BIBLE CORRECTORS and YOM KIPPUR
For if, when we were enemies, we were RECONCILEDto God by the death of his Son, much more, being RECONCILED, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the ATONEMENT. -- Rom. 5:10, 11
If you have succumbed to concordance type correction of the Bible (supposing that the Bible can be uniformly translated or any language for that matter), you, no doubt, have subscribed to the popular ASSUMPTION, regarding the word "atonement" in the King James Bible (Rom. 5:11), supposing an error, because you were told that it should be and must be translated -- "reconciliation."
Since other passages, which have the same underlying Greek words "KATALLAGE" and "KATALASSO," are both translated with some form of the word "reconcile," you probably feel comfortable in making such an assumption, especially since other Bible Correctors quote Spurgeon for support in this regard. Also, you may have been impressed by certain scholarly goodies, regarding the relationship of the Hebrew word underlying the "atonement (KAPHAR), also underlying the covered ark (pitch-Kopher) and underlying the word "ransom."
You may also have reasoned that the Old Testament saints were merely covered until the cross as opposed to the New Testament saints being reconciled but not covered after the cross (despite the linkage to the Old Testament atonement, forgiveness, and substitution of a scapegoat, reconciliation, cleansing of sin, and etc.) Nevertheless, now, you must address the Old Testament in the following passages and change the word "reconcile" and "reconciliation" to some form of the word "atonement" in order to be consistent and to cover your tracks.
And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make ATONEMENT in the holy place . . . And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD, and make an ATONEMENT for it . . . And when he hath made an end of RECONCILINGthe holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation . . . -- Lev. 16:17-20
And one lamb out of the flock . . . to makeRECONCILIATION for them, saith the Lord God . . . he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make RECONCILIATION for the house of Israel. . .And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye RECONCILEthe house. -- Ezek 45:15, 17, 20
After you have managed to change some form of the word "reconciliation" in the Old Testament to some form of the word "atonement," you will have to do something about the word "atonement" in 2 Samuel 21:3. However, do you really know what to do with it? It seems like you are right back where you started.
Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD? -- 2 Sam. 21:3
Of course, you might save yourself all this trouble and consult Webster's 1828 and its definition of "atonement" and "reconciliation" (which, incidentally, does not seem to share the same theological or etymological bias as you and your friends have). Webster 1828 tells us that "reconciliation" in the scripture means "atonement" and "expiation." It also means "agreement" and "concord" and "reconciliation.” Perhaps, your Bible Correcting friends are not as objective as they pretend to be.
Now, Shakespeare, somewhat of a small authority on English words, says, "He seeks to make atonement between the Duke of Goster and your brothers." Rather than finding a problem with the Authorized King James Bible, is it possible that you are the one with the problem and not those, who have received His YOM Kippur? Ho Hum! Yawn!
You might also give the benefit of the doubt to the translators, who already translated the Greek word twice, with a form of reconcile, in the very same verse. You might grant them the sense to choose a shade of meaning that links NT fulfillment with O.T. types, which demonstrates that both O.T. and NT saints receive an atonement that really "covers" (Rom. 4:7), based not on the blood of bulls but on the precious blood of Christ.
-- by Herb Evans