Atonement isn’t a word we frequently use in our daily vernacular. But it merely means “the reparation for an offense or injury.” or “the act of showing you are sorry for doing something wrong in the past.”
It has the same meaning as more familiar words such as reparation, payment, restitution, or amends.
Atonement also means bringing two things together. When we break it down, atonement is a combination of “at-one” and “ment.” And it was often used in the 1500’s English to mean being at one with others.
Biblical atonement has a little bit of both definitions. However, there is one key difference in its usage. For further understanding, lets’ look at the original Hebrew and Greek words.
Atonement in Hebrew
Atonement in the Bible comes from the Hebrew word kippur (kip-poor’). It appears only six times in the Old testament with its first appearance in Exodus 30:10. It says, “Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement, he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”
Interestingly, kippur only appears once in the above verse. The other “atonements” is the Hebrew word kaphar (kaw-far’), the verb form of kippur. Kaphar means to cover over, purge, make reconciliation, or pacify. It appears over a hundred times in the Old Testament and is translated in various English words.
For example, the King James Version translates kaphar 71x as atonement (e.g., Exodus 30:10 KJV, Leviticus 5:10 KJV), seven times as purge (e.g., 1 Samuel 3:14 KJV, Psalm 65:3 KJV), three times as reconciliation (e.g., Leviticus 8:15 KJV, 2 Chronicles 29:24 KJV), once as purge away (Psalm 79:9 KJV), and once as pacify (Proverbs 16:14 KJV).
Therefore, the concrete meaning of atonement in Hebrew is the covering or removal of a transgression. It is when an offended person pardons and removes the offense.
Atonement in Greek
Atonement in Greek is katallage (kat-al-lag-ay’). It occurs only once in Romans 5:11 KJV, “And not only, so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” It is translated as reconciliation in the NKJV and ESV.
Kattallage means reconciliation, restoration, or favor. It’s when two parties come together to the same position. It also appears in Romans 11:15, and 2 Corinthians 5:18-19.
Putting it all together
From both Hebrew and Greek definitions, biblical atonement is to cover an offense and reconcile. It occurs when one party commits a transgression, and the other chooses to cover (pardon) it and restore the relationship.
Normally, it is the person who commits an offense who must make amends or restitution through penance. But not in the Bible. Though we offended God with our sins, He is the one who atoned for it. He graciously purged away our sins and reconciled us to Him without any punishment.
And though there is an element of togetherness in biblical atonement, we must not confuse it with the new-age concept of at-one-ment— the absorption into the One energy. Since the English word atonement originally means being at one, some people have developed the theory that humans can experience complete oneness with God.
It is unbiblical.
God does reconcile us to Himself through the atonement, but He doesn’t make us one with Him. Moreover, this definition has nothing to do with the original Hebrew or Greek words, as explained above.
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Penal substitutionary atonement is at the heart of the gospel, and it’s the central message of the Bible.
Penal means “relating to, or involving punishment, penalties,” or “liable to punishment.” And substitution means “a person or thing acting in place of another.” Therefore, penal substitution occurs when one person takes the punishment for the offense of another.
We can see the first traces of penal substitution as early as Genesis 3. After Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit, they became aware of their nakedness. Consequently, they hid from God’s presence in shame (Genesis 3:9). But God graciously clothed Adam and Eve with garments of skin (Genesis 3:22). Instead of killing Adam and Eve as they deserved (penal), God killed an innocent animal (substitution) and used it to cover them (atonement).
This event introduced the sacrificial system required to cover the transgressions of human. And all instances of atonement in the Bible feature the four elements of penal substitution: a transgressor, God’s judgment, a replacement, and a blood covering.
OT: The Passover and The Day of Atonement
In Exodus 12, God judged the land of Egypt through a series of terrible plagues and the last one was the death of all the first-born sons. The transgressors were the Egyptians and the Israelites.
