A Biblical-Theological View of the Atonement
The atonement stands at the center of biblical theology, because it addresses the core problem running through Scripture: the rupture between God and humanity. To speak of atonement is to speak of God’s work to reconcile sinners to himself and to restore what was lost in Eden. The Bible presents this work both broadly—through the unfolding drama of redemption—and specifically through the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Lamb who shares the throne in Revelation 22:3. The theme is vast, yet Scripture consistently points to the cross as the decisive act by which God confronts sin, removes guilt, and brings his world back under his rule.
Why Atonement Is Needed
The storyline of biblical theology begins with the goodness of creation (Gen. 1:31), followed by the fall that introduced estrangement (Gen. 3). Humanity’s rebellion brings curse, exile, and death. Yet embedded in the curse is a promise that God will one day crush the serpent (Gen. 3:15). The expulsion from Eden is not defeat; it preserves the way to future life.
Several truths drive the Bible’s insistence on atonement:
All people are sinners:
Examples appear throughout Scripture (Ps. 14:1–3; Eccles. 7:20; Rom. 3:23).Sin brings divine judgment:
Seen in the flood, Sodom, the plagues, the destruction of nations, and Israel’s exiles.Judgment is universal and future:
Jesus warns of a coming day (Matt. 24:44; 2 Thess. 1:7–9).
From Abraham’s descendants to the Gentile world, all stand in need of mercy. Without atonement there is no hope, because the Bible assumes the seriousness of sin and the certainty of God’s judgment.
The Means of Atonement in the Old Testament
Old Testament atonement is centered on sacrifice. The Lord provides a system where death stands in the place of the sinner’s death. Several patterns emerge:
Sacrifice and Substitution
The worshipper’s guilt is carried by the sacrificial victim (Lev. 9:7; 17:11).
High-handed rebellion has no sacrificial provision, highlighting the gravity of sin.
The death of Nadab and Abihu shows the danger of approaching God apart from his provision (Lev. 10:1–2).
Sacrifice and the Heart
The prophets reject empty ritual (Hos. 8:13; Mic. 6:6–7).
Psalm 51:17 emphasizes a broken spirit as the heart of true atonement.
God as the One Who Provides
Isaiah’s guilt is removed by a divine act, not human initiative (Is. 6:7).
The Lord declares, “I have given it to you to make atonement” (Lev. 17:11).
The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16)
A unique moment each year when sins are carried away and the sanctuary cleansed.
A central debate concerns whether atonement represents expiation (removal of sin) or propitiation (turning away wrath). While the Hebrew word group related to kpr can imply “wiping away,” the consistent biblical setting includes divine wrath, moral offense, and judgment. The Bible does not pit expiation against propitiation; rather, atonement encompasses both.
The Nature of the Sacrificial Death
Two explanations are often proposed:
1. Release-of-Life Interpretation
This view argues that poured-out blood symbolizes released life that somehow brings life to worshippers. Though life is a legitimate theme (Lev. 17:11), the full shedding of blood—resulting in death—still confronts the worshipper with substitutionary seriousness.
2. Penal Substitution Interpretation
This view, strongly supported by the Old Testament pattern and reinforced in the New Testament, states:
Sin deserves death.
A sacrificial victim dies in the place of the sinner.
God’s wrath is just and must be turned aside.
Substitution is not an imposition on the text; it reflects the logic of the sacrificial system and prepares the way for Christ.
The Atonement in the New Testament
The New Testament intensifies these themes and grounds them in the person and work of Jesus. The Gospels show him moving deliberately toward the cross; the Epistles explain what that death accomplished. No single metaphor exhausts the meaning of his atonement, yet several expressions work together to form a unified witness:
Jesus’ death is:
Sacrificial — the true Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7).
Penal — he bears the curse (Gal. 3:13).
Substitutionary — “the just for the unjust” (1 Pet. 3:18).
Redemptive — purchased with his blood (Eph. 1:7).
Reconciling — removing hostility between Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2:14–18).
Victorious — disarming the powers through the cross (Col. 2:15).
Transforming — leading believers to die to sin and live to righteousness (1 Pet. 2:24).
In biblical theology, these images form one tapestry: Jesus’ death is the climactic act that brings all God’s promises to completion.
Why Sacrifice Remains Central
Some argue that Jesus’ life, resurrection, or teaching—not his death—should define salvation. Others view the cross only as moral example or martyrdom. Yet Scripture insists that reconciliation comes specifically through his blood (Rom. 5:9; Rev. 1:5). If Jesus is more than human—God incarnate—his death carries divine authority and infinite worth. If he is not, the New Testament’s atonement claims unravel.
The Scandal of the Atonement
The message remains offensive:
It declares humanity guilty—not merely misguided.
It affirms divine wrath—not merely benevolent acceptance.
It insists on the cross—not personal effort—as the only hope.
Modern discomfort with wrath, judgment, or substitution does not alter the biblical witness. The scandal of the atonement has always been part of the gospel’s power, because it confronts the deepest truths about God, humanity, sin, justice, and mercy.
Yet the biblical pattern remains: the God who judges is the God who provides the sacrifice. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world stands at the center of the new creation (Rev. 13:8; 22:3).
Bible Verses About Atonement
Leviticus 17:11 — “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls…”
Isaiah 53:5 — “He was pierced for our transgressions… and with his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:10 — “It was the will of the Lord to crush him… when his soul makes an offering for guilt…”
Romans 3:25 — “God put forward [Christ] as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”
Romans 5:9 — “Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood…”
1 Corinthians 5:7 — “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 — “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin…”
Ephesians 1:7 — “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses…”
Hebrews 9:12 — “He entered once for all… by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”
1 John 2:2 — “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
