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men; (2) he is appointed for men, that is, to be active in the interests of men; and (3) he is
appointed to represent men in things pertaining to God, that is, in things that have a Godward
direction, that look to God, that terminate on God. This is a clear indication of the fact that the
work of the priest looks primarily to God. It does not exclude the idea that the priestly work
also has a reflex influence on men.
b. The same truth is conveyed by the general idea of the sacrifices.
These clearly have an
objective reference. Even among the Gentiles they are brought, not to men, but to God. They
were supposed to produce an effect on God. The Scriptural idea of sacrifice does not differ from
this in its objective reference. The sacrifices of the Old Testament were brought to God
primarily to atone for sin, but also as expressions of devotion and gratitude. Hence the blood
had to be brought into the very presence of God. The writer of Hebrews says that the “things
pertaining to God” consist in offering “both gifts and sacrifices for sin.” The friends of Job were
urged to bring sacrifices, “lest I,” says the Lord, “deal with you after your folly.” Job 42:8. The
sacrifices were to be instrumental in stilling the anger of the Lord.
c. The Hebrew word kipper (piel) expresses the idea of atonement for sin by the covering of
sin or of the sinner.
The blood of the sacrifice is interposed between God and the sinner, and in
view of it the wrath of God is turned aside. It has the effect, therefore, of warding off the wrath
of God from the sinner. In the Septuagint and in the New Testament the terms hilaskomai and
hilasmos are used in a related sense. The verb means “to render propitious,” and the noun, “an
appeasing” or “the means of appeasing.” They are terms of an objective character. In classical
Greek they are often construed with the accusative of theos (God), though there is no example
of this in the Bible. In the New Testament they are construed with the accusative of the thing
(hamartias), Heb. 2:17, or with peri and the genitive of the thing (hamartion), I John 2:2; 4:10.
The first passage is best interpreted in the light of the use of the Hebrew kipper; the last can be
interpreted similarly, or with theon as the object understood. There are so many passages of
Scripture which speak of the wrath of God and of God as being angry with sinners, that we are
perfectly justified in speaking of a propitiation of God, Rom. 1:18; Gal. 3:10; Eph. 2:3; Rom. 5:9.
In Rom. 5:10 and 11:28 sinners are called “enemies of God” (echthroi) in a passive sense,
indicating, not that they are hostile to God, but that they are the objects of God’s holy
displeasure. In the former passage this sense is demanded by its connection with the previous
verse; and in the latter by the fact that echtroi is contrasted with agapetoi, which does not
mean “lovers of God,” but “beloved of God.”
d. The words katalasso and katalage signify “to reconcile” and “reconciliation.”
They point to
an action by which enmity is changed to friendship, and surely have, first of all, an objective
signification. The offender reconciles, not himself, but the person whom he has offended. This