Chapter 5
That doctrine which cannot by any means be made to suit or conform to the thing it signifies, nor to the literal and derived expression by which it is held out in Scripture — but implies evident contradictions to both — cannot possibly be sound and sincere, like the pure milk of the Word. Such is this persuasion of universal redemption: it can never be suited or fitted to the thing itself, redemption, nor to those expressions by which it is held out in Scripture. Universal redemption and yet many dying in captivity is in itself an irreconcilable contradiction. To make this plain, let us consider some of the chief words and phrases by which the matter we are treating is expressed in Scripture — such as redemption, reconciliation, satisfaction, merit, dying for us, bearing our sins, suretyship, his being God, a common person, a Jesus, saving to the uttermost, a sacrifice putting away sin, and the like. To these may be added the significance of certain prepositions and other words used in the original in connection with this matter. It will easily be found that the general ransom, or rather universal redemption, hardly suits any of them — it is too long for the bed and must be cut at head or feet.
Begin with the word 'redemption' itself — both name and thing. Redemption — which in Scripture is one Greek word sometimes but most frequently another — is the delivery of anyone from captivity and misery by means of a price or ransom. That this ransom or price of our deliverance was the blood of Christ is evident; he calls it by terms meaning 'ransom' (Matthew 20:28) and 'substitutionary ransom' (1 Timothy 2:6) — that is, the price of such a redemption, what was received as a valuable consideration for our release. What is aimed at in paying this price is the deliverance of those for whom it is paid from the evil by which they were oppressed, this being the same in spiritual redemption as in bodily and civil redemption, only with some alteration of circumstances as the nature of the thing requires. The Holy Spirit demonstrates this by comparing the blood of Christ in this work of redemption with silver and gold and such other things as are the intervening ransom in civil redemption (1 Peter 1:18). The evil from which we were oppressed was the punishment we had deserved — the satisfaction required when the debt is sin — from which we are also delivered by the payment of this price. So: 'We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ' (Romans 3:24); 'In him we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins' (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Free justification from the guilt and pardon of sin, in deliverance from the punishment due to it, is the effect of the redemption procured by the payment of the price mentioned. As if a man should have his friend in bondage, and go lay out his estate to pay the price of his friend's freedom set by the one who detains him, and so set him at liberty. Only, as was noted before, this spiritual redemption has some surpassing features not found in other deliverances.
First, he who receives the ransom also gives it. Christ is a propitiation to appease and atone the Lord; but the Lord himself set him forth as such (Romans 3:24-25). God himself is often said to redeem us. His love is the cause of the price in respect of its procurement, and his justice accepts the price in respect of its merit; for Christ came down from heaven to do the will of him who sent him (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:9-10). It is otherwise in redemption among people, where the one who receives the ransom has no hand in providing it.
Second, the captive or prisoner is not so much freed from the power of the one who detains him as brought into his favor. When a captive among people is redeemed by the payment of a ransom, he is at once to be set free from the power and authority of the one who detained him. But in this spiritual redemption, upon the payment of the ransom for us — which is the blood of Jesus — we are not removed from God but are brought near to him (Ephesians 2:13). Not delivered from his power but restored to his favor, our misery being a punishment both by way of banishment and of bondage.
Third, as the judge was to be satisfied, so the jailer was to be conquered. God the judge gave him leave to fight for his dominion which had been wrongfully usurped, though that by which he had it was justly inflicted by the Lord and our bondage was rightly deserved by us (Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2). He lost his power, strong as he was, for striving to grasp more than he could hold. The foundation of his kingdom being sin, in assaulting Christ who had no sin he lost his power over those Christ came to redeem, having no part in him; so the strong man was bound and his house plundered.
