Anyone who has been raised in church or been around any Christian arenas for any length of time will have no doubt heard someone praying, teaching or ministering and saying, “Jesus will set you free.” Among Christian gatherings, this phrase “Jesus has set you free” is used in a very wide variety of circumstances. Made free vs set free, what do the scriptures say?
There are so many different Bible translations and Bible paraphrases in the market place these days. Sometimes it seems the main goal is to have the text to be easily read in modern English. This attempt at easy reading can cause some details and accuracy to get overlooked.
If we type “set you free” into the Concordance program, we will find no references in the KJV.
If we type “make you free” into the Concordance program, we will find two references in the KJV.
First, let’s look at the KJV rendition of verses pertaining to “make you free.”
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
In the Strongs Greek Dictionary the word make is #1659 eleutheroo (el-yoo-ther-o'-o);
from 1658; to liberate, i.e. (figuratively) to exempt (from moral, ceremonial or mortal liability):
The KJV translates this word as; deliver or make free.
From #1658 eleutheros (el-yoo'-ther-os); probably from the alternate of 2064; unrestrained (to go at pleasure), i.e. (as a citizen) not a slave (whether freeborn or manumitted), or (genitive case) exempt (from obligation or liability):
The KJV translates this word as; free (man, woman) or at liberty.
If we use the Englishmans Search, we can find every place the word #1659 is used in the New Testament. Here is the list beyond John 8:32 and John 8:36.
Rom 6:18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Gal 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
The New International Version and some other translations have taken liberty with the English language in the verses in John 8:32 and 8:36 to read as follows.
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (NIV)
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (NIV)
If we examine the other verses in the NIV, which contain the word #1659, we can see the same liberties taken in the other verses also.
Rom 6:18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (NIV)
Rom 6:22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.(NIV)
Rom 8:2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (NIV)
Rom 8:21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. (NIV)
Gal 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (NIV)
One might look at this argument and say, “picky, picky, picky!” Others might say, “This is serious if we consider the English language!” Is there a difference in being “being set free” and “being made free”? Let’s examine this from a legal and lawful standpoint.
If we remember back to the days of early TV with only three networks, it seemed that ABC meant All ‘Bout Cowboys. It seemed that NBC meant Nothing But Cowboys. It seemed CBS meant Cow Boy Stories. Remember back to the time when the outlaws would come into town and get caught breaking the law and the sheriff would catch one of those guys and bind him in the jail cell. Of course the other outlaws would come into town at night while there was no one on guard. They would go into the alley behind the jail where there just always seemed to be a window with bars and they would tie a rope to the window bars and to the saddle horn and jerk the bars out of the window and set the guy free! Of course, they had an extra horse with them.
Now was this guy “made free” or only “set free”? Of course, only “set free” as you remember when the sheriff would come into the jail the next morning and see the prisoner gone he would round up a posse and give chase with intent of bringing the guy back into bondage again securely in the jail.
Give consideration to our present time and laws. If someone is suspected of and charged with a minor crime and placed in the bondage of a jail cell, can someone pay his bail and have him released from the jail until the time of the trial? Yes that is possible according to present law. As we near any courthouse we see those in the bail bondsman business advertising. However, does a bail bondsman “make that person free” or is that person only temporally “set free?” Only “set free”!
Give consideration to the same scenario and what would happen if the person comes to trial and if found “not guilty” of the crime that they were suspected of having committed. At that point is the person “set free” or “made free”? The person is “made free” and cannot be charged again with that crime!
Give consideration to the same scenario and what would happen if the person comes to trial and if found “guilty” of all charges and is then sentenced to two years in prison. What happens after the person has served the two-year sentence and the person is released from prison? Is the person “set free” or “made free”? At that point the person is “made free” and cannot be brought back into bondage for any length of time pertaining to that particular crime.
This contrast seems very, very serious and major in the scope of every area of our redemption, which Jesus purchased for us! Did Jesus “set us free” or did Jesus “make us free”? Please give consideration and make a careful decision!
Even though the Nearly Inspired Version (NIV) and many other newer Bible translations uses “set free” there seems to be a very strong case, according to the scriptures and modern day English, that Jesus has “made us free” and that the enemies of the Lord Jesus Christ cannot legally bring us back into bondage again after we have been “made free”! We call that double jeopardy.
(AHD) double jeopardy n. Law. The act of putting a person through a second trial for an offense for which he or she has already been prosecuted or convicted.
If we minister freedom to anyone on the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, should we pronounce them “set free” or “made free”?
Grace and Peace multiplied in the name of Jesus. Compiled by Jerry Thomas 02/08/06. All scripture references are (KJV) unless otherwise denoted. jtministriesinfo@gmail.com
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