recon

There are two words in the Greek New Testament (GNT) that are translated “reconciliation” in the King James Version (KJV) of the New Testament, katallage and hilaskomai. This Greek noun katallage occurs four times in the GNT (Rom. 5:11; 11:15; II Cor. 5:18, 19). It is translated in the KJV three times as “reconciliation” (Rom. 11:15; II Cor. 5:18, 19) and once as “atonement” (Rom. 5:11). The Greek word means “a thorough change” (Greek preposition, kata, meaning “down” and the Greek noun allage, meaning “change”).

This Greek noun is derived from the Greek verb, katallasso, which means “to change thoroughly”. This verb occurs six times in the GNT (Rom. 5:10 [twice], I Cor. 7:11; II Cor. 5:18, 19, 20) and is translated in KJV as “to reconcile” (II Cor. 5:18, 19) or “to be reconciled” (Rom. 5:10 [twice], I Cor. 7:11; II Cor. 5:20).

The other Greek word that is translated “make reconcilation” in KJV is the Greek verb, hilaskomai, and that translation occurs in Heb. 2:17. The meaning of this Greek verb is “to be propitious” and is translated “be merciful” in KJV in its other occurence, Luke 18:13: “God be merciful to me a sinner”. This correct translation of Luke 18:13 is repeated in modern translations, New American Standard (NAS) and New International Version (NIV). But the incorrect translation in KJV of Heb. 2:17 is corrected in these modern translations “to make propitiation” (NAS) and “make atonement” (NIV). At the time of King James Version, the English verb “to reconcile” was understood to mean “to appease, to be propitious”, and the theology of the King James Version translators of the death of Christ was the penal substitutary theory of the atonement. They believed that the death of Christ reconciled God or satisfied the justice of God. But nowhere in the Greek New Testament is God the object of the verb katallasso; that is, in the Greek New Testament it never says that God is reconciled. It is us (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:18) or the world (II Cor. 5:19) who has been reconciled to God.

“For while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled,
we shall be saved by His life.” (Rom. 5:10 NAS).

 

“^5:18 Now all these things are of God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and gave us the ministry of recocilation,
^5:19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”   (II Cor. 5:18-19 NAS).

The death of Christ reconciled us to God by delivering us from death to life, being saved by His resurrected life, and therefore, from sin to righeousness, not counting their trespasses against us. Reconciliation is not propitiation. Reconciliation is salvation from death to life and propitiation is salvation from wrath to peace with God. Although both are accomplished by Christ’s death and resurrection, they are two different aspects of that salvation. Reconciliation is not atonement and the King James Version translation of Romans 5:11 is incorrect when it translated katallagne as “atonement”.

Acting through our representative, God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, that is, God has brought us into fellowship with Himself. This representative work of Christ should be understood, not as a vicarious act, instead of another, but as a participation, an act of sharing in the condition of another. Christ took part or shared in our condition. He entered, not only into our existence as a man, but also into our condition of spiritual and physical death on the cross.

“^2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil, ^2:15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong bondage.”   (Heb. 2:14-15)

He acted as our representative, on our behalf and for our sakes. The Greek preposition huper does not mean “instead of” but “on the behalf of” or “for the sake of”. In the following passages, the Greek preposition huper cannot mean “instead of”.

“For it has been granted to you that for the sake of [huper] Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake [huper autou, on the behalf of him]”   (Phil. 1:29)

 

“It is right for me to think this about all of you [huper pantan humon], because I have you in my heart, since both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel you all are partakers of grace with me.”   (Phil. 1:7 ERS)

 

“^12:5 On the behalf of [huper tou toitotou] such a man I will boast, but on behalf of myself [huper emautou] I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. ^12:6 For if I wish to boast, I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this lest anyone reckon to me above what [huper ho] he sees in me or hears from me, ^12:7and by the surpassing greatness [huperbole] of the revelations.  Wherefore, in order that I should not be exalted [huperairomai]   there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, in order that I should not be exalted [huperairomai].   ^12:8About this [huper touton]  I besought the Lord that it should leave me;  ^12:9 and He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.’   Most gladly therefore I will boast in my weaknesses,  that the power of Christ may rest on me.”          (II Cor. 12:5-9 ERS).

