Greek Word Study on "Redemption"

PERFORMING GREEK WORD STUDIES
USING RESOURCES ON THE WEB

Deuteronomy 32:46-47
"Take to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today,
which you shall command your sons to observe carefully,
even all the words of this law.
"For it (God's Word) is not an idle word for you; indeed it is your life.
And by this word you shall prolong your days in the land...

Psalm 12:6-note
The words of the LORD are pure words;
As silver tried in a furnace on the earth, refined seven times.

Psalm 107:20-note
He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions.

Proverbs30:5
Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Matthew 4:4
"It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE,
BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"

Luke 1:37ASV
For no word from God shall be void of power.

Jeremiah 15:16
Thy words were found and I ate them,
And Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart;
For I have been called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

Job 23:12-note
(Job's "secret" for survival)
I have not departed from the command of His lips;
I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Simple observation of the effects of God's Word in the preceding verses leaves little doubt regarding the incredible benefit of in depth study of God's individual words in their original language (life, healing, shield, nourishment, power, joy and delight, more valuable than our necessary food). Someone once said that "words are building blocks of thought" and since God uses the words written in the Bible to communicate with us, it follows that a proper understanding of the meaning of His individual Words in their original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek) is important for a full understanding of His "thoughts" (revelation). It behooves every saint to seek to become competent and confident in the performance of accurate studies of the Biblical words in their original languages. The goal of this discussion is just that -- to give you a basic understanding of how to perform studies of the Greek words. It should be emphasized that this paper is not intended to be comprehensive but only to serve as a catalyst to encourage you to begin the wonderful adventure of in depth original language word studies. The interested student is referred to more detailed discussions in any number of books on hermeneutics (study of the methodological principles of interpretation) (E.g., see recommended intermediate level resources). In addition, following the basic introduction to word studies, I have attached a more in depth discussion from Dr Stephen Lewis' seminary notes on Biblical Hermeneutics (see below).

One of my favorite Spurgeon quotes related to the Word of God...

It is blessed to eat into the very soul of the Bible until, at last, you come to talk in scriptural language, and your spirit is flavored with the words of the Lord, so that your blood is 'bibline' and the very essence of the Bible flows from you. (Charles Spurgeon).

Irving Jensen emphasizes the importance of word studies writing that...

Just as a great door swings on small hinges, so the important theological statements of the Bible often depend upon even the smallest words, such as prepositions and articles (Ed: See example below using the simple adverb "up") (Enjoy Your Bible).

Scott Duvall adds that...

Words are like pieces of a puzzle. They fit together to form a story or a paragraph in a letter (i.e., the big picture). Until you know the meaning of certain words, you will not be able to grasp the meaning of the whole passage. Not knowing the meaning of certain words in a passage of Scripture can be compared to the frustrating discovery that you don’t have all the pieces to your puzzle. Like individual pieces of a puzzle, words bring the larger picture to life. Words are worth studying! (Grasping God's Word: A Hands-on Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible)

Most of the great doctrines of the Word of God revolve around a single word, such as faith, grace, redemption, justification, gospel, sanctification, etc. It follows that In order to fully understand the meanings the great doctrines of the faith, one needs to study the specific Greek words that are foundational for that specific doctrine. In the present example we will focus on the foundational truth of redemption, a vitally important doctrine which permeates Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.

Keep in mind that when the original text of the Bible was translated into English, some 6,000 different English words were used, whereas the original manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek totaled some 11,280 words according to Irving Jensen (Enjoy Your Bible). So how do you fit 11,280 Greek and Hebrew words into 6,000 English words? The only way is to translate several Greek or Hebrew words with the same English word. An excellent example is the the English word servant which in some versions translates up to 7 different Greek words, each with a slightly different meaning. Clearly then we need to be able to discover which Greek words are used in order to make the most accurate interpretation. The converse is also true -- different English words translate the same Greek word, so again we need to be able to identify and understand that Greek word in context in order to fully comprehend the passage.

