Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 7097 The word “atonement” is one of those theological terms that gets used frequently in church but may not be well understood. Yet it describes something absolutely essential to the Christian faith: how sinful human beings can be reconciled to a holy God. Understanding the atonement helps us grasp what Jesus accomplished on the…
Reading Time: 6 minutesQuestion 7099 This question gets to the heart of the Gospel. If God is all-powerful and merciful, why couldn’t He simply forgive our sins without requiring the death of His Son? Couldn’t an omnipotent God just declare us forgiven and be done with it? The cross seems so brutal, so extreme. Was it really necessary?…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 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…