Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. ~  Romans 3:24-26

The word propitiation used in here Romans 3:25 (KJV) comes from the Greek word hilasterion, which can be translated as either propitiation or expiation. 

Among the Greeks in ancient times, propitiation was the act of appeasing pagan gods because there was no natural disposition of good will in them. The pagans would make offerings to appeaseor satisfy their gods in an effort to earn their favor.

Conversely, expiation has to do with atonementand reconciliation. Atonement and…