Since most of us don't read Greek (or Hebrew), the question is "How can we perform accurate Greek (or Hebrew) word studies?" The goal of the following discussion is to guide the student through a Greek word study using the tools that are readily available on the web. One caution that will be emphasized again and again is that in performing Greek word studies, we must pay close attention to the context in which the word is used, lest we derive a meaning that was never intended by the Author. Even in English, context is critically important in understanding the correct meaning of a word. For example, if I say "trunk", what "meaning" pops into your mind? But if the context includes the word "tree", you immediately arrive at the correct meaning. However if I am describing a car, you would conclude that "trunk" was the rear storage compartment. If I was at the zoo and described an animal removing a peanut out of my hand, you would realize that I was describing the "trunk" of an elephant. And I could go on with similar examples. So how did you do determine the correct meaning of "trunk" in each instance? Simply by paying careful attention to the context of the sentence, which is exactly what you must do when performing Greek Word studies.

Gordon Fee adds that...

In any piece of literature, words are the basic building blocks for conveying meaning. In exegesis (Ed: Exegesis = the explanation of a Biblical text) it is especially important to remember that words function in a context. Therefore, although any given word may have a broad or narrow range of meaning, the aim of word study in exegesis is to try to understand as precisely as possible what the author was trying to convey by his use of this word in this context. (New Testament Exegesis : a Handbook for Students and Pastors)

Frank Endicott has a humorous illustration of the importance of context in determining the meaning of the simple English word "up"...

Consider the word up. It is easy to understand up toward the sky or toward the top of a list. But when we waken, why do we wake up? At a meeting, why does a topic come up, why do participants speak up, and why are officers up for election? Any why is it up to the secretary to write up a report? Often the little word isn't needed, but we use it anyway. We brighten up a room, 1ight up a cigar, polish up the silver, lock up the house, and fix up the old car. At other times, it has special meanings. People stir up trouble, line up for tickets, work up an appetite, think up excuses, get tied up in traffic. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed up is special. It may be confusing, but a drain must be opened up because it is stopped up. We open up a store in the morning and close it up at night. We seem to be mixed up about up. To be up on the proper use of up look up the word in your dictionary. In one desk-size dictionary up takes up half a page, and listed definitions add up to about 40. If you are up to it, you might try building up a list of the many ways in which up is used.. It will take up a lot of your time but, if you don't give up, you may wind up with a thousand.

Robertson McQuilkin gives us an example of misinterpretation...

An example of the misunderstanding of words comes from a student who spoke at a Bible college chapel on the verse "I being in the way, the Lord led me" (Ge 24:27KJV). She took the expression "being in the way" as referring to her own resistance to the will of God. Although she felt she often stubbornly obstructed God's purposes ("being in the way") she also felt that God led her despite her obstruction because she was His child! Through the misunderstanding of words, the interpreter came to an opposite meaning of that intended by the author. She concluded that God will lead even when a person resists His will, whereas the verse says He will lead when we follow His precepts. (Understanding and Applying the Bible)

In summary, word studies are vitally important in order for us to glean the full meaning of God's Word, but they must be performed with a sense of "reverence and awe" lest one derive a meaning which is entirely opposite of what God intended. As an aside, another reason every saint should become conversant with Word Studies, is to make us better equipped to be "Bereans" (Acts 17:11-note) when we use the Greek and Hebrew Lexicons to determine which of several definitions for a particular Greek or Hebrew word applies to the verse they are studying. For example Zodhiates' Word Study Dictionary New Testament has 4 major definitions for the Greek preposition para (which basically means "beside") and each of those definitions is subdivided into 2 or more nuances, with several of these "nuances" in turn being subdivided! So you can see how even using the Greek Lexicons can potentially lead to erroneous interpretations if the wrong definition is selected!

Duvall concludes that...

