DECEMBER 20TH, 1939

DECEMBER 20TH, 1939

^[p. 275] BELOVED BROTHER, — Many thanks for allowing me to see the letter which I return herewith. Our dear and esteemed brother writes in a nice spirit “as only having in view the better elucidation of the subject of propitiation”, so that I feel free to make a few remarks on his letter which you are welcome to send on to him with my love in the Lord, if you think well to do so. I comment on his letter as being thoroughly one with him in the desire that “this important aspect of the truth might be clarified”, and I trust the Lord may help to this end. My contribution will be confined to pointing out what seems to me to be a fundamental misconception of the subject.

Our dear brother sees that God has in love provided the propitiation (1 John 4: 10), and he concludes from this that — propitiation is from God to man, and that it carries the thought of God being propitious (favourable) toward man. He illustrates propitiation by the coats of skin (Genesis 3), and by the mercy-seat in Romans 3.

I would like to suggest for the consideration of our dear brother that the scriptural view of propitiation is that it is wholly God-ward. Not, surely, to bring about any change in God, but to glorify Him in holiness so that He may consistently with His own glory make Himself known in mercy and grace to sinful creatures. God is propitious to man the sinner, but it is on the ground that Christ has been the propitiation in all the value God-ward of His offering for sin. J.N.D. has well expressed the truth in saying, “Propitiation is presenting to a holy God what the righteousness and holiness of that God necessarily claim, while infinite love has provided, and infinite love has offered, the spotless sacrifice”.

If this is accepted as being true it will be evident that the coats of skin do not in themselves give us the idea of propitiation. They express typically what God in righteous grace can put upon man as the result of propitiation. It has been said many times that “skin” showed that death had taken place. If propitiation is to be found in this type it would be set forth in the death of the animals, and not in the coats of skin which resulted, and which became a covering for man. Righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ is now towards all, and upon all those who believe, but this is on the ground of propitiation.

Then our dear brother has adopted the idea that “mercy-seat”

is the scriptural meaning of “propitiation”, and it is probably this which has formed his thoughts on the subject. But though this statement has often been made it is not true. J.N.D.’s note to Romans 3: 25 in the New Translation is certainly right. It was the blood being put upon the mercy-seat which effected atonement or propitiation. Leviticus 16 leaves no doubt whatever about this. Paul, in speaking of Christ Jesus being set forth a mercy-seat, evidently had in mind the mercy-seat as it was after the day of atonement, when the blood of the sin offering was upon it. It is evident in the type that that the mercy-seat was distinguishable from the blood of the sin offering which was put upon it. It was the latter which made atonement. Now the propitiation and the mercy-seat are identified, for both meet in one Person. He is the propitiation in all the value of His sacrifice for sin. And He is also the mercy-seat as set forth by God for the showing forth of His righteousness in passing by the sins of His people of old, and now in justifying. Christ as set forth by God to man as the Mercy-seat is never to be separated from what He is as the propitiation. We cannot set forth the righteousness of God as known in the glad tidings without bringing in the thought of propitiation. “His blood” is that of the sin offering which has met every claim of the divine glory.

“Atonement” is the great word in Leviticus 16. It means a covering, and it is not used in the New Testament, I suppose because the Son of God having been sent as the propitiation there is very much more brought into it than merely covering sin. God is glorified in an infinite way about that which was abhorrent to Him. But all that lies in the word “atonement” in Leviticus 16 lies in the word “propitiation” in the New Testament. Christ suffered for sins, and He was forsaken by God as made sin, and in this way He became the propitiation. It was the only ground on which God could be righteously a Saviour God or a Justifier. God required propitiation as the basis of all His actings in mercy and grace, but He provided it Himself in wondrous love. The whole principle of offering for sin brought out that God required what met His glory in this way. Propitiation is the rendering to God what is due to His holy glory by One bearing the judgment of sins and sin. That God is favourably disposed towards His fallen creature is blessedly true, and it did not need propitiation to make it true. But without providing for His own glory by atonement ^[p. 277] or propitiation God would have had no righteous ground on which to make good what was in His heart.

I have felt for you and many others in the pressure that has come upon you of late, but I am glad that you have been able to see the dear brethren in the north, and to serve amongst them. These are peculiar times of pressure and suspense as to conditions here, but, as you say, God has held things so far in a wonderful way.

With much love in the Lord to you and yours,

Yours affectionately in Him,

December 20th, 1939.