What is propitiation? What is expiation?
Question 7101
These two words, propitiation and expiation, are among the most important in Christian theology, yet they are rarely heard outside theological discussion. Modern Bible translations sometimes avoid them altogether, substituting simpler but less precise language. Yet understanding what these words mean unlocks the heart of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. They describe two aspects of one glorious reality: how God dealt with our sin and with His own wrath against it.
Propitiation: Turning Away Wrath
Propitiation means the turning away of God’s wrath through a sacrifice. It addresses the problem that God is righteously angry at sin and that this anger must be dealt with if sinners are to be saved.
The Greek word is ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion) or ἱλασμός (hilasmos). In Romans 3:25, Paul writes that God put forward Jesus “as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.” In 1 John 2:2, we read: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” And in 1 John 4:10: “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
The concept comes from the Old Testament sacrificial system. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest sprinkled blood on the mercy seat (כַּפֹּרֶת, kapporet), the golden lid of the Ark of the Covenant where God’s presence dwelt. The Septuagint translates kapporet as ἱλαστήριον (hilastērion). The blood came between God’s holy presence and the tablets of the law that Israel had broken. Wrath was averted. Mercy was shown.
Your Soteriology notes explain this vividly: “Tablets of the law, rod of Aaron, golden pot of manna: inside the ark… On top of it there is a mercy seat… The cherubim protect God’s holiness: absolute justice and righteousness. ‘Mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed.'” At the mercy seat, God’s justice and mercy came together. His righteous demands were met by the blood of sacrifice.
This is what Jesus accomplished. God’s wrath against our sin is real and terrifying. We deserve eternal punishment. But Jesus stepped in, shed His blood, and bore that wrath in our place. God’s anger is not ignored or denied; it is satisfied. It is propitiated. “He himself is the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 2:2).
Some modern translations, uncomfortable with the idea of God’s wrath, translate ἱλαστήριον as “expiation” or “sacrifice of atonement.” But these translations lose something important. Propitiation specifically addresses the wrath of God. Without propitiation, we are left wondering how a holy God can embrace unholy sinners. With propitiation, we understand: Jesus bore the wrath, and now there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
Expiation: Removing Guilt
Expiation focuses on the removal of sin and its guilt. While propitiation deals with God’s wrath, expiation deals with our sin. The two are inseparable but distinct. Propitiation is directed Godward (satisfying His wrath); expiation is directed toward sin (removing its stain).
Your notes explain this in relation to the penalty of sin: “Expiation. Ps 22.1 Why? .3 Because he is holy… He screamed only after 3 hours when God deserted him. He could take pain but could not take sin. In his greatest hour of need, in his darkest hour. Sin should not be taken lightly.”
Jesus not only bore the wrath of God; He removed our sins entirely. The guilt is gone. The stain is washed away. “As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will remember your sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25).
The Old Testament Day of Atonement included two goats. One was sacrificed, its blood sprinkled on the mercy seat (propitiation). The other, the scapegoat, had the sins of the people confessed over its head and was sent into the wilderness, carrying those sins away (expiation). Together, the two goats pictured what Jesus would accomplish: satisfying God’s wrath and removing our guilt.
As your notes put it: “Now the penalty of sin has been paid. Expiation means it has been paid. He was cut off from God so that we would not be. Nothing can separate you from the love of God.”
Why Both Are Necessary
Imagine a criminal pardoned by the governor. His punishment is cancelled, but the crime remains on his record. He is free from prison but not free from the guilt of what he did. Or imagine someone whose record is expunged but who still faces the anger of those he wronged. Neither situation is complete. True restoration requires both: the removal of guilt and the satisfaction of justice.
In Christ, we have both. Our sins are expiated, removed as if they never existed. God’s wrath is propitiated, fully satisfied by the sacrifice of Jesus. We stand before God not merely pardoned but righteous, clothed in Jesus’ own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The debt is paid. The wrath is turned. The guilt is gone. This is the fullness of salvation.
Propitiation and the Character of God
Some object to the doctrine of propitiation because it seems to make God bloodthirsty or petty. But this misunderstands both wrath and love. God’s wrath is not like human anger, petty and self-serving. It is His holy, settled opposition to all that is evil. A God who did not oppose evil would not be good. A judge who felt no anger at injustice would not be just.
Furthermore, propitiation reveals God’s love, not His cruelty. In pagan religions, humans offer sacrifices to appease angry gods. In Christianity, God Himself provides the sacrifice. “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10). God is not the reluctant recipient of someone else’s sacrifice. He is the gracious provider. He gave His Son. He bore His own wrath. He made peace with us at infinite cost to Himself.
Practical Implications
Understanding propitiation and expiation brings immense comfort and assurance. If Jesus has truly propitiated God’s wrath, then there is no wrath left for believers. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). We need not fear the judgment seat. We need not try to appease God with our good works. It is finished. The wrath is satisfied.
If our sins are truly expiated, then our guilt is gone. We need not wallow in shame or wonder if God still holds our past against us. “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more” (Hebrews 10:17). God has removed our sins infinitely far from us. We are clean. We are free.
This is why the Gospel is good news. We are not left guessing whether we have done enough to satisfy God. We are told plainly that Jesus has done it all. His blood has propitiated wrath. His sacrifice has expiated sin. Our salvation rests not on our performance but on His finished work.
Conclusion
Propitiation and expiation are two sides of the same coin. Propitiation declares that God’s wrath against sin has been fully satisfied by Jesus’ sacrifice. Expiation declares that our sins have been fully removed and will never be counted against us. Together, they describe the complete salvation Jesus has provided. He has dealt with our sin and with God’s holy response to it. He has opened the way for us to draw near to God with confidence, not because we have earned it, but because He has accomplished it. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!
“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
Bibliography
- Morris, Leon. The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross. Eerdmans, 1965.
- Stott, John R.W. The Cross of Christ. IVP, 1986.
- Packer, J.I. Knowing God. IVP, 1973.
- Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Victor Books, 1986.
- Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology, Vol. 3. Dallas Seminary Press, 1948.
- MacArthur, John. The Gospel According to Paul. Thomas Nelson, 2017.
- Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Zondervan, 1994.
- Murray, John. Redemption Accomplished and Applied. Eerdmans, 1955.