Words are the building blocks of language, connecting like small pieces of a puzzle to bring the larger picture to life. As we grasp the meaning of individual words, we are able to comprehend the meaning of an entire passage. Yet...the meaning of a word is determined by the context surrounding that word. Context determines word meaning just as word meaning helps form the context. When doing word studies, you can clearly see the dynamic interplay between the parts and the whole. (Grasping God's Word A Hands-On Approach)

1) Enter search text	2) Choose section	3) Choose Bible translation to search
	in:	using:
Include Resources \| Abbreviations List \| HELP

Performing a Greek word study is not as complicated as it looks so do not be intimidated. If you just want to do a very basic study the first section is what you should try. It will be helpful to open up a second window of Internet Explorer so you can keep this window open to look at the instructions. To open a second window go to the top of the page on Internet Explorer and select "File" and then "New" and then "Window" (Shortcut = Control + N). A page identical to this one will open.

In all Word Studies the careful student must let the context guide the interpretation of the meaning of the Greek word in a specific passage, because as already discussed many Greek words have more than one meaning (see another discussion of this point).

For more background on Word Studies the following offsite link has a helpful discussion of the the importance of Greek Word Studies and walks you through the steps - How To Do Word Studies

Note: This page has been revised as of Sept 10, 2011 because some of the resource link addresses have changed or been removed from the web. Here are the major changes.

(1) Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words - replaces previous link to Vines but is still searchable in the English.

(2) Trench-Synonyms (Pdf online) - classic work listing over 100 studies on synonymous Greek words. E. g. for the sample study on this page go to bookmark (left column) number 77 "apolutrosis, katallage, ilasmos" (page 315/430).

(3) Hermeneutics by Dr Stephen Lewis - more technical discussion on the importance of word studies and caveats to avoid in doing word studies. If you are serious about doing word studies, I would suggest taking some time to read over Dr Lewis' discussion in outline form.

(4) Search box - Search for hymns that use the word you are studying.

GUIDELINES FOR PERFORMING
A BASIC GREEK WORD STUDY

STEP 1: STRONG'S LEXICON

Select the Search Engine studylight.org. (or use the box above)

i). In the dropdown box select "NAS with Strong's Numbers". (already selected in this example)

ii). Check "Resources". (already selected in this example)

iii). Type in the verse would like to study.

iv). Click "Search"

v). Click the underlined word you would like to study and a small window opens (usually in the upper right corner of your screen) which has the following information which you will want to record for use in the steps that follow. A sample "word study worksheet" is given below (click) (you might consider copying and pasting this table to your word processor)

(a) Strong's Number is at the top of the popup window. You will use Strong's number in Step 2.

(b) Transliterated Word beneath the Strong's Number. Transliterate simply means to spell out the Greek word in the characters of the English alphabet, the closest corresponding letters

(c) Word Origin has underlined Strong's Numbers which represent the root words used to compose the specific word you are studying. One can often glean helpful insights into the meaning of the word under investigation by clicking the related Strong's Numbers.

(d) At the bottom under "Translated Words" the KJV and NAS have a number in parentheses which represents the total number of times the Greek word is used in the NT. Note that a single Greek word is often translated by more than one English word.

STEP 2: ALL NT USES OF GREEK WORD

This step explains how to find every NT use of the Word you are studying. Skip to STEP 3 if you are not interested in studying every use.

Type Strong's # in Search box below, press "go" to definition. The definition is identical to Step 1 but also provides a "Verse Count" with links to every NT use of the Greek word corresponding to that Strong's #. Click the underlined Scriptures for the specific verses. Notice the English word used to translate the Greek word is highlighted (a different shade of gray) for identification. Click each verse to study the passage in context, which is critical to determining the meaning of each specific usage of the Greek word. Discerning the subtle nuances and differences in the meaning of a given Greek word in different Bible passages is a skill that does take some practice, but can be very rewarding. As an aside, the study of all the Scriptural uses (in context) of a specific Greek (or Hebrew) word is one of the primary means used to arrive at the definitions you read in every Greek or Hebrew Lexicon.

