Verse 7 in Greek begins with a relative clause, “in whom we have the redemption” (Hdb|fig:Table_EPH1-3.jpg). It is quite easy and natural to make a break here and start a new sentence. “In whom” refers to “the Beloved” of verse 6 and names him as the one who achieves our redemption; the “we” is all-inclusive, referring to all believers.

The Greek “through his blood” indicates the way in which redemption was achieved. “Blood” here is a way of speaking of Christ’s death on the cross, which is seen as the voluntary sacrifice of his life to God as an offering to achieve the forgiveness of the sins of mankind. In the first three editions of the Good News Translation New Testament the Greek term “blood” was translated death, which was criticized by persons who felt that the atoning work of Christ was being belittled. In many contexts the Greek word for “blood” means “death,” for it is a figurative substitute for the term “death.” But in speaking of “the blood of Jesus Christ” there is something more than merely “death,” since in this type of context “blood” reflects the sacrificial system of the Old Testament to which Christ’s death is constantly related in New Testament passages. Accordingly, Good News Translation now uses the phrase “sacrificial death” as an attempt to communicate fully the significant aspects of “blood” in Greek. Twentieth Century New Testament, New English Bible, have the more traditional phrase “the shedding of his blood,” an expression preferred by many translators because it allows them to keep the biblical symbol of blood and yet make clear in this context that it is the death of Christ on the cross that is being talked about. Translator’s New Testament has simply “Christ’s death” while Barclay has “the sacrifice of his life.” Caragounis (page 91, footnote 64) quotes Behm: “The interest of the New Testament is not in the material blood of Christ, but in His shed blood as the life violently taken from Him. Like the cross … the ‘blood of Christ’ is simply another and even more graphic phrase for the death of Christ in its soteriological significance.”

We are set free translates a Greek noun meaning “redemption” (Revised Standard Version); the word appears further in 1.14; 4.30; Romans 3.24; 8.23; Colossians 1.14. The Greek word has here no idea in it, as has been sometimes suggested, of a ransom paid to someone for the freeing of the captive; it stresses the result of the action of liberation. Instead of the present tense we are set free (or “we are free”), some translations prefer the past tense, “we have been set free.”

That is, our sins are forgiven: this redemption is further defined as “the forgiveness of sins.” Here the Greek word means “transgressions” (see Revised Standard Version), while in the parallel Colossians 1.14 the more general word “sins” is used. The two are synonymous and refer in a general way to disobedience to God’s will.

Some translators have wanted in all contexts to render the Greek term “redemption” as “to buy back.” There are certain passages in which such a meaning is in focus. But more often than not the term is used in the sense of “deliverance,” and in this meaning it often refers to the deliverance of the people of Israel from Egypt. It is for that reason that Good News Translation employs the phrase “are set free.” One of the difficulties involved in translating the Greek term by “to buy back” or even “to pay for” is the requirement in many languages to specify to whom such a payment is made. This would force a translator to introduce elements into a translation which would be completely contrary to the teaching of scripture. This did happen at certain times during the Middle Ages when people assumed that God in redeeming people had to make a payment to the Devil. Any and all translations which would imply this aspect of redemption are, of course, wrong and misleading.

In a number of languages the phrase “the forgiveness of sins” must be expressed as a verb phrase, either in the passive form “our sins are forgiven,” or “God has forgiven us our sins.” In some languages a very important distinction is made between the meaning of “sins” (as the actual deed) and “guilt” which is the result of sinning. In such languages what is forgiven is the guilt. The concept of forgiveness is often expressed by means of figurative language, for example, “to throw a person’s sins away” or “to throw a person’s sins behind one’s back” or “not to remember any longer a person’s sins” or “to blot out a person’s sins.” Some translators, however, have endeavored to construct expressions for forgiveness based on a literal rendering of the Hebrew term meaning literally “to cover.” But this often leads to a wrong meaning, since “to cover sins” often implies “to cover up sins,” that is to say, to keep other people from knowing about one’s sins.

Verse 7 in Greek ends with the clause “according to the wealth of his (God’s) grace” (see Hdb|fig:Table_EPH1-3.jpg; Good News Translation How great is the grace of God): this is the basis or standard of God’s action in redeeming us (see the similar “according to” clause in verse 5b). The genitive phrase “the wealth of his grace” is resolved into “his abundant grace,” “his immense love.” It is important to avoid a word such as “wealth” or “riches” which would refer to material possessions. Here “wealth” means that God’s grace is plentiful and abundant. It is because his grace (or, love) is so abundant that he has set us free and forgiven our sins.

Verse 8 in Greek begins with the relative clause “which he lavished on us”; this is similar to the relative clause in verse 6 “which he generously gave us.” Good News Translation has made a break at the end of verse 7a and represented the “according to…” clause by a complete sentence, an exclamation How great is the grace of God…. In some languages, however, such an expression of exclamation may be rendered as “God has indeed been good to us!” A rhetorical question may also be used, for example, “Has not God been very good to us?” Translator’s New Testament has “How abundantly rich is his grace, which he has showered upon us!” New English Bible also has a complete sentence: “Therein lies the richness of God’s free grace….” On grammatical grounds this may be contested, but in terms of essential meaning and of impact on the reader it may be defended as a faithful translation of the Greek.

In the first part of verse 8, Hdb|fig:Table_EPH1-3.jpg “lavished” translates the Greek verb “to cause to abound,” “to multiply,” which is formed from an adjective meaning “more than enough,” “beyond the usual (amount or size).” The clause which he gave to us in such large measure may be represented in some languages as “which he showed to us very much” or “which he showed to us more and more.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .