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Garth Heckman

The David Alliance

TDAgiantSlayer@Gmail.com 

Robin: EVERYTHING WAS HOLY….

What are five things no one would know about Burt Ward who played Robin in the TV show Batman?

### 1. **A Speed-Reading Sensation**

Before hitting the big time, young Burt became an accomplished speed-reader. He was tested before the American Medical Society in Beverly Hills and clocked a staggering **30,000 words per minute with 90% comprehension**—far beyond average reading speeds. ([Classic Movie Hub - CMH][1], [TV Banter][2])

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### 2. **World’s Youngest Professional Ice Skater**

At just **two years old**, Burt was featured in the magazine *Strange as It Seems* as the **world’s youngest professional ice skater**, thanks to a traveling ice show owned by his father. ([Wikipedia][3], [Classic Movie Hub - CMH][1])

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### 3. **He Did (Most of) His Own Dangerous Stunts**

Unlike many stars, Burt performed most of his own stunts, even though his face made using a stunt double difficult. This led to multiple emergency room visits—**dozens**, he says—due to injuries from stunts like being tied to a table with a real buzz saw inches away or suspended above Bengal tigers. ([Wikipedia][3], [Express][4])

A Reddit user humorously shared one of Burt’s more wild stories, recalling how during one stunt he was flung from the Batmobile when the door unexpectedly opened—and cracked an arm. ([Reddit][5])

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### 4. **Musical Collaborations with Frank Zappa**

During *Batman*’s peak, Burt recorded several tracks produced by Tom Wilson and arranged by Frank Zappa. Notably, he released a single featuring "Boy Wonder, I Love You" (written by Zappa) and a cover of "Orange Colored Sky." ([Wikipedia][3], [Classic Movie Hub - CMH][1])

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### 5. **Rescue Work for Giant-Breed Dogs**

Beyond Hollywood, Burt—and his wife Tracy—devoted themselves to canine welfare. In **1994**, they founded *Gentle Giants Rescue and Adoptions*, significantly impacting the lives of giant-breed dogs. Their nonprofit has facilitated **over 15,500 adoptions** and often houses around **50 dogs at home** awaiting forever families. ([Wikipedia][3], [People.com][6]) Additionally, their company *Gentle Giants* produces natural pet food aimed at boosting pets’ longevity and wellbeing. ([People.com][6])

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### Bonus Tidbits:

* Burt actually chose his own stage name: swapping “Gervis” for *Ward* (his mother’s maiden name) and altering “Bert” to “Burt” because it had more punch. ([Wikipedia][3], [Classic Movie Hub - CMH][1])

* He holds a **Guinness World Record** for portraying the same live-action superhero in the most episodes (120 as Robin). ([Facts.net][7], [The Famous People][8])

* In **2020**, Burt received a star on the **Hollywood Walk of Fame**—a fitting tribute to the iconic Boy Wonder. ([Hollywood Walk of Fame][9])

To understand the deep meaning of redemption in Greek scripture, it is essential to explore the key terms used by New Testament writers, primarily agorazō and its cognates (exagorazō), and lytron with its related forms (apolytrōsis, lytrōsis). These words paint a picture of redemption as a decisive, costly, and legally binding rescue from the slavery of sin and its consequences. 

Key Greek words for redemption

Agorazō (ἀγοράζω) and exagorazō (ἐξαγοράζω)

The verb agorazō means "to buy or purchase" and is derived from agora, the Greek marketplace or slave market. The related verb exagorazō, which means "to buy out or buy from," intensifies this meaning. 

• Bought at a price: The use of agorazō emphasizes that humanity was on the auction block of sin but has been purchased by Christ. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:20, "For you were bought with a price" (ēgorasthēte timēs), underscoring the high cost of this purchase.
• Freedom from the Law: The more intensive term exagorazō highlights a targeted purchase designed to remove something or someone from their previous state. For example, Galatians 4:5 says Christ came to "redeem those who were under the law" (exagorazō tous hupo nomon). This signifies not just a general purchase but a deliberate act of freeing people from the curse and bondage of the Law. 

Lytron (λύτρον), apolytrōsis (ἀπολύτρωσις), and lytrōsis (λύτρωσις)

This cluster of words emphasizes the idea of a ransom payment that brings about release.

• Lytron (ransom price): Lytron specifically refers to the monetary price paid to free a slave or captive. In Matthew 20:28 and Mark 10:45, Jesus says he came "to give his life as a ransom (lytron) for many," directly comparing his death to a payment made to secure the freedom of others.
• Apolytrōsis (completed redemption): The preposition apo is an intensifier, making apolytrōsis a "stronger form" of the word that denotes a complete and finalized liberation. This is the word used when describing the future, full redemption of believers' bodies at the resurrection (Romans 8:23) and the day of ultimate redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
• Lytrōsis (the experience of release): This noun refers to the deliverance or liberation that results from the payment of a ransom. Hebrews 9:12 explains that Christ "obtained eternal redemption (lytrōsis) for us". 

The holistic and progressive nature of redemption

The deep meaning of redemption in the Greek New Testament moves beyond a simple, one-time transaction to a multi-faceted and progressive work of God. 

Past: An accomplished fact

• The price for sin has been paid through Christ's death on the cross, accomplishing a decisive and objective redemption for all believers.
• The sacrifice of Christ is the ultimate ransom (lytron), securing our justification and the forgiveness of sins (Romans 3:24). 

Present: An ongoing reality

• The power of redemption is at work in believers' lives, delivering them from sin's power and purifying them to be a people for God's possession (Titus 2:14).
• As part of this transformation, believers are no longer slaves to sin but bondservants of righteousness (Romans 6:18). 

Future: A complete deliverance

• Redemption is not yet fully realized. Believers "groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23).
• The final stage of redemption will be the complete liberation from corruption and the resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns (Luke 21:28). 

A covenantal and communal significance

Understanding the Greek word for redemption also brings with it significant implications for our relationship with God and others. 

A treasured possession (peripoiēsis)

• 1 Peter 2:9 refers to believers as "a people for his own possession (peripoiēsis)." The Greek term highlights that God did not simply purchase us to release us, but to acquire and preserve us as his treasured property.
• This identity echoes the Old Testament concept of Israel as God's segullah, his special, prized possession. 

Motivating holiness - HOLY MOTIVATION BATMAN

• The knowledge that we belong to God motivates believers to live holy lives and not grieve the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30).
• The infinite cost of our redemption, the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18–19), calls believers to live not for themselves but for Christ.