An atoning sacrifice that turns away wrath and removes sin. Hilasmos combines two ideas: propitiation (satisfying God's justice) and expiation (cleansing guilt). It describes Christ's sacrifice as the act that simultaneously satisfies divine justice and removes human sin.
John writes: 'He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world' (1 John 2:2). The word echoes the OT kapporet (mercy seat) — the place where God's wrath met atoning blood. Christ is both the priest and the sacrifice, the one who offers and the offering itself. Hilasmos answers the deepest theological question: how can a holy God forgive guilty sinners? Through sacrifice that satisfies justice and demonstrates love.