Bought (Purchase)

From Anstey’s Doctrinal Definitions:

This is the broadest aspect of Christ's work on the cross whereby He acquired the title and rights to everything in the creation. As a result, He has a two-fold circle of belongings. Bought (purchase) encompasses:

• All persons—This includes both the saved (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23²⁰For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:20)
²³Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. (1 Corinthians 7:23); Rev. 5:9; 14:3⁹And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; (Revelation 5:9)
³And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (Revelation 14:3) – W. Kelly Trans. “bought”) and those not saved (2 Peter 2:1-2¹But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. ²And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (2 Peter 2:1‑2)).

• All created things—This is the “purchased possession” (Eph. 1:14¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14)).

Hebrews 2:9⁹But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. (Hebrews 2:9) refers to the payment that Christ made in this great purchase—He "tasted death for every thing." “Every thing” is very broad, including both persons and things. His purchase is mentioned in a parable in Matthew 13:44⁴⁴Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (Matthew 13:44). The "man" (Christ – vs. 37) bought the "field" (the world – vs. 38) which included the “treasure” (believers). Thus, we see His purchase involved things and persons. In the Lord’s prayer, viewing the work of redemption as being already accomplished, He mentioned that He had been given the title and rights over “all flesh” (John 17:2²As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)). The Apostle Paul mentioned that created things also belong to the Lord through His purchase (Eph. 1:14¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14) – “the purchased possession”). Thus, He is now Master of all.

A type from the book of Ruth illustrates the two-fold circle of Christ’s belongings. Naomi sold a parcel of land that belonged to her husband Elimelech who had passed away (Ruth 4:3³And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: (Ruth 4:3)). Since Boaz (a type of Christ) desired to have Ruth as his wife, he had to buy that portion of the inheritance which would give him all in it, including Ruth. Ruth 4:9-10⁹And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. ¹⁰Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day. (Ruth 4:9‑10) says, “Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife.” Boaz’s purchase of the parcel of land is typical of Christ’s purchase of all things, and his purchase of Ruth illustrates the treasure of persons that came with the purchase of the field.

However, all men being “bought” does not mean that all men are saved. Bought is not synonymous with salvation. It simply means that all men and all things belong to Christ on the grounds of what He accomplished on the cross. He is their Master, whether men own His purchase by faith and acknowledge His right over them or not. In 2 Peter 2:1¹But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (2 Peter 2:1), the Apostle shows that bought does not mean saved. It says, “There were false prophets also among the people, as there shall be also among you false teachers, who shall bring in by the bye destructive heresies, and deny the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” These people were “bought,” yet they were headed for a lost eternity! This is not because they lost their salvation––because that cannot happen (John 10:27-28²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28), etc.)––but because they had not owned Christ's purchase. (See also Jude 4⁴For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 4).)

Many confuse “bought” (purchase) with “redeemed.” However, Ephesians 1:14¹⁴Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1:14) shows that they are not synonymous. It speaks of something that has been “purchased” (bought), and is waiting for its “redemption.” Clearly this couldn’t be referring to Christians because we have already been redeemed (Eph. 1:7⁷In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)). The purchased possession in this verse is the inheritance, which is every created thing (Eph. 1:11¹¹In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: (Ephesians 1:11)). Christ has paid the price for it, but it is presently still under the effects of sin and corruption. At His Appearing, He will set it free (the meaning of redemption) for the purpose which God intended it for—to be the stage upon which He will display Christ’s glory in the kingdom. (See Redemption)