Before attempting to understand the biblical meaning of redemption, we need to ask, “redemption from what?” The most consistent picture is that of slaves or captives being set free from bondage after the payment of a price.
The root meaning of the Greek words translated redeemed or redemption is loosening, with some forms of the word being combined with “apo” meaning “out from.” So the idea of the combined word is to be not only providing the price of freedom, but also the transport from captivity to someplace else, e.g. deliverance.
The Greek word transliterated “lutrosin” (G3085) appears three times,
Luke 1:68,
Luke 2:38 and
Hebrews 9:12.
In
Luke 1:68 we see the prophecy that God visited us and provided redemption for His people. This usage presents the idea of possible rescue and salvation from a bad situation, Right off the bat we encounter one of the difficulties in understanding "redemption" because many translation present that Christ accomplished redemption, whereas others (correctly in my opinion) present that Christ provided for the redemption of His people. If we co-mingle ransom and redemption, we create a muddle.
Luke 2:38 references people who are “anticipating their redemption in Jerusalem."
In
Hebrews 9:12, we see that Christ through His blood procured eternal redemption. This fits the picture of being ransomed by the payment of a redemption-price. Further, this redemption is eternal; it does not have a shelf life.
In Luke 24:21 we find "
lytroō" (G3084) which is translated as
"redeem." The meaning is to cause the release upon receipt of the ransom. Thus when God transfers a condemned individual from the realm of darkness into the kingdom of His Son, the individual is redeemed. This word also appears in Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 1:18. Note that Jesus gave Himself up (dying on the cross) to redeem us by providing the redemption-price for our salvation.
Jesus was both the High Priest who slays the sacrifice and then sprinkles the blood on those receiving the benefit of the sacrifice, and the sacrifice, the Lamb of God.
Romans 3:24 says (NASB), “being justified as a gift by His grace through the
redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” God’s grace can accomplish many varied things, and so Paul makes it clear that the grace being given is through or by the means of the redemption [deliverance], which is in Christ Jesus. So this verse points to receiving the benefit of Christ’s sacrifice when we are put “in Christ” rather than when He shed His precious blood on the cross. Here the Greek word rendered "redemption" is "
apolytrōsis" (G629).
Romans 8:23, here G629 is applied to our bodily
redemption at Christ's second coming.
1 Corinthians 1:30 says: "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and
redemption," (G629) Once God has redeemed us by placing us into Christ (our redemption from the domain of darkness, and thus being set apart within Christ (sanctification), we undergo the washing of regeneration and are born anew, which results in our being made the righteousness of God, we are then sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit who becomes our wisdom from God.
Ephesians 1:7 says (NASB), “In Him we have
redemption (G629) through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” So again, only when “in Him” (within Him) do we have the gift of His redemptive grace, which sets us free from every lawless deed, the forgiveness of our trespasses.
Ephesians 1:14 and 4:30 refer to our
redemption (G629) from our corrupt flesh. But as a sidelight when we are placed spiritually into Christ, we received our eternal redemption from the bondage of sin, and we are sealed with the Holy Spirit in Christ as a pledge of our inheritance which is to be raised in glorified bodies, set free from the corruption of the flesh. Thus those within Christ have been past tense spiritually redeemed, and are predestined to be bodily redeemed at Christ's second coming.
Next,
Colossians 1:13-14 completely summarizes the biblical concept of redemption from the bondage of sin. “For He
rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Hebrews 9:15: For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the
redemption (G629) of the transgressions that were
committed under the first covenant, those who have been
called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. Another word used with more than one intended meaning is "called" which in this verse refers to be transferred spiritually into Christ.
Hebrews 11:35 has our last example: "Women received
back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured, not accepting their
release (G629), so that they might obtain a better resurrection; Here G629 should be rendered "redemption" referring to an earthly release from captivity.
In summary four Greek words are translated as redeemed or redemption, but the concept is clear, being relocated from the realm of darkness into Christ spiritually, or out of our (dead or alive) mortal and corrupt body into our glorified body. He paid the price of redemption on the cross, the ransom for all, but only when God puts us spiritually into Christ are we "redeemed."
God Bless