Thus the Greek preposition huper does not mean “instead of” but “on the behalf of” or “for the sake of”. And thus Chirst died on the behalf of all men, not instead of them;

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that one died for all [huper panton, on the behalf of all], therefore all have died,”   (II Cor. 5:14)

that is, in Christ who represents all.

“And he died for all [huper panton, on the behalf of all], that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake [huper auton, on the behalf of them]  died and was raised.”   (II Cor. 5:15).

Adam, acting as a representative, brought the old creation under the reign of death. But Christ, acting as our representative, on our behalf, in His resurrection brought about a new creation in which those “who have received the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness will reign in life” (Rom. 5:17).

“^15:21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.  ^15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”   (I Cor. 15:21-22)

 

“Wherefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature:  the old things are passed away;  behold, they are become new.”           (II Cor. 5:17)

[Jesus said]

“Because I live ye shall live also.”   (John 14:19 KJV)

 Acting through our representative, God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, that is, God has brought us into fellowship with Himself.

“^5:18 But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ … ^5:19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself ….”   (II Cor. 5:18-19; see also Rom. 5:10-11; I Cor. 1:9; I John 1:2-3).

This representative work of Christ should be understood, not as a vicarious act, instead of another, but as a participation, an act of sharing in the condition of another. Christ took part or shared in our situation. He entered, not only into our existence as a man, but also into our condition of spiritual and physical death.

“^2:14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same nature, that through death he might destroy him that has the power of death, that is the devil, ^2:15 and deliver all those who through fear of death
were subject to lifelong bondage.”   (Heb. 2:14-15)

On the cross, Jesus died not only physically but also spiritually

(“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matt. 27:46),

sharing in our spiritual death. We are reconciled to God through the death of Christ (Rom. 5:10) because He shared in our death (Heb. 2:9). But He was raised from the dead, and that on behalf of all men (II Cor. 5:15). He was raised from the dead so that we might participate and share in His resurrection and be made alive with Him.

“^2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ^2:5 even when we were dead in offenses,
made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ^2:6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in heavenly places, in Christ Jesus;”   (Eph. 2:4-6 ERS).

His resurrection is our resurrection. He was raised from dead for us so that we might participate in His resurrection and have life, both spiritual and physical. Thus the representative work of Christ is a participation, an act of sharing in the condition of another. He participated in our death so that we could participate in His life.

Since spiritual death is no fellowship with God (it is the opposite of spiritual life which is fellowship with God), then being made alive with Christ, we are brought into fellowship with God. Hence we are reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:17-19). The Greek word katallage, which is translated “reconciliation” in our English versions, means a “thorough or complete change.” Hence it refers to a complete change in the personal relationship between man and God. Because man is dead, he has no personal relationship with God, no fellowship with God. When a man is made alive to God with Christ, he is brought into a personal relationship with God, into fellowship with God. His personal relationship to God is completely changed, changed from death to life. Reconciliation can, therefore, be defined as that aspect of salvation whereby man is delivered from death to life. And the source of this act of reconciliation is the love of God. It is a legalistic misunderstanding of reconciliation to say that God was reconciled to man. The Scriptures never say that God is reconciled to man but that man is reconciled to God (Rom. 5:10; II Cor. 5:18-19). The problem is not in God but in man. Man is dead and needs to be made alive. Man is the enemy of God; God is not the enemy of man. God loves man, and out of His great love He has acted to reconcile man to Himself through the death and resurrection of Christ. It is true that God in His wrath opposes man’s sin and in His grace has provided a means by which His wrath may be turned away. But this aspect of salvation is propitiation, not reconciliation. Reconciliation should not be confused with propitiation. God in reconciling man to Himself has saved man from death, the cause of sin, and hence He has removed sin, which is the cause of His wrath – no sin, no wrath. Christ’s death is a propitiation because it is a redemption and it is a redemption because it is a reconciliation, salvation from death to life.