The Bible Study Page

The Marketplace

This is a letter I wrote our Minister of Music at Westwood Baptist Church as I studied about our upcoming Easter musical drama which incorporated the New Testament Jerusalem marketplace. We call our annual events the Cleveland Resurrection Celebration (CRC), and quickly became a community event when it began a few years ago. I hope you enjoy the study on the marketplace.

Brother Don,

As in the past, the CRC '96 is very present in my thoughts. Not ever present, perhaps. But certainly very present. More than likely, I am not alone in that, as a result of this "CRC mindset", I see more things in my Bible studies that involve the aspects of the CRC.

I "stumbled" across a discourse involving the marketplace in my New Scofield Reference Bible. Although the marketplace is mentioned perhaps a couple of times, I've included the entire section that I came across.

To prepare you for the reading ahead, consider the larger picture of any CRC. The goal of our musical drama is to present the purpose of Christ's coming to earth. The purpose, of course, is redemption. And in presenting Christ in such a way, we hope many will respond positively to this redemption. All of our efforts and energies are corporately toward this end: that the Gospel message will be so clear and vivid as to draw multitudes to the Savior.

Now, please read the exerpt from my New Scofield Reference Bible. The notes are made from Romans 3:21-31. The focal verse is verse 24. "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Scofield's notes: "Redemption" means to deliver by paying a price. The work of Christ fulfilling the O.T. types and prophecies of redemption is set forth in three principal Greek words:

  1. Agorazo, to buy in the market (from agora, market). Man is viewed as a slave "sold under sin" (Romans 7:14) and under sentence of death (Ezekiel 18:4; John 3:18-19; Romans 6:23) but subject to redemption by the purchase price of the blood of the Redeemer (I Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 5:9; 14:3-4).
  2. Exagorazo, to buy out of the market, i.e. to pruchase and remove from fruther sale (Galations 3:12; 45; Ephesians 5:16; Colossians 4:5), speaking of the finality of the work of redemption.
  3. Lutroo, to loose or set free (Luke 24:21; Titus 2:13; I Peter 1:18), noun form, lutrosis (Luke 2:38; Hebrews 9:12). Compare also "redeemed" (lit. to make redemption, Gk. epoiesen lutrosin, Luke 1:38), and "deliverance" (intensive form apolutrosis) used commonly to indicate release of a slave (Luke 21:28; Romans 3:24; 8:23; I Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:7, 14; 4:30; Colossians 1:14; Hebrews 9:15; 11:35). Redemption is by sacrifice and by power (Exodus 14:30); Christ paid the price, the Holy Spirit makes deliverance actual in experience (Romans 8:2).

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May God speak to your heart! Bob Conar