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are told Christ `gave Himself for our sins' (1: 4). Twice in Ephesians is this supreme Gift
mentioned:
"Walk in love . . . . . as Christ also . . . . . hath given Himself for us . . . . ." (5: 2).
"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself
for it" (5: 25).
Again in I Tim. 2: 6 R.V.:
". . . . . Christ Jesus, Who gave Himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in
its own times."
The last reference is linked with the verse we are considering, for the verb lutroo
translated `redeem' in Titus 2: 14, is from lutron a ransom, `to deliver by the payment of
a price'. Two distinct aspects of the redeeming work of the Son of God are brought
forward here; `to redeem' and `to purify'. In the O.T. types the Passover and the Exodus
set forth the former, whereas the Tabernacle with its cleansing by water, or by the blood
and ashes of a red heifer, show forth the latter. We not only need to be set free from the
bondage of sin and death, but also to be made clean from their defilement. Iniquity is the
Greek anomia, `not subject to law', and therefore is better rendered `lawlessness'. The
cleansing or purifying (katharizo) is brought before us again in Eph. 5: 26:
"That He might sanctify and cleanse (katharizo) it (the church) with the washing of
water by the Word",
and how we can rejoice when we realize that not a spot or blemish remains after God's
cleansing! This, the Apostle tells us, relates to `a peculiar people, zealous of good
works'. "Peculiar people" is laon periousion. The latter word comes from perieimi, to
be over and above. As regards the Scripture it is found only in the LXX and here
although there are examples of it in the papyri. The translators of the LXX seemed to use
it in the sense of "one's own possession", and they use it to translate the Hebrew segullah
`peculiar treasure', referring to the people of Israel:
"Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people . . . . ." (Exod. 19: 5).
It is used similarly in Deut. 14: 2; 26: 18; Psa. 135: 4; Mal. 3: 17 (jewels).
The phrase `peculiar people' in I Pet. 2: 9 is not the same. Peripoiesis is the word used
in this context, but the thought is similar. It should be noted that these words are used of
Jewish believers, the Israel of God, and so there is a link with the `peculiar treasure' of
the O.T. Neither of these terms are used of Gentiles independently of Israel till after that
nation is laid aside in unbelief at Acts 28: Now the Body of Christ, the heavenly
people, is the special treasure, a people for the Lord's own possession, and they should be
`zealous of good works'.
It is possible for us to be keen on many things, but can we honestly say we have a
burning zeal for good works? Knowledge without zeal is barren and unfruitful. Zeal
without knowledge can be dangerous. Some may be surprised that Paul stresses good
works so emphatically in this epistle. While he is led to set aside completely any form of