Yes, but what does the term propitiation mean conceptually? I will be as brief as possible.
Hilasterion is the noun form derived from hilaskomai the verb form. So Christ became our hilasterion (noun) as a consequence of his activity of hilaskomai (verb). According to Strongâs, the activity (verb action) of hilakomai refers to being merciful and make reconciliation for. To make reconciliation for means to reconcile - or to bring to atonement.
Now this is where most commentaries go off track - by adhering to the typical view of atonement as a substitutionary process whereby Jesus absorbed/appeased Godâs âwrathâ for our sin so that we didnât have to.
But if I look closely at scripture, I find a different portrayal of atonement. Lev 17:11 tells me that it is the blood of the sacrificial victim that makes atonement. But what does this mean?
Jesus stated in Jn 15:13 that âNo-one has greater love than to lay down his life for his friendsâ. And 1 Jn 4:7-8 tells us that self-renouncing (Agape: other-preferential) love is the core of Godâs character. It has been noted within Adventism and beyond that the law is a reflection/transcript of Godâs character. Thus, the foundation of Godâs character and the foundational principle of the law are both the principle of self-renouncing love (Agape).
And Romans 5 contrasts the first and the second Adam. The first Adam was created in Godâs image (Gen 1:27) and therefore was created with self-renouncing love as his core characteristic. Unfortunately, Gen 3 saw self-renouncing love exchanged for self-referenced 'living. And it was precisely this change that constituted the âfallâ via its constitution as âsinâ (the transgression of the [natural] law of self-renouncing love as the foundational basis for zoe [Jn 10:10] life).
Rom 5:19 tells us that it was the obedience of the second Adam that makes the many righteous - (ie atones, reconciles, propitiates). What does this obedience mean? Obedience to what?
Isa 53:12 tells us that Jesus âpoured out His life to deathâ. This parallels Jn 15:13 regarding laying down oneâs life as the expression of self-renouncing love. And self-renouncing love is the core principle that characterises God and underpins life itself (see DA pg 20,21 for a more detailed description of this phenomenon).
Jesus âobedienceâ was His unwavering adherence to living by self-renouncing love, even when faced with the greatest possible temptation - death by the cruelest possible means at that time (Roman crucifixion). This is what the first Adam failed to do, and this is where the second Adam succeeded.
So, what caused the separation between humanity and divinity at the âfallâ. It was the exchange of self-renouncing love (Agape) for self-referenced âlivingâ as the core principle for living.
Consequently, What was needed to reconcile humanity back into union/harmony with divinity? The restoration of self-renouncing love (in place of self-referenced âlivingâ) back into the hearts of all who are willing (hence Davidâs prayer in Ps 51:10).
This is what Lev 17:11 is referring to - that atonement is achieved via restoration of self-renouncing love (laying down oneâs life) as per Jn 15:13.
This is the scripturally-supported unpacking of propitiation: Jesus entering humanity as the second Adam (the Son of Man) and successfully holding to (ie âobedientâ) self-renouncing love (even unto death) as the core principle for living and, in so doing, opening up the option for restoring whosoever will (Jn 3:16) back into harmony with divinity once again (Jn 3:6-9).
Thus, Jesus demonstrated the âcureâ for sin - the reinstatement of our heart back to self-renouncing love. This is how Jesus actually takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29) - by demonstrating what is needed to restore us back to the basis that does not desire sinful (ie self-referenced) living.
This view of atonement is Biblically-supported and in essence has Jesus fixing and repairing what got broken in Genesis 3, paving the way for restoration back to what should have been all along. And this view of atonement emphasises that it is sin (self-referenced living) that is the problem that needs to be addressed in order for reconciliation to occur, not appeasement of a âwrathful Godâ.