Translation using "propitiation"

here is an excellent post and counter post on the subject of properly translating into English the noun ιλασμος (hilasmos), as found in 1 Jo. ii.2. The first post is found at ESV Blog (that's the English Standard Version Bible Blog). The counter comes from Wayne Leman at the Better Bibles Blog. In this case, I believe Wayne has the better card played as far as the best English rendering of the term. "Propitiation" is very technical and difficult for the average reader to understand. Not only will they need to find a dictionary (don't always trust the study notes in the margins; they can be quite skewed and limited), but then try and understand what the dictionary is saying, then bring that back to the Bible verse to attempt apprehension. And you know what happens when you use 21st century meanings to interpret 1st century terminology.

That places a lot of responsibility on the translator. You need to understand the audience; in this case 20-21st century Americans. Here is a note from the NET Bible:

A suitable English translation for this word (ιλασμος) is a difficult and even controversial problem. "Expiation," "propitiation," and "atonement" have all been suggested. L. Morris, in a study that has become central to discussions of this topic (The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross, 140), sees as an integral part of the meaning of the word (as in the other words in the ιλασκομαι (hilaskomai) group) the idea of turning away the divine wrath, suggesting that "propitiation" is the closest English equivalent. It is certainly possible to see an averting of divine wrath in this context, where the sins of believers are in view and Jesus is said to be acting as Advocate on behalf of believers. R. E. Brown's point (Epistles of John [AB], 220-21), that it is essentially cleansing from sin which is in view here and in the other use of the word in 4:10, is well taken, but the two connotations (averting wrath and cleansing) are not mutually exclusive and it is unlikely that the propitiatory aspect of Jesus' work should be ruled out entirely in the usage in 2:2. Nevertheless, the English word "propitiation" is too technical to communicate to many modern readers, and a term like "atoning sacrifice" (given by Webster's New International Dictionary as a definition of "propitiation") is more appropriate here. Another term, "satisfaction," might also convey the idea, but "satisfaction" in Roman Catholic theology is a technical term for the performance of the penance imposed by the priest on a penitent.

This supports the position I lean towards on how we should translate the ιλασμος. I do not necessarily like "atoning sacrifice," but that is far better than "propitiation." While I will not absolutely disregard the ESV's point and the general use of "propitiation," there are alternatives that we can arrive at.