The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum Literal vrs. Dynamic

Henry,

I don't consider the difference between the words, "atonement" and "propitiation" to be unduly pedantic at all, but one of MAJOR importance. Propitiation deals with an aspect of atonement, specifically the appeasing of the wrath of God accomplished by the expiating of that which offended, i.e., sin. Atonement doesn't address these two aspects at all, but rather more generally of reconciliation.

It was once thought that the RSV was obviating this important issue by substituting propitiation with expiating, thus circumventing the issue of God's wrath being upon sinners. But the NIV goes far beyond the RSV and simply ignores both. I'm afraid that your "Vine's" is miserably mistaken. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, by Arndt and Gingrich, one of the most accepted standard lexicons of Koine Greek, defines hilasterion (propitiation) as:

that which expiates of propitiates, concr. a means of expiation, gift to procure expiation. . . . The LXX uses hilasterion of the lid of the ark of the covenant, which was sprinkled with the blood of the sin-offering on the day of atonement (Ex. 25:16ff) . . . So Heb 9:5, translated mercy-seat. . .

Another lexicon, albeit less used but still acknowledged as reliable is A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament by Joseph Henry Thayer says:

hilaskomai: (to render propitious, appease) never met with; 1. to render propitious to one's self, to appease, conciliate to one's self . . . to become propitious, be placated or appeased . . . 2. by an Alexandrian usage, to expiate, make propitiation for . . .

hilasterion: relating to appeasing or expiating, having placating or expiating force, expiatory . . . a means of appeasing or expiating, a propitiation . . . 1. the well-known cover of the ark of the covenant in the Holy of holies, which was sprinkled with the blood of the expiatory victim on the annual day of atonement (this rite signifying that the life of the people, the loss of which they had merited by their sins, was offered to God in the blood as the life of the victim, and that God by this ceremony was appeased and their sins were expiated); hence the lid of expiation, the propitiatory,

I think I'll maintain that which I have come to understand concerning the meaning of hilaskomai, hilasterion from my reading of Scripture, my language studies and from what I have been taught by reliable professors over what the translators of the NIV consider to be a better "meaning" of the words which God inspired.

In His Grace,