THE ROOT MEANING OF THE ENGLISH WORD “ATONEMENT” COMES FROM A HEBREW WORD MEANING “COVERING,” SPECIFICALLY REFERRING TO THE SOLID GOLD COVERING OF THE ARK OF THE COVENANT, THE PLACE WHERE GOD’S PRESENCE DWELT AMONG THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL, THE MOST HOLY PLACE, THE HOLY OF HOLIES.

CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE USES THE WORD “ATONEMENT” TO SPEAK OF THAT WHICH COVERS OUR SIN AND MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR GOD TO DWELL, NOT JUST AMONG US, BUT IN US.

THE SUBJECT OF THE ATONEMENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO ME. EVEN AS A CHILD, I FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT WHAT I CALL A FORMULA FOR SALVATION – IF YOU BELIEVE THAT JESUS DIED ON THE CROSS FOR YOUR SINS YOU WILL BE SAVED. WE ARE CALLED TO BELIEVE IN JESUS, NOT IN ANY FORMULA OF MAN.

THE MOST POPULAR THEORY OF THE ATONEMENT IS THAT OF SUBSTITUTED PUNISHMENT, THE PST, OR THE PENAL SUBSTITUTIONARY THEORY OF THE ATONEMENT.

I HAVE OFTEN HEARD IT SAID, “GOD IS A GOD OF LOVE, BUT HE IS ALSO A GOD OF JUSTICE,” AND THIS JUSTICE OF GOD MUST BE SATISFIED OR PROPITIATED, AND JESUS’ DEATH SATISFIED GOD’S DEMAND FOR JUSTICE BY DYING ON THE CROSS.

THE JEWISH SIN OFFERING WAS BUT A SHADOW OF THE REALITY. THE SHADOW IS NOT THE REALITY. JESUS, THE REALITY, CLARIFIES THE SHADOW.

WHAT IS GOD’S PROPITIATION OR SATISFACTION?  HOW DOES THE SON SO PLEASE AND SATISFY THE FATHER THAT OUR SIN IS COVERED AND TAKEN AWAY? WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS’ LIFE? WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS? WHAT IS THE ATONEMENT?

IN THE FOLLOWING ESSAYS, I ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.

THE TWO BOOKS THAT I FOUND MOST HELPFUL IN MY STUDY OF THE SUBJECT OF THE ATONEMENT ARE: “THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT” BY McLEOD CAMPBELL AND “THE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLE OF THE ATONEMENT” BY JOHN SCOTT LIDGETT.

Rosemary E. Hyslop