“Christ Jesus… (whom God set before Himself as a covering for atonement, through faith in His blood, for the proof of His righteousness, because of the passing over of the former sins in the bearing of God)”
Rom 3:25

A reference to earlier promises

The core of the Gospel speaks of God working in and through Christ. This is also the case here. To this the apostle now makes another comparison:

“Christ Jesus … whom God set before Himself as the atonement cover”.
Rom 3:25 (KNT)

What can this mean? Christ Jesus, says Paul, was appointed by God to a specific function. This is God’s work. God has now appointed Him as the “atonement cover.” The word is a reference to the language of the Tenach, the Old Testament. This should not surprise us, because Paul makes such comparisons all the time. At the beginning of the letter, the apostle has already explained that the gospel of God was promised beforehand in holy scriptures (Rom 1:1-2). At the beginning of the letter, he merely mentioned that. But now, in Romans 3, he will make specific reference to these promises.

Development in the Letter to the Romans

Let us keep in mind that the Letter to the Romans develops from this “gospel of God” already promised in the Old Testament (Rom 1:1-2) to what Paul calls “my gospel” at the end of the letter. In the last chapter Paul speaks as follows:

“But to him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the herald message of Christ Jesus, according to the revelation of a mystery that was kept secret in eonian times but has now been revealed.”
Rom 16:25

Accordingly, we will be able to recognize some things in the Epistle to the Romans as a promise in the Old Testament. Other things, however, are made known to Paul anew. Then he speaks of things much broader than the Old Testament revelations. We find both in these chapters. In Romans 3 and Romans 4 he makes the reference to the prophetic writings of the Old Testament. The terms used here come from God’s history with the people of Israel. They are interpreted in terms of Christ and the situation of the church today. Then, starting in Chapter 5, new terms follow, with meanings beyond the first terms.

According to this, there are not only different topics within the Epistle to the Romans, but some things were known (to some extent), while other things are newly added. The last are secrets that Paul reveals (which is why they are no longer secret then).

Atonement cover

The Greek word hilasterion refers to the lid on the Ark of the Covenant. This Ark of the Covenant was a large and very special box. It once stood in the tabernacle and later in the temple in the Holy of Holies (Ex 25,10; Ex 26,33; Ex 40,3; Ex 40,20-21 and others). The same word is found in the New Testament, except in Rom 3:25, only in the Letter to the Hebrews:

“Now the first covenant also had divine ordinances and the worldly sanctuary; for the first tent was pitched, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread, which is called the holy things.

But behind the second curtain was the tent called the Holy of Holies, (Ex 26:31-33) where was the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant covered all over with gold, in which was the golden urn containing the manna, and the rod of Aaron which had sprouted, with the tables of the covenant.

But above, over her, were the cherubim of glory, overshadowing the atonement cover (gr. hilasterion), about which it is not now necessary to speak in detail.” (Ex. 25:10-22)
Heb 9:1-5 KNT

Yom Kippur – the Day of Atonement

Exodus 16 describes how on the Day of Atonement (hb. Yom Kippur) the high priest makes various sacrifices, for himself and the people, and carries of the blood into the innermost sanctuary. The tabernacle has the “tent of meeting” within the enclosure (Lev 16:17), with two parts – the Holy Place first and then the Holy of Holies, in which the ark of the covenant stood. The high priest took some of the blood of the sacrifices and sprinkled it on the atonement cover (Lev 16:14-15).

This was an annual duty for Israel:

“For in that day atonement will be made for you to cleanse you; from all your sins you will be clean before the LORD.”
3Mo 16,30

On that day Israel was “cleansed from all their sins.” It is the Day of Atonement between God and the people. The atonement on Yom Kippur was not final, otherwise it would not have had to be repeated annually. It is a symbol. In the Letter to the Hebrews, chapters 9 and 10 give a detailed account of how the Old Testament statutes are but a “shadow of the good things to come” (Heb. 10:1).

It is this illustration that is now taken up by Paul in the Letter to the Romans. “Christ Jesus (…) whom God set before Himself as a covering for atonement, through faith in His blood.” (Rom 3:25).