Enter Strong's #

STEP 3: VINE'S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF NEW TESTAMENT WORDS

Now let's see if we can discover some additional information on the word we are studying be checking another respected Greek resource, Vines Lexicon of NT Greek

i). Type in the word you are studying in English to see if Vines has an entry.

English Word:

ii). Be aware that when you type in the English word, you may retrieve more than one Greek word so you need to know which Greek word was used in the specific verse you are studying. For the specific Greek word see discussion under Step 1).

iii). Example: Let's say you are studying the word redemption in Romans 3:24. If you type "redemption" (minus the quotation marks) in the search box you retrieve a four words, two verbs and two nouns. You may be able to determine which one is used in Romans 3:24 by reading down the page (a keyboard shortcut is to press control key + the letter "f" which brings up "Find" into which you could enter 3:24 to more rapidly locate Romans 3:24 on the page)

On the other hand if you know the transliterated word (see Step 1 above) for redemption in Romans 3:24 is apolutrosis, enter that word in the Greek search box and you will retrieve two hits.

STEP 4: ROBERTSON'S WORD PICTURES

Now let's see if we can discover some additional information on the word we are studying by checking another respected Greek resource, Robertson's Word Pictures (RWP).

i). In the Studylight.org search (STEP 1) you retrieved a list of resources in the right hand column.

ii). Find the resource abbreviated "RWP" and record any insights you might glean. This resource is "hit or miss". Sometimes you will discover some excellent insights but other times it is less helpful.

STEP 5: IN DEPTH WORD STUDIES

Click here for a list of in depth definitions of Greek words on this website. This list will be expanded over time but many of the more common Greek words have been completed. You might also do a search on preceptaustin.org for the word you are studying as there are many word studies that may not yet be listed on the in depth study page. Go to the top of this page (impor) for the preceptaustin.org website search box. (Hint: If you know the Strong's # enter it or enter the transliterated Greek word.)

STEP 6: PUT IT ALL TOGETHER

Now take the insights you have gleaned and practice re-phrasing the verse by substituting some of the definitions/insights you have gleaned from the above steps. Your goal is to arrive at a better understanding of the verse. A word of caution is in order. You need to be aware (as discussed more below) that many Greek verbs have more than one meaning, so you must be careful that the definition you substitute into the verse makes good sense in context. (See discussion below regarding the importance of context) Otherwise you might misinterpret the passage.

Note that the technique of re-phrasing the verse using the insights gleaned from your word study is in a sense what is done in the translation known as the Amplified Version. In fact I often use the Amplified translation as a "mini-lexicon" or "mini-commentary." Note that in the Amplified Version notes marked by parentheses () signify what amounts to a definition of the preceding word or phrase. On the other hand, brackets [ ] contain clarifying words or comments not actually expressed in the immediate original text. For example, look at Romans 3:24 in the Amplified Version...

[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus,

"All" and "provided" are in brackets and thus are not words found in the original Greek manuscript but are added by the translator for clarification. On the other hand "grace" is followed by a parenthesis which gives a simple definition of grace. There is nothing helpful in the Amplified Version regarding "redemption" in this verse, but just to show you how the Amplified Version can occasionally be helpful type in 1Cor 1:30 in the query box below and note the "definition" in parenthesis following the word "redemption" (Notice that there are actually four mini-comments in this one verse -- the point is this -- if you have time, don't forget to check the Amplified Version).

