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#7.
Rescued out of;
translated into (1: 13).
pp. 97 - 100
In our last article we were rejoicing together with the apostle in the grace of God that
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the most holy place in the light. We
now go forward with the apostle to contemplate the pit from which we have been
delivered, and the blessed means by which our rescue has been brought about:--
"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son" (Col. 1: 13).
In this statement we have two important words that will repay careful study,
"delivered" and "translated".
Deliverance may be accomplished by a variety of means, and may deliver from a
variety of evils. There is the deliverance which is a "setting free" from captivity and
bondage, aphesis (Luke 4: 18). There is the deliverance of the creature, at resurrection,
from the bondage of corruption, eleutheroo (Rom. 8: 20). There is the deliverance of
those who were held in bondage by fear of death, apollasso (Heb. 2: 15). There is the
deliverance from afflictions (Acts 7: 10 and 34), and from this evil age, exaireo
(Gal. 1: 4). Each of these word has its own peculiar force and shade of meaning, but not
one of them is used in Col. 1. 13, where we have the word rhuomai. We could now give
the reader the bare meaning of the word and pass on, but this is not our practice; we
desire to search and see together. The word is found in the LXX sometimes combined
with ek, "to deliver out of" and sometimes with apo, "to deliver away from"; the
following examples will give a good idea of the meaning implied.
Rhuomai ek.
"The angle which redeemed me from all evil" (Gen. 48: 16).
"Thus the Lord saved Israel . . . . . out of the hand of the Egyptians" (Exod. 14: 30).
"The Lord . . . . . who have delivered them out of the hand of all their enemies"
(Judges 8: 34).
"I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul" (II Sam. 12: 7).
Rhuomai apo.
"The king saved us out of the hand of our enemy" (II Sam. 19: 9).
"Deliver my soul from the wicked" (Psa. 17: 13).
The above are but samples taken from a long list, but they are sufficient to indicate the
direction in which our thoughts must flow.
Coming to the N.T. we find the verb used without either ek or apo in Matt. 27: 43,
"Let Him deliver Him", and in II Pet. 2: 7, "And delivered just Lot". Here we have two
good illustrations of the underlying idea of the word--deliverance from present or