Atonement was made for the sins of the people once a year in the innermost sanctuary. After that Paul refers. He sees this as a promise. What happened there once a year as an example, God has now made a reality in Christ. Christ is this atonement cover and it is also His blood that was shed.

Atonement is covering

Atonement in the language of the Old Testament is protection. It is a shielding, a covering. The first time you read this word, it is used for the ark. The ark was “atoned for” with pitch (hb. kopher, to cover or cover, as in “Make thee an ark of fir wood; in rooms thou shalt divide the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch.” Gen 6:14). The pitch made the ark watertight against the flood. As a result, everyone on the ship was saved from the judgment (of the water). Atonement in this sense is not the putting away of judgment, but the protection from judgment. This is the idea attached to the term “atonement” in the Tenach. The same word is otherwise used in sacrificial ritual, when something is atoned for with blood. This is also a symbol and is intended to indicate protection.

In the Old Testament as well as here in Romans 3:25, it is about this protection being brought about by blood. Therefore, the following should be noted:

atone = cover = by blood.

In the further course of the letter to the Romans we will discover that this link is typical for this word. Other words for “reconcile” have other connotations. It is helpful for understanding the Bible when we learn which terms belong together and which do not.

Different words for reconcile

There are several words in Romans for reconcile. Here the root word “atone” is used, symbolizing this protection from the wrath of God (Gr. hilasterion, hilaskomai, hilasmos). But it does not stop there in the Letter to the Romans. From chapter 5 on, Paul introduces a new word, by which something quite different is meant. This is about the Old Testament concept. Later a new word is introduced, gr. katalasso, which has a different meaning and therefore can explain new aspects of the Gospel in more detail. This is explored in more detail later in these studies. At this point, above all, Paul makes a direct reference to the Old Testament, showing the Jews in the Roman church the way with a clear comparison.

God’s justice

When reading the Bible, we should not jump to conclusions. The first thing is to read the text itself, to follow the story and narrative. The attentive reader will then find certain words at the beginning and other words later. However, what is explained has nothing to do with words, but words are merely used to depict a spiritual reality. A fact is outlined and a story, namely a development, is told.

So how do these ideas come about and why is this about? As in the Old Testament, so also here in the Letter to the Romans: if we read along attentively with Paul, we discover that he always places God’s action centrally. A sacrifice has no meaning in itself, but it acquires value through the meaning God gives to it. Not every animal is a sacrificial animal. Nevertheless, some animals were recognized as sacrifices when offered as offerings according to the rite and figurative rules instituted by God. Almost identically, it can be said of Jesus that a death by crucifixion was nothing special in the Roman Empire. Nevertheless, special significance was attached to this one death in particular. We may be aware that it is always about God who determines the value.

That is why Paul wrote:

“Christ Jesus … whom God set before Himself as the atonement.”
Rom 3:25 (KNT)

It is God’s action. Thus, this is also in line with the statements in the Tenach, because there, too, it was about the value that God gave to it. Of course, the blood of animals can do nothing. The sacrificial service could only make a difference because it was instituted by God Himself as a temporary solution. The blood of animals cannot really make righteous before God, so with the image of sacrifice He overlooked all these offenses of man. But now, in Christ, he has brought about something completely new. This was not a temporary solution, but the solution by which God brings about His own lasting righteousness.

“Christ Jesus … whom God set before Himself as the Atonement, through faith in His blood, for the proof of His righteousness, Because of the passing over of the former sins in the bearing of God, for the proving of His righteousness at the present time, that He may be just and justify him who is of the faith of Jesus – where is the boasting now? It is excluded!”
Rom 3:25-27

God Himself brings about justice. This is the key to understanding the gospel of grace as Paul speaks of it. This was already promised in the Old Testament (Tenach), and is now revealed here as the definitive solution. On the one hand, we see the development, but on the other hand, the rootedness in the history of Israel.

God foresaw all this and used to look over all human aberrations. However, the goal was to permanently change the situation of alienation between people and God. However, this is possible only when God’s own righteousness is brought to bear.

The righteousness of God is displayed in Christ Jesus.