ἀπολύτρωσις (apolutrōsis)
apolutrōsis
redemption
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 10 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The noun apolutrōsis describes a release or deliverance secured by paying a ransom. In ancient commercial contexts, this referred to freeing a slave or prisoner through a financial transaction. The New Testament adopts this concrete image to explain how Christ’s death addresses the problem of sin, framing salvation not as a mere pardon but as a purchase that changes ownership.
While often translated simply as "redemption," the word carries the specific weight of liberation from bondage. It appears ten times in the Greek Scriptures, with significant clusters in Romans and Ephesians. For instance, Paul uses it to describe believers being justified freely by grace in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24), and he links it to the future bodily resurrection as the "redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23).
The term highlights both the cost and the result of salvation. It implies that freedom was bought at a high price, yet the outcome is complete liberation. This dual focus on payment and release helps explain why early Christian writers applied it to Christ’s work: he paid the ransom to secure freedom for those held captive by sin.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word apolutrōsis brings to mind an ancient marketplace scene where a prisoner is freed because someone else pays the full price for their release. In the New Testament, this concrete image describes how Christ’s death secures our freedom from sin. It is not merely a legal pardon; it is a purchase that changes ownership. You are no longer bound by guilt or shame but belong to God through the blood of Jesus.
This truth offers deep comfort in your daily walk. Because your redemption was bought at such a high cost, you can trust in the security of your salvation. The Apostle Paul reminds us that this freedom is not just a past event but a future hope, including the final restoration of our bodies. Knowing you are fully liberated allows you to live with confidence and gratitude.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 10 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- redemption6×
- release,1×
- redemption,1×
- of redemption.1×
- [the] redemption1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀπολύτρωσιν5×
- ἀπολύτρωσις,1×
- ἀπολύτρωσις1×
- ἀπολύτρωσιν,1×
- ἀπολυτρώσεως.¶1×
- ἀπολυτρώσεως1×
Key Verses
-
Romans 3:24
being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
This verse connects justification directly to redemption, showing that freedom from sin's penalty is grounded in Christ's work alone.
-
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace
Here the text explicitly links redemption to the forgiveness of trespasses through His blood, highlighting the cost of our liberation.
-
Romans 8:23
Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body.
Paul uses this term to describe the future resurrection, indicating that redemption includes the complete healing and restoration of our physical bodies.