Spirit Of Adoption (9)

Adoption carries the idea of being chosen. A man without a son or male heir needed such and would therefore adopt a plan B which involved the choice of the right male child or young man. The father had lots of criteria to consider in the choice of an adopted heir. In substance, it was a person who met all the criteria, being judged as worthy by the heirless father, that the father chooses. Wrote one person in discussion about this (emphasis mine):

"...when Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate, he had a perfectly good Latin word to denote "adoption" in the sense that we understand it - that word was 'adrogatio'. But he did not use that word. He used the word 'adoptare' which, in his time, simply meant, "to choose". So Jerome conveyed the idea that Huiothesia in the Greek, meant, "the choosing of sonship"." (from a commenter in a forum - See here)

This is one aspect of adoption or putting into the place of an adult son. Rarely in the Greco-Roman world did such a man choose a baby boy and this for several reasons. Yet, many sermons over the past two thousand years have viewed God as adopting infants. But, it is quite interesting that God is never said to adopt or "place as sons" those who were infants. God does give birth to "newborn babes" (I Peter 2: 2-3); So, if he adopts the newborn baby at the same time that he begets him then he does adopt only babies. In the five cases where Paul spoke of huiothesia he uses the word "son" (and "son" also being part of the compound word huiothesia) which almost universally carries the idea of maturity, and of likeness to a father, either in whole or in part, mostly the former. It speaks of those begotten children who are daily taking on more of the likeness and character of their biological father. So Jesus often said "when you do such and such you will be demonstrating sonship." 

If Roman adoption is the model Paul has in mind, then God would be adopting adolescent boys, or even young emancipated men. But, God does not do this per many who hold to the adoption view of how God acquires children. Therefore their model of adoption is not like Roman adoption. Once they admit this, i.e. that there are dissimilarities, then they cannot insist that the huiothesia in Paul's mind means to take one who is not your child in order to make him or her your child for it could well be another dissimilarity. 

Even in the lives of wicked sinners who know not the Lord, they begin their life of sin as children, as immature about sinning and moral living, but after having been in the practice awhile, they pass into the stage of being "sons of disobedience." (Eph. 2: 1-3)

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the [a]course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others." (nkjv)

Here again the KJV translates the Greek word "huiois" as "children" rather than "sons," a common mistake in that version. The NKJV however gets it right. So, why is it "sons" of disobedience rather than "children"? He does use the word "children" (Greek 'tekna') when he says "we were by nature children of wrath"? Here there is allusion to birth children and this is proven by the Greek word "tekna" which denotes a child by being begotten by a father, and also by the words "by nature" which means "by birth" (as when Paul says "we who are Jews by nature" - Gal. 2: 15). The reason sons is the word used is because the ones being described are not novices or beginners in the life of sin but rather of people who have been sinning a long time and are experienced in it. It is a case of adult, mature, experienced sinners who have been practicing such immoral behavior for a long time. 

So too do believers begin their Christian lives as infants in the knowledge of God and in practicing his ways, but after they have progressed in their growth through education is when they become conversely, "sons of obedience" rather than "sons of disobedience." Peter speaks of newborn believers as "obedient children (tekna)" (I Peter 1: 14), but after they have grown up in Christ and are no longer novices, they become "obedient sons," though still not as much so as they will be in the day they are perfected in the day of their resurrection. These are they whom Paul said are being "moved along or being led by the Holy Spirit." It is not those who have just begun to be led by the Lord but those who have been moving along in their training and maturation and becoming more and more the likeness of their Father. To the degree that one is thus led of the Spirit to that degree is one showing aspects of sonship. Perfect sonship comes when believers are perfected and glorified. So, in this respect, it is another example of "already now but not yet." That is when they will to the fullest extent be led the Spirit and be like both the Father and Son.

In chapter nine of "Waiting For The Huiothesia" (here) I cited another who wrote as follow:

In further development of this, we shall find a distinction made between that which morally characterizes a person, that is, his nature, and that which his ways externally proclaim him to be, and the two words under consideration are respectively applied to each. The distinction is more subtle, and not quite so easily grasped in some cases, but it will be found that it always assists in understanding the subject to which the words apply. For example, in Ephesians ii. we read in verse 3 of "children of wrath," where the apostle is speaking of the condition in which they were "by nature," but when he speaks of that which they had manifested themselves by their acts to be, he says in verse 2, "sons of disobedience." 

"Huiothesia" in Paul's mind marks the consummation and not the beginning of the Christian life and when his being conformed to the image of the Son of God is finished. Huiothesia reflects the time when the "heir apparent" son has finished his time under tutors, as Paul said, and who is now of adult age and learning and ready to be "installed" into his final predestined state. That will be when they in every way become the image of divine sonship. Full realization of our adult sonship is at the time of the redemption of our body.

As we have shown, in Paul's mind "the huiothesia" does not occur at the same time one is born of God. This is evident in the five passages where Paul speaks of the huiothesia; Especially is the Romans 8: 23 passage where Paul said that those who are "children" of God are "waiting for the huiothesia" and says it will be at the time when they are resurrected and their bodies redeemed. 

