Colossians 1:14
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Colossians 1:14
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Redemption isn't just a grand rescue; it's specifically defined here as the forgiveness of sins. This highlights that the ultimate goal of Christ's sacrifice wasn't simply to free us from bondage, but to secure our release from guilt and sin's penalty, making us right with God.
Paul is detailing the supreme authority of Christ over all creation and His role in salvation. Following his prayers for the Colossians' spiritual growth, he moves to explain the foundational blessings they receive in Christ, which serve as a bulwark against heresy. This verse specifically highlights how Christ's work provides their liberation and pardon from sin.
We hear the word 'redemption' and often think of a transaction, a ticket to heaven. But the biblical picture is far richer and more profound.
The word for 'redemption' in the original language carries the powerful imagery of being bought out of slavery. It's not just about paying a debt, but about a decisive rescue from bondage.
From Captivity to Freedom
Imagine a people held captive, unable to free themselves. Redemption signifies God's intervention, where Christ, through His sacrifice, pays the ultimate price to buy us back.
This isn't merely a financial transaction; it's a profound act of liberation. We are delivered from:
While redemption paints a grand picture of rescue, the verse immediately clarifies its core benefit: forgiveness.
The phrase 'even the forgiveness of sins' isn't just an add-on; it defines and explains what redemption means for us practically.
The Ultimate Pardon
Redemption's primary outworking is the non-imputation of our sins. God doesn't just overlook our wrongdoings; He declares them forgiven through Christ's sacrifice.
This forgiveness means:
Understand the original words
apolytrōsis · Greek Noun
A release through the payment of a ransom price; biblically, it is the purchase of humanity from the slavery of sin by the sacrifice of Christ.
aphesis · Greek Noun
The act of sending away or canceling a debt; biblically, it describes God pardoning sin so that the barrier of guilt is removed.
This passage speaks of 'the forgiveness of our sins' as a gift from God through His tender mercy, directly paralleling the core concept in Colossians 1:14.
Acts 2:38Peter explicitly connects repentance and baptism with the 'forgiveness of your sins' and the gift of the Holy Spirit, underscoring the salvific actions available through Christ.
Ephesians 1:7This verse, a very close parallel, states 'In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,' echoing the theme of Christ's redemptive work and its fruit.
Hebrews 9:22This passage emphasizes that 'without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness,' highlighting the essential role of Christ's sacrifice, as implied in Colossians 1:14, for obtaining forgiveness.
1 John 1:9This verse offers a conditional promise: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' illustrating the practical outworking of God's forgiveness provided in Christ.
vincentColossians 1:14: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
Redemption (ἀπολύτρωσιν)See on Romans 3:24. Continuing the image of an enslaved and ransomed people. Omit through His blood.Forgiveness (ἄφεσιν)See on remission, Romans 3:25; see on forgiven, James 5:15. Forgiveness defines redemption. Lightfoot's suggestion is very interesting that this precise definition may convey an allusion to the perversion of the term ἀπολύτρωσις by the Gnostics of a late…
gillColossians 1:14: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"
In whom we have redemption,.... Which is an excellent and wonderful blessing of grace saints have in and by Christ; and lies in a deliverance from sin, all sin, original and actual, under which they are held captive, in a state of nature, and by which they are made subject to the punishment of death; but through the sacrifice of Christ it is taken, and put away, finished, and made an end of; and they…
Redemption isn't just a grand rescue; it's specifically defined here as the forgiveness of sins. This highlights that the ultimate goal of Christ's sacrifice wasn't simply to free us from bondage, but to secure our release from guilt and sin's penalty, making us right with God.
Paul is detailing the supreme authority of Christ over all creation and His role in salvation. Following his prayers for the Colossians' spiritual growth, he moves to explain the foundational blessings they receive in Christ, which serve as a bulwark against heresy. This verse specifically highlights how Christ's work provides their liberation and pardon from sin.
Paul is detailing the supreme authority of Christ over all creation and His role in salvation. Following his prayers for the Colossians' spiritual growth, he moves to explain the foundational blessings they receive in Christ, which serve as a bulwark against heresy. This verse specifically highlights how Christ's work provides their liberation and pardon from sin.
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"in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." — Redemption isn't just a grand rescue; it's specifically defined here as the forgiveness of sins. This highlights that the ultimate goal of Christ's sacrifice wasn't simply to free us from bondage,…