WORD STUDY REDEMPTION פרקנא (ARAMAIC)

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Candice Welch
6 years ago
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1 WORD STUDY REDEMPTION פרקנא (ARAMAIC) Roman 8:22-23: For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only [they], but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, [to wit], the redemption of our body. Luke 21:28: And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Many years ago I saw an absolutely horrible Christian film, (horrible not because of the content but the acting). It was one of the first in a long line of rapture films. Every

2 rapture film depicts the world being at a loss as to what happened to millions of people disappearing. Not likely to happen. With all the rapture films and bestselling books on the market, not to mention all the parodies if millions of people do disappear the rapture will be the first thing people think of, at least here in the States. But I am off subject here. I want to do a study on redemption. One nice thing about that first rapture movie was the song at the end which quoted Luke 21:28 encouraging us to look up for our redemption draws nigh. That is when it first hit me, Wait a minute, I am redeemed, why do I need to keep looking up for my redemption? I remember as a camp director we used to have the campers sing this song in chapel: I ve been redeemed, by the blood of the Lamb I ve been redeemed, by the blood of the Lamb I ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb Filled with the Holy Ghost I am, All my sins are washed away, I ve been redeemed. From my first reading of this I find two problems. One, if all my sins are washed away, why do I keep sinning? After a week with those little buggers you could find plenty more sins to wash away. It appears this washing process is an ongoing thing. Secondly, why does the Bible command us to look up for our redemption to come if we have already been redeemed? The word redemption in the Greek is apolytrosis which means a

3 release by payment of a ransom. In the Aramaic the word is purqana which means to pay a ransom. It comes from a Semitic root word for breaking the neck of an animal captured by hunters. Its basic idea is a separation, a violent or sudden separation. This fits nicely with the rapture theory the redeemed will experience a second redemption or a sudden separation from the earth. Of course a ransom was already paid to those who ate to be raptured. So are we really talking about two redemptions? Perhaps. It does fits both a spiritual redemption and a physical redemption and why not? But then someone wrote to me asking about Romans 8:22 and I wonder. Paul talks about groanings and birth pains of the all creation and then compares this to the groanings and birth pains of our relationship with God or on a spiritual level. The Aramaic Bible, the Peshitta uses the exact same word purqana for redemption that is used in Luke only this time it is a reference to spiritual redemption or is it. I put this out to a group of Christian friends to get their wide and varied opinions as to what Paul was talking about. Initially, my friend who first breeched the subject asked just what all creation was? Man, man and animals, man, animals and plant life? The word creation is preceded by the word all or kul in the Aramaic which means all. More specifically it means the entire, the whole of creation. The word for creation is berita in the Aramaic which is created things that are physical. So this is clearly a reference to everything physical thing on the earth. The context clarifies by saying everything that can give birth, that is living things. Everything living will die but there will be a birth to replace what has died. So the parallel in verse 28 is that we will die spiritually but we cannot be restored with a redemption, a ransom being paid for our spiritual restoration.

4 But a spirit can t be reborn wait a minute, Jesus said in John 3 that a spirit can be reborn or born again through the redemptive work on the cross. But does not Romans 8:23 tell us that we are waiting for the adoption and redemption? That is a tough one. Does that mean that right now we are not redeemed? Let me resort to good old fashion preacher talk based upon the explanation given by my Christian friends. It works for me, if it doesn t work for you find you own explanation we will still be together in eternity whether you like my suggestion or not. The Talmud teaches something about the glorification of the Messiah. The Messiah must come to earth in human form, be persecuted, tortured and put to death. He must rise from the dead, he must ascend up to heaven where he will be crowned king of the universe and then finally, yes there is a finally, He must return to earth. Upon His return His glorification is complete and our redemption is complete. However, our ultimate redemption is guaranteed so long as we trust in this Messiah to complete this glorification process. In the meantime, we are still stuck in a physical body in a physical world with our redemption, as my bank statement says everytime I use my debit card, pending. Oh, I paid for it, the merchant let me have it. I mean if it is from a restaurant I ate the food, there is no returning that food, at least in the way it was given to me, but the money is not in the merchant s account yet. The bank assures him the money is as good as his as there was enough in my account to cover it and that amount has been designated for that merchant, locked in so no one, not even me can access it, it is just that there is a process to complete before he can claim it. So too, with our redemption. It is bought and paid for, it is locked in with the Father in heaven s personal endorsement that it is legal

5 tender, but it is just that there is a process to complete. Just as I can declare to the world that the food I ate is mine, it is in my stomach even though the merchant does not have the payment in his possession, he has all the legal documents to prove his a right to that money in my account. Just like the Father has all the documents to prove He has a legal right to give me redemption, it is just not yet finalized. So whether you believe in a rapture or not, you have got to believe in a Second Coming. That belief is good enough to get you into heaven, the payment for your entrance is still pending, but it is a done deal nonetheless and based upon that you are welcomed into heaven. So our little campers were fully correct in singing: I ve been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~Romans 8:28 1 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those