We now read of the final two points of thanksgiving in Paul’s prayer for the Colossians. Paul says that the believer has an apolutrosi, or redemption through Jesus Christ. The word means a liberation procured by the payment of a ransom, and thus implies again that the believer was under bondage or slavery to someone. The King James Version also included the words (through His blood), however, this is not included in any of the best manuscripts. It is believed to have added because this mirrors Ephesians 1:7.[1] The point is made in this letter in 1:20. The Scriptures and Paul make it clear that our redemption comes from the grace of God, by the shed blood of our Savior Jesus. We should give thanks for this marvelous provision for any and all who will freely receive.
The logical results of redemption is the forgiveness of our sins. Forgiveness (Greek aphesis) denotes release from bondage or imprisonment, it is the pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), the remission of the penalty one would have.[2] This is the consequences of salvation. The typical Pauline way of writing about this is generally the use of justification. However, we also find this terminology mirrored in Ephesians 1:7. Possibly this points to a primitive form of a confession of faith used at the time that Paul was writing.[3]
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[1] See also Romans 3:24 – 25, where the believers are said to be freely justified by the grace of God.
[2] W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1996). Page 251.
[3] Bruce, F. F. The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's Publishing Co, 1984. Pages 54.
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