R298: EXPIATION & THE LIFE-GIVING CROSS

Expiation has more ontological connotations than propitiation, the appeasing of a wrathful God. (Greek 'ilasmós can be translated either way, depending on one's axiomatic paradigm; the idea of getting rid of a míasma or curse is often connected with expiation.) It gets the offerer (back) into an ontological connection with God. (Contrast the way propitiation in a juridical paradigm appeases--nullifies an offence that displeases--God.)

Both expiation and propitiation are often associated with sacrificing, the offering or return of as unblemished a specimen of creaturely being as one can obtain to God in acknowledgement of His complete ownership and dominion over creation and, specifically, the offerers. It also recognizes one's own impotence to "do enough" ("satisfy") to get back into favor or unity with God. Sacrifice is an act of renunciation of whatever separates (ontologically or juridically, depending on the paradigm) the offerer from God. The act may be associated with various expressions used by many writers like "washed in the Blood"; cf. Col. 1:20: ". . . and through Him [scil. Jesus Christ] to reconcile all things completely toward Himself [scil. God], setting us at peace [with Himself] through the Blood of His Cross, . . ." The object and result of offering Blood or Life is to fill a void and to make sincere worshipers a new creating (ktísis). This overcomes any thought of abandonment by God by overcoming the gulf of separation (being cut off in some vital way) from God. God's acceptance of the offering breaks the bonds linking the offerer with the devil.

It is first necessary to distinguish the offering from immolation--the destruction of what is offered. This latter is not an essential part of sacrifice in general, something that many examples of sacrifices in the Third Book of Moses (Levitikón or Leviticus) leaves open to no doubt. Eating the Offering is taken to unite the offerer with the offered. Energies of) God. Nevertheless, the shedding of blood is often thought necessary for certain serious offences to the Creator. The offering (anaphorá, oblatio) also expresses self-denial, giving up something dear to oneself. The idea of one's duty or obligation is likewise involved.

The Orthodox call the larger piece of bread consecrated at the Epíklesis or Invocation of the Holy Spirit in the Eucharistic rite to become Christ's Body "the Lamb." (This is reflected in no few chapters of the Apocalypse, the last book in New Testament, which reflects early Eastern Worship in several ways.)

To obviate the bugaboo that the Eucharist repeats the Sacrifice of Calvary rejected several times in the Epistle to the Hebrews, it should be observed that Christ's Immolation is not repeated; only the Offering is repeated: Christ in His member offers Himself, as the prayer in the divine Liturgy intimates in calling Christ both Offered and Offerer.

Why does expiation function--which is to ask how expiation achieves its intended result. Why does the divine acceptance of an offering transmute the situation to get rid of obstacles that block, in the case of the Christian Sacrifice, a worshiper's participating in the risen Christ--by sharing His Life, the uncreated Energies of Grace--so as to energize the potential of the Incarnation's marrying of Divine and human natures.

Rom. 4:25 describes Jesus Christ as the One "Who
was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for the sake of our
being made righteous."

Without pretending to delve into a Mystery beyond our full comprehension--as would be the case if one tried to say how it happens--one may perhaps observe that the question of WHY EXPIATION FUNCTIONS TO SAVE US BY OVERCOMING THE GULF BETWEEN US AND THE DIVINE NATURE is to be answered thus: The return of a perfect human to the Creator (with the proper intention and acknowledgements) ontologically unites the offerers, even non-communicants, in a perfect act of Worship whose acceptance by God removes any ontological obstacles--notably the gulf between God' and His favor and ordinary human worshipers--to a one's becoming a member of Christ's Body. Communicates who eat (communicate from) the Offering of Christ's Body and Blood--who, as John 6:54 says, "have everlasting Life" and will be raised up at the last Day--are ontologically united with Christ's Humanity, receive an increase of the Assimilation to God, partake of Christ's divine Life and become ontological new creatings, viz. members of Christ's risen Body who share His Life, the uncreated Energies of Grace. Just as His human nature is everlastingly joined to His human nature, so our partaking of His human Body divinizes His worshpers.
Note that expiation changes reality (cf. the way bleach changes a stain), whereas the object of propiation is to change a will, to appease a will and achieve forgiveness, not to strengten the weaknesses that result in sinful acts, not to purge the impurities resulting from humans' ontological separation from the Creator.