Study 1
"And
not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we
have now received the atonement"
(Romans 5:11)
Introduction
What
is the atonement all about? Why is it so important to our Christian faith? What
are the blessings of the atonement? These and other questions will be answered
as we progress through our study.
A
definition
The
doctrine of the atonement can be defined as 'The sacrificial work of our Lord
Jesus Christ, both in life and death, which earned eternal salvation for the
whole world, but applied to those who repent and believe.' The dictionary
defines it as 'Compensation for a wrong done.'
Most theological works (thus theologians) limit the atoning work of Christ to
His death upon the cross, His death being the payment for sin. Though this is
true, it fails to take into account the blessings we can receive from His life.
The doctrine of the atonement only makes sense if we study both the life and
death of Christ. We must not be guilty of separating the atonement from His
person.
The
terminology
The
world 'atonement' came into use in the sixteenth century. William Tyndale, while
translating his 1526 translation of the English Bible, realised he needed a word
that would precisely explain the doctrine. 'Atonement' is made up of two words,
'at' and 'onement,' meaning reconciliation.
In our opening text the word 'atonement' can be translated 'reconciliation.' We
see then that the atonement relates to our need to be reconciled to God. Tyndale,
and the translators of the King James Version, were wise enough to note that
'reconciliation' did not fully explain what 'atonement' meant, and that many
Biblical texts would be misunderstood. Therefore the word was invented.
We naturally think
of the Jewish Feast of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) when considering this
subject. The Hebrew word is ‘kaper’ meaning ‘a covering’, so we can
quickly see that ‘reconciliation’ would not suffice in this sense.
God’s
love expressed
The atonement
is God the Father’s love expressed through His Son, Jesus Christ. Without this
love all sinners would be helplessly lost in sin and death (John 3:16; 1 John
4:9; Romans 5:8; Romans 3:24.)
Unrepeatable
The atonement
cannot be repeated in masses, through the merits of so-called saints, or by
personal holiness. Only the blood of the Saviour atones for us; His sacrifice
being the one-time payment for sin (Hebrews 10:10-12.)
The believer must be careful not to go beyond what the Scriptures actually teach
about the atonement. Some think that the atonement means that all will be saved;
while others state that it is limited to a few. The Bible speaks nothing of a
universal or limited atonement.
Conclusion
Any
study of the Bible would be inadequate if we dismiss or misunderstand the
doctrine of the atonement. It intertwines itself like a fruitful vine around all
the major truths and gives full meaning to subjects such as salvation,
sanctification, justification, and the new covenant. The atonement is truly the
foundation stone for our redemption through Christ.
Page created 17 September 2005