GREEK WORD STUDY WORKSHEET: RECORD INSIGHTS
Transliterated Greek Word (Step 1)
Strong's Number (Step 1)
Insights from Word Origin (Step 1)
Brief Definition from Studylight (Step 1)
Insights from other verses using the same Greek word (Step 2)
Definition from Vine's Greek Lexicon (Step 3)
Insights from Robertson's Word Pictures (Step 4)
In Depth Greek Word Studies On Preceptaustin.org (Step 5) click
Insights from Amplified Version (Step 6)
Insights from Definition of the English Word in an English Dictionary click
Miscellaneous Resources click
Substitute Your Insights into the Verse to "Amplify" the Meaning (Step 6)

GREEK WORD STUDY
UTILIZING RESOURCES ON THE WEB
MORE IN DEPTH EXPLANATION
Using "Redemption" As An Example

(1) Strong's Definition, Number, Word Origin:

Let's look at Romans 3:24 with the goal of determining all we can about the word "Redemption" and then "plug" that information back into the context of the verse to increase our understanding. Keep in mind that Greek is far more exacting than English and often has several words that may be translated with one English word. In this case there are two Greek words translated "redemption", lutrosis and apolutrosis, (exagorazo is also translated "redeem") so our first job will be to determine which word Paul used in Ro 3:24.

(a) Although one could use several Bible search engines, we have found that the search engine from "studylight.org" is very useful for both Greek and Hebrew word studies. So let's get started with our word study on "redemption".

First, click the "Reference Search" page and in "Verse Look Up" (see the example below) at the top of the page enter Ro 3:24 and select "NASB with Strong's Numbers" making certain to also check "Include Resources".

Verse Look Up
Courtesy studylight

IN USING

New Search |Include Resources (Commentaries, Dictionaries, Cross References, etc) | HELP
Click here or logo below for help w SpeedSearch

Now, click "search" and retrieve Ro 3:24 as shown below. Note that some of the words are underlined. Clicking any underlined word links to the corresponding Strong's number and definition for that word in Greek (or Hebrew in OT). A nice feature is the ability to read the verse in context or in the original Greek. Although Greek verbs are not the focus of this study, if you click on the "[Original Greek]" you will retrieve the NASB and the original Greek versions (Click here to download Greek Font for proper display of Greek characters). The Strong's number (5746) in the Greek sentence links to the tense, voice and mood of the verb "justified" and can be very valuable in interpretation. For more information on the use and significance of the Greek verb tenses click "Greek Quick Reference Guide" which includes Scriptural examples and a discussion of the most common tense, voice and mood.

Romans 3:24 - being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus

Study Resource List

ACC -> Commentary on 3:24
B NN -> Commentary on 3:24
GEB -> Study Notes on 3:24
GSB -> Study Notes on 3:24
GUZ -> Commentary on 3:24
JFB -> Commentary on 3:24
MHC -> Commentary on 3:24
RWP -> Study Notes on 3:24
SRN -> Study Notes on 3:24
TSK -> Entry for 3:24
NTB -> Redemption
TCR -> Redemption;
TTT -> Redemption
EBD -> Ransom

(b) Next, click redemption and note that the transliterated Greek word is "apolutrosis" not "lutrosis".

Strong's Number: 629

apolutrosis

Original Word		Word Origin
	apolutrosis (this will not show up correctly if you don't have the Greek font loaded)		from a compound of (575) and (3083)
Transliterated Word		Phonetic Spelling
	Apolutrosis		ap-ol-oo'-tro-sis
Parts of Speech		TDNT
	Noun Feminine		4:351,
Definition
	a releasing effected by payment of ransom redemption, deliverance liberation procured by the payment of a ransom

The brief definition states...

"a releasing effected by payment of ransom (a) redemption, deliverance (b) liberation procured by the payment of a ransom".

Now take this definition and "insert it" back into the verse and in essence you are creating your own "amplified version". For example, one might now read this verse as follows --

"being justified as a gift by His grace through the [release, deliverance or liberation effected by paying a ransom] which is in Christ Jesus."