In these and some other few circumstances our spiritual redemption differs from civil redemption, but in the main it answers the word in its proper meaning as used among people. There is a twofold way in which this is expressed in Scripture: sometimes our Savior is said to die for our redemption, and sometimes for the redemption of our transgressions, both tending to the same purpose. Of the latter you have an example in Hebrews 9:15, which some say is a metonymy with transgressions put for transgressors; others that it is a proper expression for the paying of a price whereby we may be delivered from the evil of our transgressions. The other expression appears in Ephesians 1:7 and various other places where the Greek words for 'redemption' and 'ransom' occur, as also in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45. These words — especially the term in 1 Timothy 2:6 — always denote, by their genuine meaning not to be forced, the payment of a price, or an equal compensation in lieu of something to be done, or a grant made for the one to whom that price is paid. Having given these few observations concerning redemption in general, let us now see how applicable it is to a general redemption.
Redemption is the freeing of a person from misery by means of a ransom, as appears from the above. Now when a ransom is paid for the liberty of a prisoner, is it not all the justice in the world that he should have and enjoy the liberty so purchased for him by a valuable consideration? If I were to pay a thousand pounds for a man's deliverance from bondage to the one who detains him, who has power to set him free and is content with the price I give, would it not be unjust to me and to the poor prisoner if his deliverance were not accomplished? Can it possibly be conceived that there should be a redemption of people and those people not actually redeemed? That a price should be paid and the purchase not consummated? Yet all this must be made true, and innumerable other absurdities besides, if universal redemption is asserted. A price is paid for all, yet few are delivered; the redemption of all consummated, yet few of them actually redeemed; the judge satisfied, the jailer conquered, and yet the prisoner still captive. Doubtless 'universal' and 'redemption,' where the greatest part of humanity perishes, are as irreconcilable as 'Roman' and 'Catholic.' If there is a universal redemption of all, then all people are redeemed. If they are redeemed, they are delivered from all misery in which they were enthralled — virtually or actually — by the intervention of a ransom; so why are not all saved? In a word: the redemption worked by Christ being the full deliverance of the redeemed persons from all misery in which they were ensnared by the price of his blood, it cannot possibly be conceived to be universal unless all are saved. So the opinion of the universalists is incompatible with redemption.
Any doctrine that cannot be made to fit or conform to the reality it signifies, nor to the literal and derived language by which Scripture presents it — but instead involves clear contradictions to both — cannot possibly be sound and true, like the pure milk of the Word. This is exactly the case with universal redemption: it can never be made to fit either the reality of redemption itself or the language Scripture uses to describe it. Universal redemption alongside many dying in captivity is in itself an irreconcilable contradiction. To make this plain, consider some of the chief words and phrases Scripture uses to express this subject — redemption, reconciliation, satisfaction, merit, dying for us, bearing our sins, suretyship, Christ being God, a representative person, a Savior, saving completely, a sacrifice that removes sin, and the like. To these we may add the significance of certain prepositions and other words used in the original language in connection with this subject. It will easily be found that the general ransom, or universal redemption, fits almost none of them — it is too large for the bed and must be cut at head or foot.
Begin with the word 'redemption' itself — both the name and the reality. Redemption — which Scripture expresses with one Greek word sometimes and another most frequently — is the deliverance of anyone from captivity and misery by means of a price or ransom. That this ransom or price of our deliverance was the blood of Christ is evident; He describes it with terms meaning 'ransom' (Matthew 20:28) and 'substitutionary ransom' (1 Timothy 2:6) — that is, the price paid for such a redemption, what was received as adequate compensation for our release. The goal in paying this price is the deliverance of those for whom it is paid from the evil oppressing them, which in spiritual redemption is the same as in physical and civil redemption, only with some adjustments as the nature of the matter requires. The Holy Spirit illustrates this by comparing the blood of Christ in this work of redemption with silver and gold and other such things as serve as the ransom in civil redemption (1 Peter 1:18). The evil from which we were oppressed was the punishment we had deserved — the satisfaction required when the debt is sin — from which we are also delivered by the payment of this price. So: 'Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus' (Romans 3:24); 'In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses' (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14). Free justification from the guilt of sin and pardon, delivering us from the punishment it deserved, is the effect of the redemption procured by paying the price mentioned. This is like a man whose friend is in bondage going and spending his estate to pay the price set by the captor for his friend's freedom, thereby setting him at liberty. Only, as noted earlier, this spiritual redemption has some surpassing features not found in other deliverances.
