Propitiation

Propitiation (Greek hilasterion, hilasmos) refers to that which renders God propitious — turning aside his wrath against sin by satisfying his justice. The term encompasses the idea that God's righteous anger at sin is real and must be addressed, not merely overlooked. Paul declares that God set forth Jesus as a propitiation through his blood, demonstrating God's righteousness in passing over former sins (Rom. 3:25). John states that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world (1 John 2:2; 4:10). The same Greek root (hilasterion) refers to the mercy seat or atonement cover on the ark of the covenant (Heb. 9:5; Ex. 25:17), where the high priest annually sprinkled blood on the Day of Atonement. The concept is central to Reformation and evangelical soteriology and stands in distinction from "expiation," which emphasizes only the removal of guilt rather than the appeasement of divine wrath.