A note of caution here - As alluded to in the basic instructions for doing a word study, you must be aware that some Greek words have more than one meaning which is dependent on the context so you cannot always "mechanically" insert the Strong's definition and derive an accurate "amplified version". Performing proper Greek word study takes practice as well as careful attention to the context as discussed below. Before we leave this section let me encourage you to try one other maneuver -- click on the word "redemption" in the above verse which takes you to the definition. Now try the "Speed search" (click the logo at right for more detailed instruction) by (1) holding down the "Alt" key (bottom row, left side of keyboard) and (2) positioning your mouse pointer over the word "redemption". Now double click the left mouse button and a pop up appears with references including a link ("Click") to the first 20 of a total of 30 verses in the NASB that use the English word "redemption", Torrey's Topic on "Redemption" (this is generally an excellent source to examine), Easton's Bible Dictionary article on "Redemption", the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia article on "Redeemer, Redemption" plus several "hits" in the Greek and Hebrew lexicons.

One final thought on this section - note that in the definition above there is a section entitled "Word Origin" indicating that "apolutrosis" is a combination of two other words. Let me encourage you to click on both words as you will often glean additional insights into the meaning of the word you are studying.

After performing this exercise, have you gained any added sense of what Paul is teaching in Romans 3:24?

Your answer depends to an extent on your experience with Inductive Bible Study and the use of the "5W'S & H" (asking Who? What? Where? Why? When? How?) Obviously not every passage will allow you to ask all of these questions. Don't come to the text with questions made up. Let the text (and context) guide your questions. Note how taking time to interrogate the text slows you down and helps you meditate [Click how to meditate on Scripture] on the passage. Based on what we have determined to this point about apolutrosis, here are some examples of the type of questions you might ask...

"What do we need to be released or delivered from?"

"What was the ransom payment that effected the release or deliverance?"

"Who paid the ransom?"

As you practice inserting the "amplified definition" into the original verse, you need remember that some Greek words have several meanings and the correct definition must be determined from the context (text that comes before and after). The "art" of interrogating the text (interrogate with 5W'S & H) takes some practice but it is worth the effort, so "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth." (2Ti 2:15-note) Remember that Word Studies are like prospecting for gold -- the longer you look, the more likely you are to find those priceless "nuggets" of truth hidden in God's Living and Active Word.

(c) Another source of useful information when doing a Greek Word study is to examine how the word is used in other NT passages.

The brief popup definition you retrieved from clicking redemption does not provide that information. It does however specify the Strong's Number at the top of the note. Another way to determine the Strong's Number of redemption is to hold your pointer over the word redemption (do that now). Notice that in the bottom left corner of the screen the web "address" for redemption pops up (begins with http://www.studylight.org...) and that near the end of the address is a number (629 for redemption) which is Strong's Number. In Studylight.org if you hold your pointer over any underlined word in a verse you can quickly determine the Strong's number. Now, enter Strong's number into the Greek Lexicon (below) and click "go" to retrieve a definition with a table entitled "Verse Count" which consists of links to the 10 NT uses of apolutrosis. Click each link to study the use in this verse and remember to read the verse in context for the most accurate interpretation (click the "context" link above the verse). Record your insights.

To make it somewhat easier here are the 10 uses of apolutrosis in the NAS - Lk. 21:28; Ro 3:24; 8:23; 1Co. 1:30; Ep 1:7, 14; 4:30; Col 1:14; Heb 9:15; 11:35

	GREEK LEXICON
	Enter Strong's Number

Verse Count

KJV

NAS

Luke	1
Romans	2
1 Corinthians	1
Ephesians	3
Colossians	1
Hebrews	2

Luke	1
Romans	2
1 Corinthians	1
Ephesians	3
Colossians	1
Hebrew	2

Although we won't do it in this exercise, studying each of the uses of the specific Greek word remembering to examine the context can be rewarding and can help you discern nuances not readily apparent in the original definition. This exercise take some time and practice, but it is worth the effort.