First, the one who receives the ransom also provides it. Christ is a propitiation to appease and atone for us before the Lord; but the Lord Himself set Him forth as such (Romans 3:24-25). God Himself is often said to redeem us. His love is the cause of the price in terms of its provision, and His justice accepts the price in terms of its merit; for Christ came down from heaven to do the will of the One who sent Him (John 6:38; Hebrews 10:9-10). This differs from redemption among people, where the one who receives the ransom has no part in providing it.
Second, the captive is not so much freed from the power of the one who holds him as brought into that one's favor. When a captive is redeemed among people by payment of a ransom, he is immediately to be set free from the power and authority of the one who held him. But in this spiritual redemption, upon the payment of the ransom for us — which is the blood of Jesus — we are not removed from God but are brought near to Him (Ephesians 2:13). We are not delivered from His power but restored to His favor, since our misery was a punishment involving both banishment and bondage.
Third, as the judge was to be satisfied, so the captor was to be conquered. God the judge gave the devil the opportunity to fight for his dominion, which had been wrongfully seized — though what gave him that dominion was justly imposed by the Lord, and our bondage was rightly deserved by us (Hebrews 2:14; Colossians 2). He lost his power, strong as he was, by grasping for more than he could hold. Since the foundation of his kingdom was sin, in attacking Christ who had no sin he lost his power over those Christ came to redeem, having no claim on Him; so the strong man was bound and his house plundered.
In these and a few other circumstances our spiritual redemption differs from civil redemption, but in essence it corresponds to the word in its proper meaning as used among people. Scripture expresses this in two ways: sometimes our Savior is said to die for our redemption, and sometimes for the redemption of our transgressions — both pointing to the same reality. Of the latter, Hebrews 9:15 is an example, which some say uses a figure of speech with transgressions standing for transgressors; others say it is a direct expression for the payment of a price by which we may be delivered from the evil of our transgressions. The other expression appears in Ephesians 1:7 and various other places where the Greek words for 'redemption' and 'ransom' occur, as also in Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45. These words — especially the term in 1 Timothy 2:6 — always carry, by their natural meaning, the sense of payment of a price, or an equal compensation in place of something owed, or a grant made for the one to whom that price is paid. With these observations about redemption in general, let us now see how well the idea of a general redemption fits.
Redemption is the freeing of a person from misery by means of a ransom, as the above shows. Now when a ransom is paid for a prisoner's freedom, is it not perfectly just that he should actually receive and enjoy the liberty so purchased for him by a valuable payment? If I were to pay a thousand pounds for a man's release from bondage to the one who holds him — the one with the power to free him, who accepts the price I give — would it not be unjust to me and to the poor prisoner if his deliverance were not carried out? Can it possibly make sense to speak of people being redeemed when those people are not actually freed? That a price should be paid and the purchase never completed? Yet all this must be accepted, along with countless other absurdities, if universal redemption is asserted. A price is paid for all, yet few are delivered; the redemption of all is complete, yet few are actually redeemed; the judge satisfied, the captor conquered, and yet the prisoner still in chains. Plainly, 'universal' and 'redemption,' when the great majority of humanity perishes, are as incompatible as 'Roman' and 'Catholic.' If there is a universal redemption of all, then all people are redeemed. If they are redeemed, they are delivered from all the misery in which they were enslaved — whether in effect or in outcome — by the intervention of a ransom; so why are not all saved? In short: since the redemption worked by Christ is the complete deliverance of the redeemed from all misery in which they were trapped, purchased by His blood, it cannot possibly be conceived as universal unless all are saved. So the universalist position is incompatible with the meaning of redemption.
