Propitiation in Romans 3:25 describes Christ Jesus Himself, whom God set forth as the all-sufficient sacrifice, received through faith in His blood.
In that verse God set Christ forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through God's forbearance. Les Feldick explains this word as the most inclusive picture of Christ's finished work, with every detail of the tabernacle pointing to what Christ accomplished by His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.
Romans 3:25 — This is the exact verse in question; it states God set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood.
Romans 3:25 says, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." The following verse adds, "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." In 1 John 2:2 the same word appears: "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Taken together, Scripture uses "propitiation" to describe Christ as the one whom God set forth, and it connects that word to faith in His blood and to the declaration of God's righteousness.
Les Feldick explains that propitiation is "the most inclusive one word in your whole New Testament." In his teaching, every part of the wilderness tabernacle—the outer wall, the court, the gold, silver, wood, brass, the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant, the veil, the table of showbread, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the brazen laver, and the brazen altar—is a picture of Christ and His finished work. Put the whole picture together, he says, and that is propitiation. Christ accomplished it all on the cross through His shed blood, His death, His burial, and His resurrection. He was not only the sacrifice but also the place where the sacrifice was applied—the high priest, the mercy seat, and the one who presented His own blood.
Les teaches that everything in the wilderness tabernacle is a picture of Christ. He lists the outer wall, the court, the gold and silver, the wood and brass, the Holy of Holies, the Ark of the Covenant, the veil, the table of showbread, the candlestick, the altar of incense, the brazen laver, the brazen altar, and the sacrificial lamb. He says when you take the whole picture and put it together, that is propitiation. Christ accomplished all of this on the cross with His shed blood, His death, His burial, and His resurrection. He was not only the sacrifice; He was also the high priest and the mercy seat where His own blood was presented.
In Romans 3:25 Paul writes that God set forth Christ to be "a propitiation through faith in his blood." Les emphasizes that the verse contains both faith and blood within half a verse and says you cannot go around them. He stresses that it is not Christ's life or His three years of miracle-working that make Him a propitiation; it is faith in His blood. Les then explains the result: God can declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through God's forbearance.
Les says the word propitiation is used only one more time in Scripture, in 1 John 2. There Christ is described as our advocate and our propitiation. The text says He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. In the same context, Les rejects limited atonement because he says Scripture is plain that Christ's death was potentially enough for every human being.
Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Tabernacle Picture of Propitiation
Les defines propitiation as the whole picture of everything in the tabernacle, which Christ accomplished on the cross through His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.
Recap: Propitiation and the Tabernacle
Les recalls that propitiation is the word used in 1 John 2 where Christ is our advocate and our propitiation, and he points to the tabernacle furnishings as the explanation.
Propitiation and Limited Atonement
Les says propitiation includes every element within the tabernacle and its court, and he rejects limited atonement because Christ's death was potentially enough for every human being.
Propitiation and Faith in His Blood
Les says propitiation is the most inclusive one word in the New Testament; Christ becomes our propitiation by faith in His blood, not by His life or miracles.
Christ as Sacrifice and Mercy Seat
Les explains propitiation means Christ is not only the sacrifice but also the place where the sacrifice is applied—the high priest and the mercy seat where He presented His own blood.
Romans 3:25 and Faith in Christ's Blood
Les stresses that Romans 3:25 contains both faith and blood in the same verse, and through them God declares His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past.
The Greek Word and 1 John 2
Les notes the Greek word for propitiation is halasterion and says the word is used again in 1 John 2 where Christ is set forth as the propitiation.
Romans 3:25: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
This is the verse in question; it defines propitiation in the context of God setting forth Christ through faith in His blood.
Romans 3:26: To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
It explains the purpose of the propitiation: to declare God's righteousness so that God is just and the justifier of believers.
1 John 2:2: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
It is the other place where the word is used, expanding propitiation to the whole world's sins.
According to Les Feldick, propitiation is best understood by putting together the whole picture of the tabernacle: every material, piece of furniture, and sacrifice pictured Christ's finished work on the cross. Christ accomplished all of it through His shed blood, death, burial, and resurrection.
In Romans 3:25, God set forth Christ as a propitiation through faith in His blood. Les notes that this is not through Christ's life or His miracles but through His blood. Faith in that blood is what makes Christ the propitiation for us.
Les teaches the word appears only one other time, in 1 John 2:2, where Christ is our propitiation for sins—not only for ours but for the whole world.
Watch the Teaching: Why Heaven Won't Be Full of Boasters: Faith vs. Works