Colossians 1:14 (KJV)

What does Colossians 1:14 mean?

Colossians 1:14 says that people who belong to Jesus have been set free from their sins through his blood. Paul identifies that freedom with forgiveness: their sins are released rather than held against them.

After speaking of God’s Son in verse 13, Paul says “in whom” to identify Jesus as the one through whom this freedom comes. The phrase “through his blood” points to Jesus’ death as the means by which forgiveness is made available.

The Greek behind Colossians 1:14

• “redemption” — ἀπολύτρωσις (apolytrōsis): The word carries the sense of release or freedom obtained at a cost. For the first readers, the word could call to mind the release of a captive.
• “forgiveness” — ἄφεσις (aphesis): The word can mean release or letting go. Here, “even the forgiveness of sins” connects the release in “redemption” specifically with sins being forgiven.

Why Colossians 1:14 matters

• Paul describes forgiveness as something believers already have. He writes “we have,” rather than speaking only of a release still to come.
• The verse ties forgiveness to Jesus himself. The words “in whom” refer back to God’s Son in verse 13, and the following verses continue to speak about who the Son is.
• The KJV includes “through his blood,” linking the release to Jesus’ death. Colossians 1:20 later also speaks of peace made “through the blood of his cross.”