Atonement: Christ’s Work on the Cross

The concept of atonement begins in the early chapters of Genesis and continues to the last visions of Revelation. It is everywhere present that God seeks to reconcile His people to Himself and that He has provided a way to do so. The word “atonement” is derived from the Hebrew word “kaphar.” The word is used 99 times in the Old Testament and is mostly translated “atonement,” but can also be translated “reconciliation.” The basic idea of atonement in the Bible is a “covering” for sin to accomplish reconciliation between man and God. This is different from the modern English use of the word where it is commonly used in the sense of making restitution for an offense. The biblical word is used in connection with the animal sacrifices in the Law. Atonement was necessary for every kind of unintentional sin, but not for willful sins (Numbers 15:30-31). The Jews even had a Day of Atonement, which was an annual day of fasting, blood sacrifice, cleansing the sanctuary and the scapegoat ceremony (Leviticus 16).

In your English New Testaments you will rarely see the word atonement. Neither the NKJV or the NASB use this English word. The NIV does a few times, but in a more general sense of Christ’s work on the cross. The KJV uses the term only one time in Romans 5:11, We also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. The Greek word behind “atonement” here in Romans 5:11 is the word “katallage,” and it is used four times in the New Testament usually translated as “reconciliation.” The corresponding verb is “katallasso” is used six times and is translated “to reconcile.”

In theology and everyday Christian language the word atonement is used generally to refer to Christ saving work on the cross for sinners. We might say, “Christ atoned for my sins on the cross” or “the atonement of Christ paid the penalty for my sins.” These are legitimate ways to use the word. If we were to go on and explain what that means we would get more specific and say that Christ died as a Penal Substitutionary Atonement on the cross for sinners. This is at the heart of the Gospel. Divine justice had to be satisfied (Romans 3:26). In His death on the cross, Christ died in the place of sinners (substitution). We could not die on the cross for ourselves, we needed a perfect substitution who was also God Himself (Hebrews 7:26-27). He died “for” us as the Apostle Paul puts in in 1 Corinthians 15:3, Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. Christ dies in our place to satisfy the wrath of God against our sin, to redeem us from our sin, to completely remit our sin and reconcile us back to God. Christ’s atonement was also “penal” meaning that Christ paid for the punishment of our sins on the cross. God imputed the guilt of our sins to Christ, and Christ bore the punishment that we deserve (Isaiah 53:4-5). Christ then set us free from the “penalty” or legal demands of the Law (Galatians 3:13). This wonderful truth puts our minds at ease. For believers, there is no more condemnation for us. We are set free to live for Christ and die in Christ so that we will forever be with Christ.