(2) A T Robertson's Word Pictures in the NT

Go back to the original window (click "Ro 3:24" or look at the example above). Notice the "column" on the right side of the page entitled Study Resource List" . Scroll down the list of abbreviated commentaries, dictionaries, etc until you get to RWP > Study Notes on 3:24

(a) Click Study Notes on 3:24 next to "RWP" (abbreviation for A. T. Robertson's Word Pictures). Please do not "check out" because you are a bit intimidated by the Greek words in Robertson's comments (as noted earlier for proper display of Greek and Hebrew characters in Studylight, you must download the free fonts free at Font Resources). I am not a Greek scholar but using the "hunt and peck" approach I've become quite comfortable with the Greek letters and words (see Greek Alphabet). However, even if you cannot read the Greek you can still glean useful insights from Robertson's comments.

(b) A T Robertson comments that "redemption" signifies...

A releasing by ransom (apo , lutrosis from lutroo and that from lutron, ransom). God did not set men right out of hand with nothing done about men's sins. We have the words of Jesus that he came to give his life a ransom (lutron) for many (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28). Lutron is common in the papyri as the purchase-money in freeing slaves.

Robertson's comment on "redemption" suggests that prior to being redeemed we were "slaves". If one is a slave, what is one logical "W" question? Who was the master? Hold that thought until we look at the entry in Vines NT Lexicon in the next section. Are you beginning to get a better understanding of what redemption means? By the way did you click the cross references (Mk10:45; Mt20:28)?

(3) Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words

Search Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by typing the English word redeem or redemption. Under the Topic: Redeem, Redemption you retrieve the following information on Apolutrosis: (<B-2, Noun, 629, apolutrosis>) (629 = Strong's Number).

apolutrosis a strengthened form of lutrosis, lit., "a releasing, for (i.e., on payment of) a ransom." It is used of

(a) "deliverance" from physical torture, Heb 11:35, see apolutrosis under DELIVER - see "B-1"; (Hint: Remember that when you have a page with a large amount of text and you want to find a specific word like "apolutrosis" use "Control + F" and enter "apolutrosis")

(b) the deliverance of the people of God at the coming of Christ with His glorified saints, "in a cloud with power and great glory," LK 21:28, a "redemption" to be accomplished at the "outshining of His Parousia," 2Thes 2:8, i.e., at His second advent;

(c) forgiveness and justification, "redemption" as the result of expiation, deliverance from the guilt of sins, Ro 3:24, "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;" Eph 1:7, defined as "the forgiveness of our trespasses," RV; so Col 1:14, "the forgiveness of our sins," indicating both the liberation from the guilt and doom of sin and the introduction into a life of liberty, "newness of life" (Ro 6:4); Heb 9:15, "for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant," RV, here "redemption of" is equivalent to "redemption from," the genitive case being used of the object from which the "redemption" is effected, not from the consequence of the transgressions, but from the transgressions themselves;

(d) the deliverance of the believer from the presence and power of sin, and of his body from bondage to corruption, at the coming (the Parousia in its inception) of the Lord Jesus, Ro 8:23; 1Co 1:30; Ep 1:14; Ep 4:30. See also PROPITIATION.

Vine adds the comment that redemption is

the deliverance of the believer from the presence and power of sin and of his body from bondage to corruption, at the coming (the Parousia in its inception ) the Lord Jesus Christ.

Vine's definition helps complete the picture of redemption explaining that we were subject to or enslaved to the power of sin or in other words Sin is personified as our "master" (our "lord", our "king"). It follows that redemption is the price paid to deliver, release or ransom those who by grace through faith receive Christ (their Redeemer) from the power of sin in this present life and one day future in glory even from the presence (and pleasure) of sin. Thus the deliverance brought about by the redemption in Christ Jesus has a present and a future aspect (and these truths would come out even more clearly if we had studied all 10 uses of "apolutrosis" in context). (Related study - Three Tenses of Salvation)

(4) In Depth Greek Word Studies on this site

Click for frequently updated list of in depth Greek word studies. Scroll down (or use Control + F) to the English word redemption and the transliterated Greek word apolutrosis. (Related studies - See Preceptaustin Greek word studies related to redemption - exagorazo, lutroo, lutrosis.)

