towers (Art)
19. Eternal Beginnings & Substitution: Not I, But Messiah Yah'shua! (Art)
20. Book of Revelation LXVIII: The Beast Defeated, Part 2 - Messiah's Conquest & Victory Through the Cross (Revelation 19:11-21) (Art)
Also see the Day of Atonement (Yom haKippurim), Resurrection, Cross and Once Saved, Always Saved (OSAS) pages

Key: Art=Article | FAQ=Frequently Asked Question | Sc=Science | St=Sermonette | Occ=Occult | OB=Olive Branch | PCM=Patriarchal Christian Marriage | NCCM=New Covenant Christian Ministries | Sab=Sabbath | Sal=Salvation | 5Com=Five Commissions | AI=Apostolic Interviews | HO=Holy Order

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