We pass on to the two references to ransom found in the New Testament.

'The Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to

give His life a ransom for many' (Matt. 20:28).

'There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ

Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time'

(1 Tim. 2:5,6).

In Matthew, the word translated 'ransom' is the Greek lutron followed

by the preposition anti 'for'.  In 1 Timothy, the Greek word is the compound

of antilutron followed by huper 'on behalf of'.  In Matthew the ransom was

for 'many'; in 1 Timothy it was given for 'all'.  The reason for the

difference, 'the many' and 'the all', seems to be that in Matthew we are

limited to 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. 15:24), and that

'they are not all Israel, which are of Israel' (Rom. 9:6), consequently 'all'

is not used in Matthew.  In 1 Timothy 'all sorts and conditions of men' are

in view (1 Tim. 2:1), and so 'all' can there be used.  This matter of the

Ransom for all is part of the greater theme, the One Mediator, and to this

article the reader is directed.  (p. 99).

A word concerning the modern use of the word ransom may be timely.  A

traveller, for example, may have been taken prisoner by bandits, and held to

ransom.  His relatives, while abominating the whole evil system, nevertheless

pay up, out of love for their kindred.  This aspect, in early days, led to

the idea that the death of Christ actually paid ransom to the Devil!  About

the third century Origen calls such a doctrine 'blasphemous folly', and

Gregory of Nazianzus said that it is an outrage to suppose that the robber

could receive God Himself in payment for us.  No such idea is resident in the

Scriptural words translated 'ransom', and the preacher and teacher should be

at pains to make this very clear to his hearers.

Logizomai is translated in the New Testament not only reckon, but

impute, account and esteem.

The usage of the word in the New Testament will enable us to get some

idea of its general bearing:

To Reason or Argue Rationally.

'They reasoned with themselves' (Mark 11:31).

'When I was a child ... I thought as a child' (1 Cor. 13:11).

To Infer, Conclude Or Balance After Hearing Reasons.

'Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith' (Rom. 3:28).

'I reckon that the sufferings of this present time' (Rom. 8:18).

'Accounting that God was able to raise him up' (Heb. 11:19).

To Think.

'And thinkest thou this, O man?' (Rom. 2:3).

To Account.