The following Greek words enter into the make-up

of the word here considered: katallasso, apokatallasso, katallage, allasso

and allos.  The root word is allos, which means `other', and indicates a

change.  Allasso is translated `change' as follows:

Allasso --

`Change the customs' (Acts 6:14).

`Changed the glory' (Rom. 1:23).

`We shall all be changed' (1 Cor. 15:51,52).

As will be seen by the three examples given, the word indicates a

change of a very radical kind.  The change from law to grace was profound;

the changing of the glory of God to the likeness of animals was a terrible

departure; and the changing of the body at the resurrection, while most

essential, is beyond our understanding.

Katallasso --

`Enemies ... reconciled ... being reconciled' (Rom. 5:10).

`Reconciled to her husband' (1 Cor. 7:11).

`God ... hath reconciled us' (2 Cor. 5:18).

`God was in Christ, reconciling' (2 Cor. 5:19).

`Be ye reconciled to God' (2 Cor. 5:20).

Katallage --

`The atonement' (Rom. 5:11).

`The reconciling of the world' (Rom. 11:15).

`The ministry of reconciliation'.

`The word of reconciliation' (2 Cor. 5:18,19).

Apokatallasso --

`Reconcile (the) both' (Eph. 2:16).

`Reconcile all things' (Col. 1:20).

`You ... hath He reconciled' (Col. 1:21).

The translation of katallage by `atonement' in the A.V. is somewhat

misleading today, as the word no longer means `To make at one' as it did in

Shakespeare's day.  The fact that the A.V.  uses the word `reconcile' in the

immediate context, shows that the translators must have chosen the word

`atonement' in Romans 5:11 with intention.  They evidently felt it necessary

to link the Old Testament typical offerings, that foreshadowed the true

Atonement, with the one great antitypical Offering of Christ.  We must accept

the R.V. rendering, as being more in accord with modern usage, but we must

avoid blaming the translators of the A.V. for the changes that time produces

in language, for which, naturally, they cannot be held responsible.  We

should also be grateful that the A.V. rendering is a forceful reminder, that

there can be no reconciliation that is not based upon the finished Work of

Generally speaking, the Hebrew word translated `atonement', corresponds

with the Greek word translated `propitiation' in Romans 3:25.  No man can be

said to `receive' the atonement in the modern sense of the word; he does