Ezekiel 20:5-8 says, “and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: On the day when I chose Israel, I swore to the offspring of the house of Jacob, making myself known to them in the land of Egypt... And I said to them, ‘Cast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, every one of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.’ But they rebelled against me and were not willing to listen to me… Then I said I would pour out my wrath upon them and spend my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.”
The Israelites rebelled against God and committed idolatry. So they also fell under God’s judgment and deserved His wrath (Exodus 12:12).
However, God had mercy on them. So He ordered the Israelites to slay a lamb and put its blood on the lamp post and lintel of their houses. The lamb served as a substitute for the Israelites, and its blood covered their transgression and protected them from God’s wrath (Exodus 12:18).
The penal substitution continued through the annual day of atonement in Leviticus 16. On that day, the high priest took a goat, killed it, and sprinkled its blood over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat (Leviticus 16:15). By doing so, the high priest made “atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins.” (Leviticus 16:16). The goat served as a substitute, and its blood as covering.
NT: The crucifixion of Jesus
The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were temporary and foreshadowed a much greater atonement: the death of Jesus. It was the ultimate and all-sufficient atonement, and it also bore all the elements of penal substitution.
in the biblical narrative, humans are the transgressor because we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). God’s justice and wrath required judgment for our sins, and the sentence was death (Romans 6:23). But in His incredible mercy, God covered our sins and sent His only Son to serve as a substitute and take our punishment (John 1:29). Consequently, the blood that Jesus shed on the cross atoned for the sins of the world (Ephesians 1:7).
And only those who believe in the name of Jesus and confess Him as Lord and Savior will receive forgiveness and reconciliation with God (John 3:36 Romans 10:9)
Limited vs. unlimited atonement
There is an ongoing debate in the Christian community regarding who was covered by the atonement of Jesus. It occurs mainly among people who believe in the doctrines of Grace (TULIP) proposed by John Calvin (Calvinists) and those who either only reject the limited atonement doctrine (four-point Calvinists) or reject TULIP entirely (Arminians).
The doctrine of limited atonement or particular redemption affirms that Jesus died on the cross only for those whom He predestined or elected for salvation. Proponents of this doctrine use Scriptures such Romans 8:30 and Titus 1:1 for support. Their reasoning is, if Jesus died for everyone, then His atonement would not be enough since people will still go to Hell. However, if He only died for a select few, then His atonement is perfect as everyone He died for will go to Heaven. Moreover, in the OT, the atonement was never for everyone, but for a few (the Israelites), likewise, the atonement of Jesus was only for His bride.
Unlimited atonement is the opposite, and it states that Jesus died for everyone. However, it is only those who have faith in Him who will receive the benefits of His sacrifice. Proponents of this doctrine use Scriptures such as 1 John 2:2 and 1 Timothy 2:5-6 for support. Their reason is based on the distinction between the intent and application of the atonement. The intent is unlimited, so everyone is invited to receive salvation. However, it is limited in its application, and it’s only effectual for those who have faith in Christ.
Many sound theologians fall on both sides of the debate, and it’s not a case of heresy versus orthodoxy. If we believe in the penal substitutionary atonement of Jesus, affirm that only those who believe in Him will receive salvation, and reject universalism (everyone will go to heaven), we can lovingly agree to disagree.
Bible verses on atonement
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
Leviticus 17:11
But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:5-6
For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Matthew 26:28
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:6-11
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Ephesians 1:7
And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Colossians 1:20
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
1 Peter 2:24
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit,
1 Peter 3:18
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.
Hebrews 9:14
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:22
So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28
He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
1 John 2:2
Resources on PSA
American Gospel: Christ Crucified (I highly recommend it!)
Mike Winger’s video series PSA Defended: Scripture, History, Philosophy, and Rhetoric. Mike (a non-Calvinist) also has a back and forth with James White (a Calvinist) on the limited vs. unlimited atonement debate.
Also, check out my series Jesus in the Old Testament to see some other ways Jesus is foreshadowed in the Old Testament!
