I John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
What does the word propitiation mean in the context of this verse, and others like it in the Scriptures?
Propitiation normally carries the idea of appeasement, of placating the wrath or anger of a deity. Some scholars think this verse and others like it would be better translated by using the word expiation instead. Expiation is the removal of a problem and carries the idea of cleansing.
Did Jesus suffer to placate the wrath of God, or did His suffering serve to expiate our sins?
Or both?
