ἱλασμός (Hilasmos)

MEANINGPropitiation, atoning sacrifice. The sacrifice that satisfies God's righteous requirements --- turning away divine wrath by addressing sin fully. In 1 John 2:2, the scope is explicitly universal: 'for the whole world.'

GRAMMARFrom hilaskomai (to propitiate, to make atonement). In 1 John 2:2: 'he is the hilasmos for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world (holou tou kosmou).' Holou (genitive of holos --- whole, entire) + tou kosmou (of the world). The double scope statement ('not only\... but also') creates the most explicit universal provision statement in the NT.

SIGNIFICANCE1 John 2:2 is Thread 7's single clearest atonement-scope text. The propitiation is explicitly for the whole world --- not only for the believers John is writing to ('our sins') but for the entire world's sin. The limitation of this scope to 'the elect throughout the world' requires importing a restriction the text explicitly refuses with holou tou kosmou (the whole world --- both words maximizing scope).

KEY VERSE / SCRIPTURES1 John 2:2; 4:10 ('God sent his Son to be the hilasmos for our sins'); Romans 3:25 (hilastērion --- the mercy seat, same root).

CROSS-REFERENCES1 John 2:2 · κόσμος kosmos · λύτρον lytron (Mark 10:45) · ὑπὲρ παντός hyper pantos (Hebrews 2:9)