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circumstances the apparent exceptional use of the word redemption is justified. This is
seen the more clearly when we remember:--
1.
Redemption deals with Adam, his sin, his forfeiture, his death, all of which pass
through to his seed.
2.
Israel in type set forth this in their failure to keep the terms of the old covenant.
Consequently their recovery to favour, to inheritance, and to the blessings of the new
covenant are also due to a redemption, but this time, for distinction, the inheritance
is called aionian, the covenant aionian, and the redemption aionian.
A similar difficulty may arise over the occurrence of redemption in Rom. 3: 24. The
previous verse says, "For all sinned, and are coming short of the glory of God". The two
tenses "all sinned" and "are coming short" take the mind back to Adam's "sin", and then
to individual "sins". Sin needs redemption: sins need propitiation; hence in verse 24 we
have redemption followed by the "mercy seat" in verse 25. This observes the same order
that we have pointed out already. The "mercy seat" is for none but a redeemed people.
It is only natural that the presentation of a new aspect of truth should be beset by
difficulties. These arise both from lack of clarity on the part of the writer, and from the
pressure of accepted teaching on the part of the reader. A pioneer will often make
mistakes, but small retractions do not prove that the whole course is wrong. Our readers
are not "babes" but Bereans, and we desire to be free to share our discoveries in divine
truth while their freshness is unsullied by too much handling and paring. "We have
redemption through His blood"--let us glorify Him by seeking a true understanding of
this purchased of His cross.
#10.
The way out and the way in.
pp. 89 - 91
We have on different occasions found that a truth has been expressed in The Berean
Expositor, but that owing to a somewhat compressed style of writing, which our limited
space necessitates, such teaching has passed unheeded largely because we have not
stayed long enough to give it prominence and expansion. In our last paper we sought to
draw the distinction which is observable in Scripture between redemption and atonement,
but feeling that the second aspect may not have been expressed fully enough, we give it
space here.
The exodus.
Proof was given that redemption is the great exodus of the Lord's people. It leads
them out, out of bondage, out of death, out of darkness, out of spiritual Egypt. We saw
that redemption in its primary character is unconnected with altar, priest or tabernacle.
Now if redemption is expressed by the Greek word exodos, the atonement may be
expressed by the Greek word eisodos. This latter word occurs in Heb. 10: 19-22:--