Daily Bible Nugget #672, Romans 3:25

The Nugget:

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (KJV)

Rom 3:25  Whom, God, and no other, set forth an Atonement by means of His blood, through faith, to declare His righteousness because of passing over of the sins having previously occurred, (LNT, Lavender New Testament)

My Comment:

Romans 3:25 is a critically important verse about the Atonement of Christ. For many apparently historical reasons the doctrine of the Atonement of Christ has been largely misunderstood. I have been studying this subject for many years and I am still studying this subject. I believe that the Lavender New Testament and its careful notes are the most helpful resource I have found so far on the subject. I have placed, by  permission, many of these notes in my Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. I share from this resource the notes and cross references I have assembled for Romans 3:25 below.

The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Romans 3:25

Whom God. Lev 17:11.

set forth. or, foreordained. Set forth, proetheto (S# G4388), is an intensive middle voice verb, stressing the Agent producing the Action—God, no other! Thus God acted, set forth Christ for the sole purpose of Atonement. Here then is a Divine Union, God and Christ joined together in a setting forth in the action of Atonement by means of the blood (LNT, fn s). +Rom 1:13 g. Rom 9:11, Joh 3:14, *Act 2:23; Act 3:18; *Act 4:28; *Act 15:18, Gal 3:1 g. Eph 1:9 g. Eph 3:11, +*2Ti 1:9, Heb 6:18, *1Pe 1:18, 19, 20, **Rev 13:8.

to be. +Exo 25:17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, *Lev 16:15, Heb 9:5 g. **1Jn 2:2; *1Jn 4:10.

a propitiation. or, mercy seat, or rather, an atonement. “Though some traditional translations render hilastērion as ‘propitiation,’ this involves a wrong interpretation of the term in question. Propitiation is essentially a process by which one does a favor to a person in order to make him or her favorably disposed, but in the NT God is never the object of propitiation since he is already on the side of the people” (Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, § 40,12, s.v. hilasmos). Atonement translates hilastērion. The doctrine of propitiation has supplanted New Testament Atonement, resulting in Atonement passages being translated propitiation rather than Atonement (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1Jn 2:2; 1Jn 4:10). Propitiation or appeasement is neither OT nor Christian; it is paganism coming to Protestantism through Roman Catholicism and the Reformation. Cf. Gal 3:13 and note (see LNT, fn t). See 1Jn 2:2. Exo 25:17, 18, 19, 20, 21; Exo 30:6; Exo 31:7; Exo 35:12; Exo 37:6, 7, 8, 9; Exo 40:20, Lev 1:4; Lev 12:7; Lev 16:2; Lev 16:13, 14, 15, Num 7:89; Num 15:25, Deut 16:1, 2, Heb 4:16; Heb 9:5 g. Heb 13:10, 11, 12, 13, *+1Jn 2:2; 1Jn 4:10.

through. *Rom 5:1; *Rom 5:9; *Rom 5:11, Isa 53:11, Joh 6:47; Joh 6:53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, Col 1:20, 21, 22, 23, Heb 10:19, 20.

faith in. T577. Rom 5:8, 9; Rom 5:11, +*Lev 17:11, Isa 53:5, Mat 20:28; Mat 26:28, Joh 1:29; Joh 3:14, 15; Joh 3:36; Joh 6:51; Joh 10:15, +**Act 20:28 note. 1Co 5:7; +*1Co 15:3, Gal 1:4; *Gal 2:20; +Gal 3:13, *Eph 1:7; Eph 2:13, Col 1:20, 1Ti 1:1, Heb 9:12, 13, 14; Heb 9:22; *Heb 9:26, 27, 28; Heb 10:10, 11, 12, 13, 14; Heb 10:19, 20; Heb 13:12; Heb 13:20, 1Pe 1:2; 1Pe 1:18, 19; *1Pe 2:24; *1Pe 3:18, *1Jn 1:7, +*Rev 1:5; Rev 5:9; Rev 7:14; Rev 12:11.

blood. FS117, +Gen 19:8. Joh 11:51; Joh 19:30, Heb 10:19, 20, 21, 22, 23, *1Pe 1:18; *1Pe 1:19, 1Jn 1:7; 1Jn 5:6.

to declare. Gr. endeixis (S# G1732). Rom 3:26 g. 2Co 8:24 g (proof). Php 1:28 g (evident token).

