Atonement
Category
Salvation & Redemption
Biblical Definition
The divinely appointed dealing with sin by sacrifice so that guilt is covered, judgment is answered, and fellowship with God is restored; in the New Testament, Christ fulfills what the Old Testament sacrifices prefigured.
Origin(s)
Hebrew: כָּפַר; related New Testament sacrificial terms: ἱλαστήριον / καταλλαγή
Transliteration
kāphar; hilastērion; katallagē
Literal meaning
to cover, purge, make atonement; propitiatory means; reconciliation
Key Scripture(s)
Leviticus 16:30; Leviticus 17:11; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:12-14; 1 John 2:2
Theological Significance
Atonement stands at the center of redemptive history. The Old Testament sacrificial system taught that sin brings death and requires substitution, while the New Testament proclaims that Christ's once-for-all sacrifice truly removes guilt and reconciles sinners to God.
Common Misunderstanding(s)
Atonement is not merely human beings making up for wrongdoing, nor were animal sacrifices the final answer to sin. Scripture presents atonement as God's provision, fulfilled decisively in Christ.
Practical Application
Atonement humbles the sinner, magnifies God's holiness and mercy, and grounds assurance in Christ's finished work rather than in personal merit.