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The Redemption of the World

The phrase “the redemption of the world,” found twice in the Book of Mormon (1 Ne. 1:19 and Mormon 7:7), is found nowhere in the King James Bible or Greek text of the New Testament, however “redemption” is mentioned 11 times in the King James New Testament.

If we trace the usage of the phrase (in English) to about 1550, we see that at least one early translation of the New Testament has the phrase in the headings or summary section—a 1600 CE translation published in Antwerp by Daniel Vervliet, The New Testament of Jesus Christ Faithfully Translated Into English, (spelling modernized) p.1, “The Sum of the New Testament” subsection “The Sum of the four Gospels:”

The Gospels do tell historically the life of our Lord Jesus, showing plainly that he is Christ or the king of the Jews; whom until then, at the time of the Old Testament, they had expected; and withal, that they of their own mere malice and blindness (the iniquity beginning of the Seniors, but at the length the multitude also consenting) would not receive him, but ever sought his death: which, for the Redemption of the world, he at length permitted them to compass, they defering thereby most justly to be refused of him, and so his Kingdom or Church to be taken away from them, and given to the Gentiles. For the gathering of which Church after him, he chooseth Twelve, and appointeth one of them to be the chief of all, with instructions both to them and him accordingly.

(p.3 begins The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to S. Matthew)

So though not quite Biblical, this phrase published in some English Bibles can’t quite be said to be entirely non-Biblical (in terms of English Bibles).

A 1547 (Latin) Commentary on the Gospel of John uses the equivalent Latin phrase “redemptio mundi,” as in “Verum est, mors ipsius redemptio mundi est,” or “It is true, his [Jesus’] death is the redemption of the world.” A 1554 publication of the works of Eusebius (c. AD 260-265 – AD 339) includes a passage:

Quod est iudicium mundi, nisi redemptio mundi? quod est iudicium mundi, nisi iudicium in quo iudicatur, damnatur, et de cordibus fideliū eiicitur princeps mundi?

In English:

What is the judgment of the world but the redemption of the world? What is the judgment of the world, but a judgment in which the ruler of the world is judged, condemned, and the prince of the world [i.e. Satan] is cast out of the hearts of the faithful?

If I understand correctly, Eusebius would have been writing in Greek but his works were available in Latin within literate circles of the Church, as well. So the phrase likely dates back to early Christain times, after the Gospels had been written.

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