What did the death of Jesus on the cross actually accomplish? We all might answer this question in different ways, but often we will come back to the word “atonement.” But what is an atonement? Is an atonement an Old Testament concept of simply covering sins, or does it remove them? Believe it or not, there is actually a bit of disagreement about this, so let’s take a look at it.
The argument goes like this: the word “atonement” appears in the Old Testament, referring to the covering of sin that the animal sacrifices provided. However, except for once, the word “atonement” does not appear in the New Testament. If the sacrifices did not remove sin, but the death of Jesus did, then we would not be able to call His death an atonement.
So, was His death really an atonement?
The first thing we have to do is look at the word “atonement” itself. While many of our intellectual-sounding theological words have their roots in other languages, “atonement” does not. It seems to appear in English as late as the sixteenth century, literally meaning “at one,” as in taking two separate things bringing them together. We could very easily substitute the word “reconciliation.”
So, that’s the English word. But if we really want to understand the concept that it describes, we have to set the English word aside and look at the meaning of the actual words the biblical writers used.
In the Old Testament, the word “atonement” is used to translate two Hebrew words, kawfar and kippur. You might recognize kippur from the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur or “Day of Atonement.” Kippur appears eight times in the Old Testament. However, it is derived from the other word, kawfar, which appears 102 times in the Old Testament, so we will focus on that one.
The word kawfar literally means “to cover with bitumen.” It is used that way in Genesis 6:14, where Noah waterproofs the ark by covering it with pitch, or bitumen. However, it also carries the figurative meaning of appeasing, placating, or disannulling something. For example, when Jacob was getting ready to greet his estranged brother, Esau, he was afraid because the last time they had seen each other, he had cheated Esau out of his birthright. So, to keep his brother from killing him, he sent gifts ahead to “appease”—or kawfar—him (Genesis 32:20). Proverbs 16:14 also tells us that a wise man will “appease” the king’s wrath (Proverbs 16:14).
So, the idea of “atonement” in the Old Testament overwhelmingly carries the idea of bringing two formerly estranged parties together.
But what about the New Testament? Is the concept of atonement or the word itself used in connection to the death of Jesus?
Yes, it is…sort of. You don’t find the word “atonement” in the New Testament, except for one instance—Romans 5:11. And then you find it only in the King James Version.
Here it is:
And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
(Romans 5:11 KJV)
First, note that all other major translations use the word “reconciliation” instead of “atonement” in this verse. The Greek word used here is kattalage, which means an “exchange” or “adjustment” or “restoration to divine favor.” When the word appears in other places, even in the King James Version, it is translated as “reconciliation.” By the way, kattalage comes from the word katallasso, which means “to change mutually” and is also often translated as “reconciled.”
So, what does all this mean? Was the death of Jesus and atonement or not?
Technically, the “atonement” provided for by the Old Testament sacrifices was a “covering,” but was used figuratively to refer to reconciliation to God. The Old Testament sacrifices were insufficient to remove sin, but they did accomplish their goal—they provided a way for the Israelites to be reconciled to God. However, their sins could not be completely removed until a sufficient sacrifice, Jesus, came. So, we can refer to the death of Jesus as an atonement because it also provides reconciliation with God. His sacrifice accomplished what the animal sacrifices could not—completely removing our sins by pacifying the wrath of a holy God.
This discussion of atonement is more than a theological exercise—it is intensely practical. Just as reconciliation, or atonement, was possible in the Old Testament only for those who participated in the sacrifices, reconciliation is possible today only for those who by faith trust in the ultimate sacrifice—Jesus Christ.
