That the Bible's primary message is the atonement, that is, that God has provided humankind with the means to restore harmonious relationship with him, is found all through the scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, Christians believe that God seeks to reconcile humankind to him. Therefore atonement refers to a reconciliation process between two parties estranged from each other because one of the parties has offended the other. Initially, the word atonement was interpreted as “at one-ment,” meaning to be in harmony (Cole, 2009). In the Christian concept, humankind became in harmony with God through atonement by the death of Christ for their sin. In the Old, Testament atonement was made through animal sacrifice to restore their relationship with God. For instance, the day of atonement is the most significant to Orthodox Jews where a young goat is sacrificed, and the priest could confess on behalf of the people (Lev 16). However, in the New Testament, the last sacrifice was made through Jesus death. His death was the atonement required for Christians to inherit the kingdom of God. The death paid in full for the sins of humankind, saving it from eternal death (Rom 3:23; 6:23). Various bible verses have used the word atonement. “During the seventh month, the tenth day shall be the day of atonement” (Lev 23:27-32, 16:18-22). “And he shall do with the bull as he did as a sin offering; hence, the priest shall perform the atonement for them” (Lev 4:20). “So the Christ was offered once to pay for the sins of many. He will appear again for those who wait for him.” (Hebrews 9:28).
For a better interpretation of the term atonement, Christians refer to parts of the scripture that outlines the Old Testament form of atonement in comparison with the new understanding offered by the New Testament. Some of the essential passages and verses for this interpretation include Romans 3:25; “God bestowed him as an offering of atonement through faith in his blood, to show justice as he had left previous sins unpunished.” Leviticus 1:4; “Man shall lay his hand on the burnt sacrifice, and the offering shall be accepted for him to make atonement for God.” Hebrews 9:1-10:18 “The offerings and sacrifices offered in the Old Testament could not satisfy atonement for the sins; they were only material things. But when Christ came, he entered the tabernacle through his blood once thus obtaining eternal redemption for sinners.”
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Christians interpret the scripture in Romans 3:25 as God’s way to show his mercy on humanity. He intended to take away past, present, and future sins all together and place them on Christ as a sacrifice of atonement. God, through this act, presented Jesus as the propitiation of people’s sin and the seat of mercy (Gorman, 2011). Through atonement by the blood of Christ, God created a way for his people to be forgiven sin and also a passage for future reconciliation with him through Jesus Christ. The mercy seat and propitiation were achieved on behalf of the people. Leviticus 1:4 shows the significance of atonement for Christians. The passage shows that God dwells among his people, in a tabernacle. However, God is holy, and he could not dwell with sinners, and therefore, the need for an offering system that would be offered to make atonement for sin. Hebrew 9:1-10:8 provide an overview of God’s plan to forgive sins. However, the old ways which involved the Old Testament sacrificial system could not be relied upon (Eberhart, 2018). God made Israelites know that he was holy, and they needed to make atonement through the high priest. The practice had to be performed regularly through animals’ sacrifices. For humanity to receive eternal forgiveness, God had to offer Jesus Christ as a once and all sacrifice to atone his people.
References
Cole, G. (2009). God the Peacemaker: How Atonement Brings Shalom (Vol. 25). InterVarsity Press.
Eberhart, C. A. (2018). The Sacrifice of Jesus: Understanding Atonement Biblically. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Gorman, M. J. (2011). Romans: The First Christian Treatise on Theosis. Journal of Theological Interpretation, 13-34.
Granerød, G. (2009). Melchizedek in Hebrews 7. Biblica, 188-202.