his righteousness. Rom 3:21; Rom 3:26, Rom 10:4; Rom 10:6, Job 33:23; *Job 36:3, *Psa 22:31; Psa 36:6; *Psa 40:10; Psa 50:6; +*Psa 85:10; Psa 97:6; Psa 116:5; +*Psa 119:142, Isa 42:6; Isa 42:21; Isa 45:21, Hos 2:19, Mic 6:5, 2Co 8:24 g. Php 1:28 g. 1Jn 1:10.

remission. or, passing over. Rom 3:23, 24, Rom 4:1-8, +*Exo 34:6; +*Exo 34:7, *2Sa 12:13, Mic 7:18, Luk 1:77, +*Act 13:38; +*Act 13:39; *Act 17:30, *1Ti 1:15, Heb 9:15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22; Heb 9:25, 26; Heb 10:4; Heb 11:7; Heb 11:14; Heb 11:17; Heb 11:39, 40, Rev 5:9; *Rev 13:8; *Rev 20:15.

of sins. Mar 3:28 g. Mar 4:12 g. 1Co 6:18 g. 2Pe 1:9.

that are past. Rom 4:25, Eze 33:12, Act 14:16; +*Act 17:30, *Col 2:13 note. Heb 9:15.

forbearance. Rom 2:4 g. *Mic 7:18.

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2 Responses to Daily Bible Nugget #672, Romans 3:25

  1. Howard Clark says:

    I disagree with your setting aside of the meaning, importance and need for the act of propitiation by GOD Himself. His wrath against sin needs to be rectified as only He can do. He is the active agent in the act of propitiation. There are constant similarities between Holy and unholy concepts. Just because satan perverts something does not mean it is of no effect. Remember: What satan means for evil, GOD can turn to good.

    https://www.gotquestions.org/propitiation.html
    The necessity of appeasing God is something many religions have in common. In ancient pagan religions, as well as in many religions today, the idea is taught that man appeases God by offering various gifts or sacrifices. However, the Bible teaches that God Himself has provided the only means through which His wrath can be appeased and sinful man can be reconciled to Him. In the New Testament, the act of propitiation always refers to the work of God and not the sacrifices or gifts offered by man. The reason for this is that man is totally incapable of satisfying God’s justice except by spending eternity in hell. There is no service, sacrifice, or gift that man can offer that will appease the holy wrath of God or satisfy His perfect justice. The only satisfaction, or propitiation, that could be acceptable to God and that could reconcile man to Him had to be made by God. For this reason God the Son, Jesus Christ, came into the world in human flesh to be the perfect sacrifice for sin and make atonement or “propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17).

  2. Jerry says:

    Thank you, Howard, for disagreeing with my post. That shows me that you read it with some understanding.

    You will notice that in my post I cited a very respected authority, the lexicon by Loew and Nida, who correctly assert that our God does not need to be propitiated.

    I fully recognize that the doctrine of propitiation is a very widely held belief. That is the doctrine I was brought up on in all the churches I have been affiliated with. This doctrine is reflected in our hymns. Unfortunately, a careful study of the Bible will show that this doctrine is not correct. The doctrine of propitiation is based upon the mistaken larger doctrine of the penal satisfaction theory of the Atonement.

    Titus 3:4 shows us that God is a lover of mankind to such a degree that this is actually stated in this verse as an attribute of God:

    love. or, pity. or, love for mankind. Gr. philanthrōpia (S# G5363, only here and Act 28:2; the adverb in Act 27:3), fondness of mankind, that is, benevolence (“philanthropy”) [Strong]. Love for mankind translates philanthrōpia, compound of philia, love, and anthrōpos, man, and it declares the love of God for mankind. God, as to His Divine nature, feels a loving kindness toward mankind. Philanthrōpia is a nature which God declares of Himself. Thus His declared nature is a denial of a decree from eternity by which He predestinates to damnation, including infants. God has declared His stand—He is a lover of mankind; further declared in Joh 3:16, God so loved the world! This amazing love cannot be set in limits, cannot be consigned to the few, cannot yield to the constraints of Calvinistic theology; for this love, an attribute of Divinity, reaches out to Adam’s fallen race (LNT, fn l). +**Gen 18:25 note. Hos 14:4, **+Joh 3:16, Act 28:2, Rom 8:39, Gal 2:20, Col 3:12, 2Th 2:16, *1Jn 4:9; *1Jn 4:10; *1Jn 4:19.

    There is much more Bible evidence to support the view I have presented.

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