REDEEMER, REDEMPTION
The term redemption means “liberated, returned by payment of a ransom.” God, having passed judgment on the firstborn of the Egyptians, claimed the firstborn of the Israelites for his service (Ex. 13:2).
After the episode of the golden calf, God chose the Levites instead of the firstborn (Num. 3:5-8, 12, 44-51; cf. Ex. 32:26-29). The extra firstborns who could not be replaced by the Levites were ransomed for a price; thus they were free (Deut. 3:46-51).
In the same way, alienated land or someone who had been sold for debt could be redeemed (Lev. 25:23, 24, 47, 54; see GOEL). The Israelites were redeemed from Egypt by the great power of God (Ex. 15:3; see PASSOVER, EXODUS).
From there, the theme turns to the redemption of the soul or life, lost due to sin. A man cannot give God a ransom for his brother: because the redemption of the soul is of great price, and will never be achieved: that is, all hope of giving the ransom oneself must be abandoned. The price is impossibly high for man (cf. Ps. 49:7-8).
In the NT there are two terms that are translated “redemption”:
(a) “lutrosis”, and its derivatives, “apolutrosis” and the verb “Iutroõ”, “unbinding, liberation, loosening”, indicating liberation through the payment of a ransom, redemption, redeem.
(b) «Exagorazõ», «buying in a market». Christ has redeemed believers from the curse of the Law (Gal. 3:13; 4:5). Christians are exhorted to redeem time, that is, to buy or secure every opportunity they can (Eph. 5:16; Col. 4:5).
A related term, agorazõ, is translated “buy” in all passages of the King James Version, except in 2 Pet. 2:1, “rescued”; Rev. 5:9, “redeemed” (and Rev. 14:3, 4 in the 1960 revision, “redeemed”).
In fact, it should be translated with the verb “buy.” The difference in concept is best appreciated in passages such as 2 Pet. 2:1, where “redeemed” cannot be said, because those mentioned are those who deny the rights of Christ, bringing upon themselves sudden destruction, although they had been “bought.”
Christ purchased everything, but only believers are “redeemed.” Christians sometimes speak of “universal redemption” without really meaning this concept, not properly distinguishing between “buying” and “redeeming.”
In Eph. 1:14 both concepts are found: “the redemption of the acquired possession.”
“Redemption” is sometimes used in the sense of the right or title to redeem (Ps. 130:7; Rom. 3:24); God has acquired this right with all justice in Christ, and by virtue of it he presents himself to man as the One who justifies.
Thus, God secured redemption before man entered his sphere. Believers now enjoy it by faith, in the sense of the forgiveness of sins, in Christ, where the believer’s position is found (Eph. 1:7).
Thus, the believer is placed in Christ, in whom he has redemption through his blood. As a result, redemption extends to the body (Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30) and to creation itself (cf. Eph. 8:19-21 ff.).
In its application, the term redemption denotes the power in which it is made effective, as well as the basis or condition on which it is based.