Before getting into the meaning of the Greek words involved, please bear in mind this spiritual truth which must never be forgotten when thinking about the way the Bible speaks about buying:
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath
no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price." Isaiah 55:1. (See also verse 2 and Jesus'
application of this in John 7:37-39.)
There are two distinct groups of Greek words in the writings of the Apostles, which have been translated 'redemption' in the A.V. One is agora, agorazo and exagorazo. (The Agora group hereafter.) The other is lutron, lutroo, antilutron, lutrosis, lutrotes and apolutroi.
These two groups of words mirror gaal and padah from the Hebrew scriptures. Unfortunately, the English of the A.V. does not make necessary distinctions between the two groups of words.
The Agora group - This aspect of redemption is part of a covenant that is proclaimed over the whole, present, Earth, to extend over the whole, new Earth. But the meaning of 'market-place' has become attached to agora, affecting related words, with doctrinal association and meaning. But if we stick to the scriptures to see the way the Holy Spirit applied such words, we learn that not once in 13 useages is there any association with buying, selling, bartering, produce, stalls, shops, traders, investors or money. Nor is there a single allusion to customers.
The go-to lexicon for one and a half centuries, Liddel and Scott, says this of agora:
"I. Any assembly and especially an assembly of the people opposite to
The Council (Boule). II. The place of assembly used not only for
public debating, elections and trials but also for buying and selling
and all kinds of business."
Note how Young, in his Concordance, translates agorazo as "acquired at the Forum" (and note how it's not 'bought' nor is it 'the market'.) Page 57 of his Index-Lexicon to the New Testament. In all the many references in the Gospel accounts, not a single mention can be found of purchasing by customers or selling by traders. No allusion is made to stalls set up for that purpose. No items of produce are envisaged. Money never enters the picture.
With regard to agoraios, translators have had to deliberately introduce a very questionable association in order to try to enforce their interpretation as 'market place'. See Acts 17:5 & 19:38. The AV translates the first use as 'lewd fellows of the baser sort', but the word poneros does not mean either 'lewd' or 'base'. The second use of agoraois (in Ephesus) is given as 'the law is open'. The EGNT chooses to render this as 'courts are held'. Clearly, agoraois is a matter of proper, judicial process. But certain poneros persons involved in the judicial process may be employed to adversely influence genuine lawful procedures.
This is detailed to show that the agora and the agoraois speak of the place where men conduct their public affairs in the place of concourse. Yet a complete hash has been made with modern ways to translate agoraois, and then to misrepresent the word poneros. Much could be said to then show how exagorazo has departed even further from the meaning the Holy Spirit gives in the sacred writings. The true meaning is shown by the inspired record of Boaz exercising his right to redeem by going to the gate, sitting down there in public with ten elders, to conduct the business of redemption, there in the gate (Ruth 3:1-3). And thus was redemption made in reality, at the Place of the Skull, Golgotha. What occurred there in the hours of darkness has been publicly laid out in order by chosen Apostles. The documents of this transaction have been publicly available for 2,000 years. This thing was done, was witnessed and was documented fully, in the place of concourse.
As Ruth had been bound by law to her husband until he died, so she became free to be united to another, living husband. This is the mystery of Christ and his Church. If we be not dead with Christ, then are we not free to be in union with him. The right to redeem comes after the departure of the other who had claim. The redeemer possesses that to which he has redemption title, and the one with whom he has union also enjoys a secure inheritance. In union, after death, "it is no longer I that live, but Christ that liveth in me. And the life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
When Paul wrote that some men 'purchased' to themselves a good degree, becoming deacons, clearly nothing was purchased with money, or with anything else. See Ephesians 1:11 & 14. The word peripoeio does not convey financial transaction. It is a matter of securing, by whatever means. Put that translation in to such texts instead of 'purchased', and see the significant difference: Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Thess.5:9, 2 Thes. 2:14, Heb. 10:39.
Now, I have only delved into a few points. There is far more to be said about other words. I have taken the above largely from the book below, only getting up to page 23. There are another 105 pages to go, all on the crucially important matter of redemption, and restoration, and security in Christ; how this was gained for helpless sinners, and without any money being involved. It also goes into the Father, how he relates to all of this. But this site is not for copying out whole chapters in books. I simply encourage you to freely obtain this book from the website below, to do the subject justice.
Redemption and Restoration, Nigel Johnstone, published 2012, http://www.belmontpublications.co.uk
