Nor is the distinction by any means unimportant. The word "atonement," or "propitiation," occurs, in some one or other of its forms, six times in the Greek New Testament. (See carefully Luke xviii. 13; Rom. iii. 25; Heb. ii. 17; ix. 5; 1 John ii. 2; iv. 10.) The word "reconciliation" occurs, in one or other of its forms, thirteen times in the New Testament. (See Rom. v. 10, 11; xi. 15; 1 Cor. vii. 11; 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 20; Eph. ii. 16; Col. i. 20, 21.) If the reader will take the trouble of examining and comparing these passages, he will see that atonement and reconciliation are not the same thing, but that the former is the foundation of the latter. Sin had made man an enemy and thrown things into confusion; and in Col. i. 20, 21, we read, "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross (here is the foundation), by Him to reconcile all _things_ unto Himself; by Him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And _you_, that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now _hath he reconciled_, in the body of His flesh, _through death_, to present you holy, and unblamable, and unreprovable in his sight." Here we have the death of Christ set forth as the ground of the reconciliation of both men and things.[16] [16] If the reader will turn, for a moment, to 1 Cor. vii. 11, he will see the use of the word reconciliation. "But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be _reconciled_ to her husband." In classical Greek the word is applied to the _changing_ money: the _exchanging_ one thing for another; _exchanging_ prisoners; the changing a person from _enmity to friendship_. In short, everywhere the distinction is maintained between "atonement," or "propitiation" and "reconciliation." The former is ιλασμος, the latter, καταλλαγη. Now this leads to another point of immense importance. We often hear it said that "the death of Christ was necessary in order _to reconcile God to man_." This is a pious mistake, arising from inattention to the language of the Holy Ghost, and indeed to the plain meaning of the word "reconcile." God never changed--never stepped out of His normal and true position. He abideth faithful. There was, and could be, no derangement, no confusion, no alienation, so far as He was concerned; and hence there could be no need of reconciling Him to us. In fact, it was exactly the contrary. Man had gone astray; he was the enemy, and needed to be reconciled. But this was wholly impossible if _sin_ were not righteously disposed of; and sin could only be disposed of by _death_--even the death of One, who, as being a man, could die, and being God, could impart all the dignity, value, and glory of His divine Person to the atoning sacrifice which He offered.