and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.[1 John 2:2]
Those who hold to universal atonement love this verse. Every time they see the words ‘whole world’, they get all giddy and say that this means ‘all ppl w/o exception’. However, there is a word in this verse that I will show ‘whole world’ in this verse does not mean ‘all pp w/o exception’.
Let us look at the word ‘propitiation’. Propitiation comes from the Greek word ‘hilasmos’, which means an appeasing or propitiating. The NIV uses ‘atoning sacrifice’ in lieu of ‘propitiation’. So, if the Christ became the propitiation, the atoning sacrifice for ‘all ppl w/o exception’, then all will be saved, and universalism reigns supreme. Remember, it was God, and not us, who was propitiated. He was the One who was offended when Adam fell, and we, all his posterity, fell, being in Adam. When the Christ propitiated God, it satisfied God’s wrath over sin. The definitions of ‘atonement’ in Webster’s dictionary means ‘reconciliation, satisfaction, reparation for an offense or injury.’ Now, if what the Christ did was universal in scope, and He actually propitiated/atoned for ‘all ppl w/o exception’, then ‘all ppl w/o exception’ have been reconciled with God, God’s wrath for their sins has been satisfied, and their offense or injury(meaning towards God) has been repaired by the Christ’s prpopitiatory work upon the cross. There is no other way around this. To believe in a universal atonement is to believe in universalism. If God’s wrath for sin has been satisfied for ‘all ppl w/o exception’, then there is no wrath to be meted out on the day of judgment. If there is no wrath to be meted out, then ‘all ppl w/o exception’ go to heaven. The propitiation brought with it reconciliation, which means two enemies coming back together. We were God’s enemies per Romans 5:10 and 8:7. There are no ppl who will be in hell if they have been reconciled to God. None. So, if ‘all ppl w/o exception’ have been reconciled to God, then no one ends up in hell.
So, the Christ propitiated God, God was satisfied with His Son’s work, and those whose sins He bore upon Himself on the cross, God has been appeased, satiated for their sins. He can now be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.[Romans 3:26]
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