2. In the teaching of the Apostles. — While we may have the key to the innermost meaning of our Lord's mission work in the forms of the word i\d<TKo/xai, they must be interpreted in the perspec- tive of the general teaching of the Epistles. While the word ' propitiation ' is used so seldom, the idea that our Lord's work was a propitiation is woven into the warp and woof of them all. The whole aim of Hebrews is to show that Christ, as a priest representing the people, and as a sacrifice, expiated their sin, and was the antitype of the old priest- hood and sacrifices. He was, as the Passover lamb, sacrificed for men without the breaking of a bone (Jn 1936, 1 Co 5'- 8, cf. Ex 12«) ; He was a sin- oftering (Ro 8^, He 13"). As in the Levitical sacri- fices for sin, the shed blood, representing the life given up, was the propitiation, so emphasis is laid upon the blood of Christ in His redemptive work (lio 59, Eph 1^ 2'3, Col l"-2o, Heb. passim, 1 P V'->, 1 Jn V, Rev P 5^ etc.). The blood of Christ is said to be the blood of sprinkling, because the blood of the sacrifices was sprinkled (1 P P, He 122^). We must, then, interpret the definite words iXda-Kea-dai, i\a(Tfj.6s, and WacT-qpLov in the light of the environing conception of Christ as the antitype of the old sin- and guilt-offerings, which was held by those who used them.
(a) St. Paul. — The earliest, as well as the most im- portant, instance is in Ro 325- 26 ' -whom God set forth to be a propitiation (iXaaT-ripLov), through faith, by his blood, to show his righteousness because of the I^assing over of the sins done aforetime, in the for- bearance of God ; for the showing of his righteous- ness at this present season : that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him that hath faith in Jesus.' According to St. Paul's conception, Christ is a propitiation in {ev) His blood or death, and be- cause He manifests or demonstrates the righteous- ness of God. The righteousness of God demanded this demonstration to vindicate it against the suspicion of its violation which might arise because of the passing over of sins done aforetime, and of the justification of the believer at the present season. The nature of this righteousness is also evident. It is that in God M'hich demands that sins be punished and not passed over in forbear- ance, and that sinners be condemned and not justi- fied. It is that in God which is cast under suspicion when the reverse of this is done, and therefore needs demonstration and vindication. It is subjective righteousness in God. It is true that God pro- vided the propitiation which His righteousness demands, and He does this in love (Ro 58), but all the same, the propitiation to demonstrate His
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righteousness had to be provided by love in order to vindicate righteousness in ' passing over ' sins in forbearance and in 'justifying' on the condition of faith. To confound righteousness and love in their manifestations, would be to remove the very ground of tlie problem involved in being just and justifying. Neither is the faith which might be aroused by the setting forth of Ciirist in His blood that which has propitiatory value. The righteous- ness of God had to be vindicated by tliis very pro- pitiation in the case of those who had faith in Jesus. Christ in His blood constitutes the pro- pitiation. It becomes effective as a propitiation, through faith. ,
In what sense, then, does St. Paul regard our Lord as a jjropitiation ? How could He in His blood or death demonstrate God's righteousness, which demanded that sins be punished and not passed over, and that the ungodly be condemned and not justified when the reverse of this took place ? Could it be in any other way than that, in the death of Christ, the righteousness of God which made these demands received a satisfaction for the sins of men of the same kind as would have been paid if God iiad let His punitive wrath (Ro V^) fall upon tiie transgressor ? In His death Ciirist en- dured the just desert of sin (Ko 6^^), as ' him who knew no sin he (God) made to be sin on our behalf (2 Co 5'-"). He could in consequence pass over sins in forbearance, and justify the believer though un- godly (Ro 4'), and His righteousness would not be tarnished but demonstrated, because Christ stood for sinners, and all died in His death (2 Co 5'"*). This is the natural interpretation of the passage itself. It also brings it into accord with St. Paul's general circle of ideas. It is in harmony with the central idea of the Levitical sacrifices for sin from which the pivotal word i\affTrjpi.ov is derived. In it tlie thought of our Lord in Mt 20-« ll Mk lO^"* ('give his life a ransom [Xvrpov] in the stead of [avrl] all '), and Mt 26-* etc., is reflected and expanded. The historical continuity of thought between the OT and our Lord, and our Lord and St. Paul, is also preserved.
(b) St. John. — As St. Paul, in viewing Christ as a propitiation, lays emphasis upon His demonstra- tion of the Divine righteousness, St. John sees in His propitiation a demonstration of the Divine love. Taking the two instances where He is said to be a propitiation (iXaafios, I Jn 2^ 4'"), w-e find that He is a propitiation for sins. The sending of Christ as a propitiation was prompted by God's love, not as a return for man's love. The propitiation was for tlie whole world, and not for those alone who should be saved. It is Jesus Christ tlie Eiffhteous wiio is the i)ropitiation, apparently show- ing that His propitiatory work had a peculiar relation to righteousness. As St. Joiin had just referred to our Lord's blood as cleansing from all sin (1 Jn V), it is plain that he thought of Christ in His blood or death as the propitiation. Neither is He the propitiation for sins because of any cleans- ing or other work wrouglit in men as a consequence of His work and deatii ; for He is the propitiation for the whole world, many of whom will never be purified or subjectively changed by or tiirough it. The propitiation is due to a work for us, and not in us, except as a consequence. It must then, in itself, have reference to God, and not to a work in men's hearts. This brings these passages into iiar- mony witli tlie Johannine conception in Revela- tion. There it is ever as the Lamb that was slain — tlie antitype of tlie sacrificial victim^th<at He is spoken of, and tliat His blood is said to purify and redeem (Rev 5"- »• '- 6' etc., cf. l-'> 5» 7'^ etc.). St. John's whole view of Christ as tlie antitype of the sacrificial victims, in connexion with his statement (1 Jn 2^) that He is the propitiation for the wliole