The Hebrew _goel_ is thus rendered, and the title is applied
to Christ, as he is the Avenger of man upon his spiritual enemy, and
delivers man from death and the power of the grave, which the human
avenger could not do. The right of the institution of _goel_ was only in
a relative, one of the same blood; and hence our Saviour’s assumption of
our nature is alluded to and implied under this term. There was also the
right of buying back the family inheritance when alienated; and this
also applies to Christ, our _Goel_, who has purchased back the heavenly
inheritance into the human family. Under these views Job joyfully
exclaims, “I know that my Redeemer,” my _Goel_, “liveth,” &c. See GOEL,
MEDIATOR, and JESUS CHRIST.
REDEMPTION denotes our recovery from sin and death by the obedience and
sacrifice of Christ, who, on this account, is called the Redeemer.
“Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus,” Rom. iii, 24. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us,” Gal. iii, 13. “In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace,” Eph. i, 7. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without
spot,” 1 Pet. i, 18, 19. “And ye are not your own, for ye are bought
with a price,” 1 Cor. vi, 19, 20.
By redemption, those who deny the atonement made by Christ wish to
understand _deliverance_ merely, regarding only the effect, and
studiously putting out of sight the cause from which it flows. But the
very terms used in the above cited passages, “to redeem,” and “to be
bought with a price,” will each be found to refute this notion of a
gratuitous deliverance, whether from sin or punishment, or both. Our
English word, _to redeem_, literally means “to buy back;” and λυτρόω,
_to redeem_, and ἀπολύτρωσις, _redemption_, are, both in Greek writers
and in the New Testament, used for the act of setting free a captive, by
paying λυτρον, _a ransom_ or _redemption price_. But, as Grotius has
fully shown, by reference to the use of the words both in sacred and
profane writers, redemption signifies not merely “the liberation of
captives,” but deliverance from exile, death, and every other evil from
which we may be freed; and λύτρον signifies every thing which satisfies
another, so as to effect this deliverance. The nature of this redemption
or purchased deliverance, (for it is not gratuitous liberation, as will
presently appear,) is, therefore, to be ascertained by the circumstances
of those who are the subjects of it. The subjects in the case before us
are sinful men. They are under guilt, under “the curse of the law,” the
servants of sin, under the power and dominion of the devil, and “taken
captive by him at his will,” liable to the death of the body and to
eternal punishment. To the whole of this case, the redemption, the
purchased deliverance of man, as proclaimed in the Gospel, applies
itself. Hence, in the above cited and other passages, it is said, “We
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,” in
opposition to guilt; redemption from “the curse of the law;” deliverance
from sin, that “we should be set free from sin;” deliverance from the
power of Satan; from death, by a resurrection; and from future “wrath,”
by the gift of eternal life. Throughout the whole of this glorious
doctrine of our redemption from these tremendous evils there is,
however, in the New Testament, a constant reference to the λύτρον, _the
redemption price_, which λύτρον is as constantly declared to be the
death of Christ, which he endured in our stead. “The Son of man came to
give his life a _ransom_ for many,” Matt. xx, 28. “Who gave himself a
_ransom_ for all,” 1 Tim. ii, 6. “In whom we have _redemption_ through
his blood,” Eph. i, 7. “Ye were not _redeemed_ with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,” 1 Pet. i,
18, 19. That deliverance of man from sin, misery, and all other penal
evils of his transgression, which constitutes our redemption by Christ,
is not, therefore, a gratuitous deliverance, granted without a
consideration, as an act of mere prerogative; the ransom, the redemption
price, was exacted and paid; one thing was given for another, the
precious blood of Christ for captive and condemned men. Of the same
import are those passages which represent us as having been “bought,” or
“purchased” by Christ. St. Peter speaks of those “who denied the Lord
τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτους, that bought them;” and St. Paul, in the passage
above cited, says, “Ye are bought with a price, ἠγόρασθητε;” which price
is expressly said by St. John to be the blood of Christ: “Thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God (ἠγόρασας, hast purchased us) by thy
blood,” Rev. v, 9.
to Christ, as he is the Avenger of man upon his spiritual enemy, and
delivers man from death and the power of the grave, which the human
avenger could not do. The right of the institution of _goel_ was only in
a relative, one of the same blood; and hence our Saviour’s assumption of
our nature is alluded to and implied under this term. There was also the
right of buying back the family inheritance when alienated; and this
also applies to Christ, our _Goel_, who has purchased back the heavenly
inheritance into the human family. Under these views Job joyfully
exclaims, “I know that my Redeemer,” my _Goel_, “liveth,” &c. See GOEL,
MEDIATOR, and JESUS CHRIST.
REDEMPTION denotes our recovery from sin and death by the obedience and
sacrifice of Christ, who, on this account, is called the Redeemer.
“Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in
Christ Jesus,” Rom. iii, 24. “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of
the law, being made a curse for us,” Gal. iii, 13. “In whom we have
redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the
riches of his grace,” Eph. i, 7. “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not
redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain
conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without
spot,” 1 Pet. i, 18, 19. “And ye are not your own, for ye are bought
with a price,” 1 Cor. vi, 19, 20.
By redemption, those who deny the atonement made by Christ wish to
understand _deliverance_ merely, regarding only the effect, and
studiously putting out of sight the cause from which it flows. But the
very terms used in the above cited passages, “to redeem,” and “to be
bought with a price,” will each be found to refute this notion of a
gratuitous deliverance, whether from sin or punishment, or both. Our
English word, _to redeem_, literally means “to buy back;” and λυτρόω,
_to redeem_, and ἀπολύτρωσις, _redemption_, are, both in Greek writers
and in the New Testament, used for the act of setting free a captive, by
paying λυτρον, _a ransom_ or _redemption price_. But, as Grotius has
fully shown, by reference to the use of the words both in sacred and
profane writers, redemption signifies not merely “the liberation of
captives,” but deliverance from exile, death, and every other evil from
which we may be freed; and λύτρον signifies every thing which satisfies
another, so as to effect this deliverance. The nature of this redemption
or purchased deliverance, (for it is not gratuitous liberation, as will
presently appear,) is, therefore, to be ascertained by the circumstances
of those who are the subjects of it. The subjects in the case before us
are sinful men. They are under guilt, under “the curse of the law,” the
servants of sin, under the power and dominion of the devil, and “taken
captive by him at his will,” liable to the death of the body and to
eternal punishment. To the whole of this case, the redemption, the
purchased deliverance of man, as proclaimed in the Gospel, applies
itself. Hence, in the above cited and other passages, it is said, “We
have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,” in
opposition to guilt; redemption from “the curse of the law;” deliverance
from sin, that “we should be set free from sin;” deliverance from the
power of Satan; from death, by a resurrection; and from future “wrath,”
by the gift of eternal life. Throughout the whole of this glorious
doctrine of our redemption from these tremendous evils there is,
however, in the New Testament, a constant reference to the λύτρον, _the
redemption price_, which λύτρον is as constantly declared to be the
death of Christ, which he endured in our stead. “The Son of man came to
give his life a _ransom_ for many,” Matt. xx, 28. “Who gave himself a
_ransom_ for all,” 1 Tim. ii, 6. “In whom we have _redemption_ through
his blood,” Eph. i, 7. “Ye were not _redeemed_ with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ,” 1 Pet. i,
18, 19. That deliverance of man from sin, misery, and all other penal
evils of his transgression, which constitutes our redemption by Christ,
is not, therefore, a gratuitous deliverance, granted without a
consideration, as an act of mere prerogative; the ransom, the redemption
price, was exacted and paid; one thing was given for another, the
precious blood of Christ for captive and condemned men. Of the same
import are those passages which represent us as having been “bought,” or
“purchased” by Christ. St. Peter speaks of those “who denied the Lord
τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτους, that bought them;” and St. Paul, in the passage
above cited, says, “Ye are bought with a price, ἠγόρασθητε;” which price
is expressly said by St. John to be the blood of Christ: “Thou wast
slain, and hast redeemed us to God (ἠγόρασας, hast purchased us) by thy
blood,” Rev. v, 9.