(5) Don't forget the simple English dictionary

Although you need to be careful (note), you can occasionally gain insights into a word used in Scripture by consulting Webster's Dictionary, especially the "bibliocentric" 1828 Edition of Webster's.

For practice use the 1828 Edition of Webster's and type redemption or redeem in the search query. Under redeem you'll find entry #2...

to free from what distresses or harms.; to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; to release from blame or debt.

Webster's corroborates the definition we have already seen, albeit using slightly different wording.

(6) Miscellaneous Resources

(a) Go to the Reference Search page and note that there are a number of search engines which can aid study of a specific word or topic.

(b) Trench-Synonyms (Pdf online) - classic work listing over 100 studies on synonymous Greek words. E. g. for the sample study on this page go to bookmark (left column) number 77 "apolutrosis, katallage, ilasmos" (page 315/430). For the study of Hebrew words see Girdlestone's Synonyms of the Old Testament Their Bearing on Christian Faith and Practice (online)

(c) Search for redemption in Bible.org's collection of dictionaries (includes Nave's topics - all on one page) which retrieves a nice discussion.

(d) Torrey's Topical Textbook - can be a veritable "gold mine" for example see Torrey's Topic "Redemption"

(e) When searching a sermon or long documents where the specific term you are studying is not readily visible, utilize the "Find" feature of Internet Explorer. Let's practice utilizing the "Find" feature. First, let's do a search on the Spurgeon Archive (Main Menu). In order to search this website (and no other site) enter the following address into your Google search box - site:www.spurgeon.org and add the term (or terms) you would like to search for the Spurgeon Archive. For example let's search for redemption by placing the following words in the Google search box - "redemption site:www.spurgeon.org" (minus the quotes). This search retrieves over 400 hits on the Spurgeon Archive with the word redemption but let's focus on the first hit (Particular Redemption = first hit as of 9/10/11). Note that the word Redemption is not highlighted in this lengthy sermon - you can quickly locate every use of redemption by pressing the CONTROL (Ctrl) Key (far left lower row) and the letter F on the keyboard which opens a box labeled Find in the toolbar. Now type Redemption in the "Find" box and hit Next which shows us we have 24 uses of "redemption" in this sermon (all highlighted in yellow). Now simply click "Next" to view each of your hits unitl you come to a hit you find informative.

CONCLUSION

If you have never done an original language (Greek or Hebrew) word studies, please do not be overwhelmed by this exercise. You can often glean very helpful insights by examining the basic Strong's and Vine's definitions, a maneuver that can be performed quickly using the Reference Search page. The more you practice using the search tools the easier you will find the process. You will also find that the means to the end is more than worth the effort. While not every in depth word study will yield profound insights, rest assured that God will always reward your diligence and desire when your goal for doing these more in depth studies is to know Him (Jn 17:3, cp Phil 3:10,11-note). Finally, one of the most satisfying benefits of carrying out Word Studies is that you will discover truth for yourself and as any INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY student will testify, there is no joy like the joy of Spirit taught, self-discovery in the study of God's Word.

Other Resources for Greek Word Studies:

How to do Word Studies (online) - performing and applying word studies

Grasping God's Word A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible - J. Scott Duvall, J. Daniel Hays - user friendly book with 25 pages dedicated to word studies - recommended! Also available in Logos Bible Software.

Understanding and Applying the Bible - Robertson McQuilkin - Chapter 9 has 26 pages of well written, lucid instructions on how to perform word studies. Also available in Logos Bible Software but only as part of a more expensive bundle and Wordsearch (single book).

The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament or in Logos Bible Software (or AMG Bible Essentials - also has the KJV Bible with Strong's numbers) or Wordsearch (includes Hebrew & Greek) There are a number of Greek Lexicons available but in my opinion this is one of the best.