I have often heard preachers say that the word “atonement” means “at-one-ment”. That it described how humans can become “at one” with God again after that relationship has been broken.<\/p>\n\n\n
I assumed it was a bit of clever word play that got passed from preacher to preacher.<\/p>\n\n\n
But, it turns out, the “at-one-ment” explanation is literal. The word was made up by English translators unable to find an adequate existing English word with which to translate the Hebrew word “kippur”.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
(You are probably familiar with the Jewish celebration called “Yom Kippur” – the “Day of Atonement”.)<\/p>\n\n\n
From Miriam-Webster online:<\/p>\n\n\n
Atone has its roots in the idea of reconciliation and harmony. It grew out of the Middle English phrase at one meaning \u201cin harmony,\u201d a phrase echoed in current expressions like \u201cfeeling at one with nature.\u201d When atone joined modern English in the 16th century, it meant \u201cto reconcile,\u201d and suggested the restoration of a peaceful and harmonious state between people or groups. Today, atone specifically implies addressing the damage\u2014or disharmony\u2014caused by one\u2019s own behavior.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n
What’s fascinating to me is that the meaning of this key word, like the meaning of “love” and “believe”, has been corrupted in English over time.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
It has taken on a meaning very different from the start, morphing almost into its own opposite.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
Miriam-Webster offers 4 main definitions of “atonement”, Number 1 being the most common usage:<\/p>\n\n\n
1 reparation for an offense or injury : satisfaction<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n
In other words,\u00a0these days, one “atones” for one’s own sin. You <\/b><\/i>have to do something to make up for your sin.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
While Number 4 – the more straightforward “reconciliation<\/i>” – is listed as an “obsolete” usage. In the Bible, reconciliation, of course, is all God’s initiative and always at His expense and at the expense of innocent blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
Seems like a rather patient and particularly devious trick of Satan to take a word describing how GOD blots out our sins and switch the focus to what WE need to do about our sins.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have often heard preachers say that the word “atonement” means “at-one-ment”. That it described how humans can become “at one” with God again after that relationship has been broken. I assumed it was a bit of clever word play that got passed from preacher to preacher. But, it turns out, the “at-one-ment” explanation is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[168,162,167,169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-at-one","category-atonement","category-believe","category-kippur"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9467,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9466\/revisions\/9467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stevegrossblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}