ChristadelphianBooksOnline
The Agora
Pictures Of Redemption

The purchase of a slave

All that was discussed in the previous article may be comprehended in the "marketplace" or "agora" metaphor of Paul: "But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness" (Rom 6:17,18). Here "sin" is personified: "Sin" becomes the great ruler to whom all the world gives allegiance -- a slave-owner who owns all men. "I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin" (Rom 7:14). In this metaphor Paul is recalling the words of Jesus: "Everyone who sins is a slave to sin" (Joh 8:34).

The figure of speech may be heightened as we imagine an eastern "agora" or bazaar -- this marketplace was the meeting place of the ancient world; it was the center of commerce, entertainment, and social intercourse; it was the source of news and opinions. And always there was the slave-market, with its auction block. Approach that site in our minds, and the brutality, the callousness, and the fear wash over us. We imagine the smells and the sounds with revulsion -- and our memories are stirred in like manner as when we see the old newsreels of Auschwitz... for our modern times have also seen their own particularly ugly forms of slavery.

Here, at the auction block, we see women destined to be slaves to the basest passions of men. And men, doomed to lifelong drudgery to satisfy the greed of their fellow men. Here are wasted, broken lives; dashed hopes; families soon to be torn apart forever.

The slave-market: parable of our world; fleshly, carnal, unspiritual -- and sold as slaves to "Sin". Everyone who sins is a slave to "Sin". I sin; therefore I am a slave!

Into this scene comes a man who is obviously apart from others. Striding up to me, he speaks forcefully: "I have bought you; come, follow me." I am released from my chains. Now there are no restraints, no threats, no blows -- just a simple command. And I follow him.

Right behind him, I walk through the milling and clamorous crowds, and then through the winding streets of the city, until we come to a beautiful house. "Here is where I live," my new master tells me. "And here is your room." It is lovely and wonderfully furnished. Never have I seen such a luxurious dwelling, and this will be my home!

The master excuses himself, but soon he is back. He has brought water, and he kneels to wash MY feet! I should be washing his feet! And he has brought me a new expensive garment. I can throw away my slave's rags; I won't need them any more. With healing oil he soothes the cruel wounds inflicted by my previous owner; and I know that they will never hurt again.

"Now you are as I am," he says; "you are no longer a slave. This is my Father's house, and you are one of His sons!"

A lifetime of fear and hate is washed away, miraculously, and in its place is the cry of a heart set free: "Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father.' So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir" (Gal 4:6,7).

Redemption from the slave-market was a concept that would particularly appeal to Paul's converts, so many of whom were themselves slaves (Tit 2:9,10). They might not be able to hope for redemption from their mortal bondage, but they could rejoice in being redeemed from sin: "He who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman" (1Co 7:22). And they could live accordingly. In their hearts and minds they were already free from the worst slave-master. And soon their bodies would follow, and they would be truly and absolutely free!

So, whereas it is the "price" (or process) concept of redemption that we tend to think of and analyze, perhaps we would do well to concentrate on this, the "property" (or results) concept of redemption. This, it would appear, is what God would have us ponder: not so much the "How does it work?" question as the "What does it do?" question. Not so much the mechanical means by which redemption was achieved (the study of this, as we have seen, may lead to confusion if isolated and pressed to an extreme). But instead, what "redemption" means, morally and spiritually; what it means to us, every day, to belong to God:

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body" (1Co 6:20).

"You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men" (1Co 7:23).

"[Christ] gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Tit 2:14).

The word translated "his very own" ("peculiar people": KJV) is the Greek "periousios", which literally means "something beyond". Paul is quoting from the Old Testament -- which refers to the first great story of "redemption" -- God's buying of the Israelite slaves out of Egypt:

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be MY TREASURED POSSESSION (Heb 'segullah'). Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exo 19:5,6).

"Segullah", we are told, referred to the private treasure of kings; in societies where the king was more or less an absolute monarch, everything in his realm was considered to be legally his property. But even a king could not control and spend and enjoy all properties in his kingdom, and so he would mark out certain properties, properties which were set apart as his own "special treasure", his "peculiar" or unique property, and no one else's.

In the figure here, God Almighty is the great king, and all the universe belongs to Him, and all men, and all they have -- it is all His. The cattle on a thousand hills belong to Him! But... the Heavenly Father has condescended to choose a special few of all His subjects to be His own family, His own special possession, His own cherished riches. They stay close to His person; they recline in His bosom; they hear His whispers of endearment; they feel the tender touch of His special love. They are dearer to Him than the stars in the heavens, or the glorious snow-capped mountains. They are dearer to Him than the treasures of the richest mines, or the harvests of the richest fields. They are the ones He has bought for Himself with the precious blood of His Son.

"Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 'They will be mine,' says the LORD Almighty, 'in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him' " (Mal 3:16,17).

*****

Pictures of Redemption

The question might arise: 'Why pictures in the first place?' Why indeed? Our fundamental Bible teachings, of which the atonement is (or should be) paramount, are expressed in straightforward, reasonable, and logical terms. We usually endeavor to make those teachings as simple as possible, for the enlightenment and encouragement of young people and those others who need to learn what the Bible says.

But the fact ought to be faced: the Bible does not express what we call the "first principles" in the simplest and most logical language -- at least not very often. Much more often, these basic teachings seem to be almost byproducts of what the Bible offers us... history, poetry, stories, allegories, parables, and moral exhortations. Sometimes we deduce these basic teachings from hints and allusions; we find them "between the lines". In fact, which of us has not had the passing thought: 'I do wish God had put in the Bible more plain statements... or maybe just one good inclusive list -- and highlighted it by telling us, "My children, here's what you really need to know, and what you really need to do; just concentrate on this!" '

But, of course, what we have instead is a book, or really a compilation of many books, written by many different men (and women?) scattered over a millennium and a half, and comprised of many different kinds of literature. True, as we are apt to point out to others, they all tell the same story, and have the same fundamental message -- that's beyond dispute. But one has to read, and study, and meditate upon each portion... before this fact comes into focus.

Well, part of the answer to 'Why pictures in the first place?' is this: because the people to whom the Bible was first given, in its separate parts and then as an entirety, were almost all Jews, along with a few other Middle Eastern folks. And these original recipients of the Bible and its message had different thought processes and patterns than we modern Westerners do. Notice: I am not saying 'better' thought patterns; nor am I saying 'worse' thought patterns. I am simply saying "different".

This might be summarized as follows:

East and West contrasts in thought patterns...

East	West
Biblical, Semitic, Jewish	European, German, English, American
Feelings	Thoughts
Attitudes	Analysis
Allegories	Technicalities
Symbols	Details
Parables	Facts
"What does it do?"	"How does it work?"
Oriented to ends, results	Oriented to means, process

*********

It's fair to say that a good deal of what we call Bible exposition is really the attempt to put into Western, or modern, terms what the Bible has already said quite satisfactorily in figurative terms -- terms much more easily discerned by the people of Bible times and Bible lands than by us today. Which is not to denigrate the effort at all: given our culture and our background, such exposition seems essential.

In one sense, exposition is really just "translation" carried to another level: the translation not of words or phrases only, but also of concepts and ideas and philosophy.

And it is what these articles will attempt to do... while we keep in mind that the reduction of exalted concepts and beautiful pictures to more mundane technical expressions may lose something in the "translation". And while we remember that there were surely reasons why God chose to express Himself, and tell the greatest story men have ever heard, in parables and allegories.