Liberation as a common thread through the Bible
The theme that runs like a common thread through the Old Testament is liberation. We see this reflected in numerous places. In the promise to the mother, it is already announced that mankind will be liberated from the influence of the serpent. Noah and his family are liberated from a world in which evil has gained the upper hand. Joseph is set free after a long period of captivity. The people of Israel are liberated from slavery in Egypt. Before the people enter the promised land, the land must first be liberated from the peoples living there. During the time of the judges, Israel is liberated time and again from the hand of oppressors, and this pattern repeats itself during the period of the kings as well. Later, liberation from exile follows.
Ultimately, the expectation grows of a Messiah who will bring definitive liberation.
Jesus’ first preaching: a message of liberation
Against this background, Jesus’ first ‘sermon’ is heard in the synagogue of Nazareth, in which He quotes from Isaiah 61:1. Jesus makes it clear that He has been anointed by the Spirit of the Lord to proclaim the gospel.
His message consists of three interconnected elements (see Luke 4:18-19):
- proclaiming liberation (Greek: aphesis) to captives,
- giving sight to the blind,
- and sending the defeated away in freedom (aphesis).
We already find the same theme in Psalm 146:7-8:
- the Lord sets captives free,
- opens the eyes of the blind
- and lifts up the bowed down.
The core is clear: Jesus is concerned with liberation and freedom. That liberation is achieved when our eyes are opened. It is striking that Jesus does not speak a word here about the necessity of the forgiveness of sins.
Liberation from sin as the goal of the gospel
Jesus came as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world — not by covering it, but by liberating (redeeming) us from sin itself: the aimlessness of life in darkness, under the curse of sin and death.
The good news of the gospel therefore focuses on the Kingdom of God: the reality in which man is completely liberated (redeemed) from this curse. It concerns a transition from the realm of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. Jesus wants to open our eyes to this.
From liberation to forgiveness: a shift in the church
Based on this, one would expect the Christian church to place the gospel of liberation from sin at the center. In practice, however, the opposite has happened. Particularly in the Western church, the focus has shifted to the forgiveness of sins, based on the idea that Jesus died as a sin offering. True liberation from sin is subsequently deferred to a future afterlife.
Here, a fundamental shift occurs: from liberation in the here and now to forgiveness as a legal concept.
Old Covenant versus New Covenant
The cause of this shift lies in the difference between the Old and the New Covenant. Under the Old Covenant, the forgiveness of sins was central. Transgressions were forgiven through sin offerings, but the cause of sin—life in darkness—remained. As a result, the cycle kept repeating itself.
Forgiveness functioned as treating symptoms. The system of law and sacrifice was unable to truly liberate man from the power of sin.
The New Covenant, on the other hand, brings a radically different message: liberation from sin itself. Not the covering up of transgressions, but the removal of the cause.
The Loss of ‘Christ in Us’
How is it, then, that the forgiveness of sins has come to take center stage? This has everything to do with the loss of sight of the mystery of “Christ in Us.“
Paul calls this mystery “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). It refers to the state of complete liberation from the power of sin. In the early church, this awareness gave way to a way of thinking that reverts to the flesh—thinking in terms of good and evil and thinking in terms of a strict separation between God and man.
Paul explicitly warns against this in his letter to the Galatians. He speaks of a return to a yoke of slavery: the system of law and judgment. In doing so, one effectively returns to the old covenant, in which forgiveness is central.
The role of translation: ‘aphesis’ as a key concept
This shift has also influenced the translation of the New Testament. The Greek word aphesis, which primarily means ‘release’ or ‘liberation’, has been translated almost everywhere as ‘forgiveness’.
Remarkably, there is one exception: Luke 4:19. There, aphesis is indeed correctly rendered as ‘release’, because it is a direct quote from Isaiah.
“…to proclaim release for captives…” (Isaiah 61:1)
In the Greek of the New Testament, we see the same threefold division reflected, albeit in a different order: the proclamation of liberation, opening eyes, and raising people out of their oppression. This oppression is the result of the curse of sin and death.
A striking shift in Acts 26:18
When Paul later testifies before King Agrippa and refers to the same mission, we see something striking. In Acts 26:18, aphesis is suddenly translated as ‘forgiveness’:
“…so that they might receive forgiveness (aphesis) of sins.”
Here, the meaning shifts from liberation to forgiveness. This makes it seem as if Paul is proclaiming a different message than Jesus. Instead of proclaiming the Kingdom of God — in which people are actually set free — the emphasis in our translations is placed on forgiveness within a legal framework.
We subsequently see this translation choice recurring in many places.
Liberation as the core of Paul’s message
Paul himself, however, is clear about the content of his message. He speaks of liberation from the power of darkness and transfer into the Kingdom of Light:
“He has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, forgiveness deliverance (aphesis) from sins…” (Colossians 1:13-14)
Here, too, aphesis is about liberation, not forgiveness. True deliverance means being completely free from something. Forgiveness leaves the underlying structure intact; liberation breaks through it.
We see the same in Hebrews 10:18:
“Where there is forgiveness deliverance (aphesis), there is no longer any need for a sin offering.”
That is a crucial statement. As soon as there is true liberation, the entire system of sacrifice loses its function. Sacrifice is therefore no longer necessary, because the cause has been removed, not because Jesus offered the perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
The true meaning of Jesus’ work
Jesus, therefore, did not complete the system of sacrifices, but ended it. Not by becoming the ultimate sin offering within that system himself, but by opening our eyes to a deeper reality: the Kingdom of God within us.
There, in that renewed consciousness, the power of sin and death disappears.
Conclusion: A Fundamental Reorientation
The structural translation of aphesis as ‘forgiveness’ instead of ‘liberation’ shows how deeply the influence of Western theology has penetrated our understanding of the Gospel.
It raises a fundamental question: are we still following the original message of Jesus and Paul — liberation from darkness into the Light — or have we remained stuck in a system of forgiveness that leaves the cause untouched?
Reflection Questions
- Do you view the Gospel primarily as the forgiveness of sins, or as liberation from sin?
- To what extent do you expect change through forgiveness, or through inner liberation?
- What does it mean for you concretely to move from darkness into the Light?
- What changes in your thinking when ‘aphesis’ means liberation instead of forgiveness?
Does this article resonate with you, or does it raise questions?
You are most welcome to get in touch — we are happy to think along with you.
Would you like to support our work so that we can continue sharing articles like this? A voluntary contribution is always welcome. This can be done via PayPal. My e-mailadress is: peter77overduin@gmail.com.
Would you like to stay informed about new articles?
Then subscribe to our blog / info email below.