No idea of reconciliation

Originally posted on June 23, 2006 – by Andre Piet

On the new forum (offline, 2025), there is an ongoing thread about reconciliation (“is God reconciled?”). Once again, I’m struck by how consistently two completely different matters are being confused. Virtually all Bible translations have caused irreparable damage in this regard. On the one hand, there is the word ‘covering’ or ‘shelter’ (Hebrew: kafar, Greek: hilasmos). The Bible translators have made the inexcusable error of translating that word as ‘reconciliation’. It has as much to do with reconciliation as a bicycle bell has to do with a bouquet of flowers.

‘To reconcile’ actually corresponds to a different Greek word: katallassō. Reconciliation relates to enmity. Covering (or shelter), on the other hand, relates to sins. If you lump those two concepts together, you end up with a monstrosity like the following sentence (see thread): “… sins and enmity are apparently in practice not covered (= reconciled).” Let this be clear: sins are covered, enemies are reconciled.

In the world, people know exactly what ‘reconciliation’ is – namely, turning enmity into peace. We encounter the word daily in the newspapers. No problem at all. You have to be a Christian to not understand the word. That may sound cynical, but unfortunately it’s a fact. In Christendom, the truth concerning reconciliation is completely unknown, because it is confused with ‘covering’ (which, by the way, is also not understood).

When Paul teaches that we have been reconciled (Rom. 5:10), that has NOTHING to do with sins. It means that we were once enemies and alienated from God. How so? Because we distrusted God. All religion is based on the idea of a hostile God. Especially the Christian religion – make no mistake. In churches (I’m generalizing, I know), people are called to repent not because God is trustworthy, but precisely because He supposedly is not. The alternative (if you don’t repent) is that God will throw you into hell for eternity. Try reaching converts of such preaching with the good news… It’s like talking to a wall. I speak from some experience.

People think they know the Gospel, but what they believe is a caricature. A message in which God absolutely does not love the world unconditionally. In which God is portrayed as a (potential) enemy – naturally with the accompanying threat of hell and damnation. They have no idea of the truth of reconciliation. That is, the truth that God does not reckon the world’s offenses to it – even the greatest injustice ever committed (Golgotha) (2 Cor. 5:19).

All enmity collapses before this Love! That is reconciliation.

Delen: