CHAPTER V – The Nature of Redemption
CHAPTER V – The Nature of Redemption A continuation of arguments from the nature and description of redemption.
ARGUMENT XI. First: by its nature, Redemption is not Universal.
The doctrine of universal redemption cannot possibly be sound and sincere, unlike the milk of the word. It will not by any means suit or conform to what it signifies; and the expressions in Scripture by which it is presented to us, both literal and deductive, only imply evident contradictions between them. But now, such is this persuasion of universal redemption. Saying redemption is universal, and yet admitting that many will die in captivity, is a contradiction irreconcilable in itself.
To demonstrate this, let us consider some of the primary words and phrases by which this matter is delivered in the Scripture. These would include redemption, reconciliation, satisfaction, merit, dying for us, bearing our sins, suretyship, being God, a common person, a Jesus [meaning he will save his people], saving completely, a sacrifice putting away sin, and the like. To these we may add the importance of some prepositions and other words used in the original about this business. Have no doubt that we will easily find the general ransom, or universal redemption, will hardly suit any of them. It is too long for the bed, and must be cropped at the head or heels.
We begin with the word redemption itself, considered as to both its name and what it points to. The Greek for redemption in the Scripture is sometimes (NT:3085 lutrosis), but most frequently (NT:629 apolutrosis), which is the delivery of someone from captivity and misery by paying a price or ransom (NT:3083 lutron). It is evident that this ransom, or price of our deliverance, was the blood of Christ. He calls it lutron in Matt. 20:28;
147 That is, it is the price of such a redemption, or what was received as a valuable consideration for our dismissal. Now, what is aimed at in the payment of this price, is the deliverance of those for whom the price is paid, from the evil with which they were oppressed. This spiritual redemption is virtually the same as corporal and civil redemption, with some notable exceptions. The Holy and (NT:487 antilutron) in 1Tim. 2:6.
Spirit shows this by comparing the "blood of Christ" in this work of redemption with "silver and gold," and other things used to pay the ransom in civil redemption, 1Pet. 1:18,19. The evil we were oppressed with was the punishment we deserved; that is, it was the satisfaction required when our debt results from sin. And that is also what we are delivered from by the payment of this price. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law," Gal.
3:13. We are "justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Rom. 3:24; "in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins," Eph. 1:7; Col 1:14. The effect of the redemption that is procured by the payment of the price we mentioned, is free justification from the guilt of sin, and pardon from sin itself; we have been delivered from the punishment that is due. It is as if a man had his friend in bondage, and he put up his estate to pay the price of his freedom, a price set by the one who detains him; and by doing so, he sets his friend free. Only, as intimated before, this spiritual redemption has some things in it that are not found in other deliverances, as follows.
Spiritual Redemption differs from temporal redemption.
First, the one who receives the ransom also gives it.
Christ is a propitiation to appease and atone the Lord, but the Lord himself offered him as such, Rom. 3:24, 25; 148 and so the Lord himself is often said to redeem us. His love is the reason the price is procured, and his justice accepts the price because of its merit. For Christ "came down from heaven to do the will of the one who sent him," John 6:3 8; Heb. 10:9,10.
It is different in redemption among men, where the one who receives the ransom has no hand in providing it.
Secondly, we are not freed from God, but brought near to Him.
The captive or prisoner is not so much freed from the power of the one who detains him as he is brought into his favor. When a captive among men is redeemed by the payment of a ransom, he is instantly set free from the power and authority of the one who detained him. But in spiritual redemption, upon paying the ransom for us, which is the blood of Jesus, we are not removed from God. Instead, we are "brought near" to him,
Eph. 2:13. We are not delivered from his power, but restored to his favor.
Our misery, and punishment, was in banishment from God as much as bondage to sin.
Thirdly, the Jailer was conquered to satisfy the Judge Just as the judge was to be satisfied, so the jailer was to be conquered.
God, the judge, gave the jailer permission to fight for his dominion. Even though it had been wrongfully usurped by him, the cause of his dominion was justly inflicted by the Lord, and our subjection rightly deserved, Heb.
2:14; 149 Col. 2:15.
150 Yet, as strong as he was, he lost his power because he strived to grasp more than he could hold. The foundation of his kingdom being sin, and assaulting Christ who did no sin, he lost his power over those who Christ came to redeem, having no part in him. And thus the strong man was bound, and his house spoiled.
In these and a few other circumstances, our spiritual redemption is distinguished from civil redemption; but for the most part it describes the word in its proper use among men.
Now, this is expressed in the Scripture two ways. Our Savior is either said to die for our redemption, or to die for the redemption of our transgressions; both tend to mean the same thing, I think. The redemption of our transgressions is only found in Heb. 9:15. He died eis apolutrosis parabasis. Some say this is a figure of speech, transgressions (NT:3847 parabasis) being substituted for transgressors (NT:3848 parabates). Others say it is a proper expression of paying a price to deliver us from the evil of our transgressions.
151 The other expression, dying for our redemption, is found in Eph. 1:7 and various other places. Here, the words lutron and apolutrosis agree, as they also do in Matt. 20:28, and Mark 10:45. Now, these words, especially antilutron (1Tim. 2:6), should not be twisted from their genuine meaning. They always denote the payment of a price, or an equal compensation, in lieu of something to be done or a grant to be made by the one to whom that price is paid. Having given these few ideas concerning redemption in general, let us now see how applicable it is to general redemption.
Redemption means to free a person by paying a ransom for him
Redemption is the freeing of a man from misery by paying a ransom. Now, when a ransom is paid for the liberty of a prisoner, is it not completely just that he should have and enjoy the liberty that was purchased for him by that valuable consideration? If I paid a thousand dollars to deliver a man from bondage, and I paid it to the one who detains him, who has the power to set him free, and who is content with the price I paid, would it not be injurious to me, and to the poor prisoner, should his deliverance not be accomplished? Is it conceivable to have redemption for someone and yet not have them redeemed? Is it conceivable that a price would be paid, and the purchase not consummated? Yet all this would be true, with countless other absurdities, if universal redemption were so: a price is paid for all, yet few are delivered; the redemption of all is consummated, yet few of them are redeemed; the judge is satisfied, the jailer is conquered, and yet the prisoner remains imprisoned! Doubtless, putting "universal" and "redemption" together, where the great part of men perish, is as irreconcilable as "Roman" and "Catholic".
Conclusion: If there is a universal redemption, all men are redeemed.
If someone is redeemed, then he is virtually or actually delivered from all the misery in which he is imprisoned. And this is accomplished by the payment of a ransom. Why, then, are all not saved? The redemption wrought by Christ is the full deliverance of those who are redeemed by the price of his blood. They are redeemed from all the misery in which they were wrapped. Such redemption cannot possibly be universal unless all are saved. All are not saved. Thus, universalism is unsuited to redemption.