TOPIC: Salvation

You might be asking yourself, How can I know what "more than atonement" (the subject of today's study) means when I don't know what "atonement" means? Well, its meaning has little to do with how you say it. Although, the emphasis is on the second syllable, the word has nothing to do with singing or playing by ear. Used 69 times in the Old Testament and once in the New Testament, "atonement" has a very deep meaning.

What Does God Say?

Look at the following two Old Testament verses that address atonement:

"The priest is to make atonement before the LORD for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made for him, he will be forgiven (Numbers 15:28, NIV)

"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life (Leviticus 17:11, NIV)

Now, do your own study of the Old Testament meaning of "atonement" by answering the following questions:

1. Go to the Web address: http://bible.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/ and click on "Old Testament Hebrew." Now, enter "atonement" in the space provided, and click on "Find." Look at the entries there (click on the word) and write down the meanings for the Old Testament (Hebrew) word for "atonement."

2. How does the meaning of "atonement" in Hebrew relate to the "sacrificial system" instituted by Moses?

3. What were the animal sacrifices meant to accomplish?

4. What did the animal sacrifices point to?

Let's go now to the New Testament and discover how "atonement" is used there:

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

"Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

"And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement (Romans 5:8-11, KJV).

1. Go to the same Web address and click on "New Testament Greek." Type "atonement" into the area provided and click on "Enter." Once again, write out the definition (Greek definition) of "atonement."

2. What difference do you find between the Hebrew and Greek meanings?

My Thoughts

The word "atonement" was coined by Tyndale (a Protestant who translated the Bible into English) to convey the idea that God reconciled man to Himself through Christ. Tyndale used the three words "at"+"one"+"ment" to get that meaning across.

Read the following verses and write your own definition of "atonement" keeping in mind that it was derived from the word "reconciliation."

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:10, KJV).

"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility" (Ephesians 2:14-16, ESV).

"For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him [Christ], and through him [Christ] to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (Colossians 1:19-20, NIV).

My Part