I have repeatedly said that huiothesia does not mean son or child making but rather it means son placing. What I mean by this is that adoption does not make a birth son, for the true meaning of huiothesia in the mind of Paul involves newly born babes in Christ becoming more and more like their Father and this is the essence of sonship. Huiothesia in this sense is son making and does not happen all at once, but progressively and in stages, the final stage being full redemption. It is not baby making or children making. So said another place of good bible commentary (emphasis mine).

“Paul‟s use of huiothesia does not refer to the believer's entrance into the family of God at the beginning of his Christian life; this entrance is achieved by regeneration. Paul's use of huiothesia is in reference to the consummate stage of sonship achieved through the growth of the divine life, whereby matured believers become heirs of God and joint-heirs of Christ (Rom. 8:17). In short, we are born into the family of God, and only later are we placed in the position of a son, having matured in the divine life.” (As cited at precept-austin web commentary here)

That is exactly the view I fully endorse. It is what all my writings on this subject has sought to prove. The more of these kinds of citations I can give will help answer the question that is often asked of me - "why do so few bible scholars agree with you and hold the traditional view?" More and more people are coming to the same conclusion, and even though it is a minority view, it is still the correct view.

The same commentary says this:

"Huios is used in Galatians 4:5 of a mature child of God in a legal standing as against a child of God (teknon) in his minority (Gal 4:1, 2, 3)." (Precept-Austin commentary - See here) 

Correct! Huios (son) in that important passage is not a newborn baby but a "mature" child of God. Paul says that old testament believers who were under law were "children" but not "sons." This is interesting since we have referred to texts in the old testament where God referred to Israel, as a whole and as individuals, as his son(s). When I was writing on the Galatians passage I showed how the text clearly says that people are children before they become "sons" and "son" is predominantly used as denoting a mature adult son. It is never used of a newly born baby. It may be used occasionally or rarely to denote a "birth son," and more often of a child who has passed adolescence (corresponding to the Hebrew Bar Mitzvah or the Roman Toga Virillis), who has advanced to another stage in his fully becoming, in image and likeness, his father. The final stage is when the Father selects a day (Paul - "the time appointed by the father") in which to declare that his son has reached full age, and a time when he experiences complete "emancipation." At each stage of advancing sonship and fatherly likeness the child receives more liberty and more responsibilities. 

When Paul says to the Galatians "you are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus" (3: 26) he does not imply that they had fully matured and were completely conformed to the image and likeness of Christ and his Father and ours. He is indeed stating that a new testament believer, because of the coming of Messiah, and his giving us new revelation and other things, are "sons" in comparison with believers in the old testament who were still but newborn children begotten by God. But, we may also say that we new testament believers when first born of the Spirit are like old testament believers and are mere underage babies and are not "sons" in the way that term is used in the new testament. Also, even a child of God today who has passed childhood and puberty, spiritually or religiously speaking, and has entered the first stage of sonship, is still not "son," or like the Son of God or the Father, to the same degree as he will be when he is fully, in body, soul, and spirit made perfect and glorified when Christ returns and resurrects the "sons of the resurrection." Jesus said - "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." ( Matthew 5:9) Again, every time a newly born believer behaves like a mature believer he may be called "son." When he thinks and behaves like a newborn babe, he may not be called "son." Several texts show this to be so. Another, which I have cited in previous chapters, is this text where Christ says to his begotten children: "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." (John 12: 36) Notice that the ones to whom Jesus spoke were those who were already his born again children, his disciples. But, they needed to become "sons," that is, mature believers who are resembling more and more their Father and the Son of God. Wrote the apostle Paul:

"9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child (grk. 'nepios'), I spoke as a child (nepios), I understood as a child (nepios), I thought as a child (nepios); but when I became a man, I put away childish (nepios) things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known." (I Cor. 13: 9-12 nkjv)

Compared to what believers will become "when that which is perfect is come," that is, when they have been resurrected as "sons of the resurrection" and been perfected and glorified, are full grown men or sons. The apostle John in his epistles always refers to believers as "children" and not as "sons," but Paul uses both of them when speaking of believers. Another verse that is in keeping with this idea is this one, another which we have referred to in other chapters.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children (nepioi - infants), tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." (Eph. 4: 11-15 kjv)

In this passage "a perfect man" denotes a man fully mature. The Greek word is teleion, a word in its root that gives us words with "tele" as the prefix, as in telephone, and denote what is an "end goal," a finishing point. "of the stature" is from the Greek word helikias and denotes full growth to adulthood. That is what is denoted by the words "teleology" or "teleological," meaning what is a thing's final purpose or designed end, i.e. the finished product. We are not recognized as "sons of God" in the fullest sense until the resurrection and until there is complete redemption.

We are "sons" in the making as we grown up in Christ. Every time we imitate our Father and his Son we are becoming more like sons. As I have stated in previous chapters, God often says of such "that's my boy," or "that is my son in whom I am pleased."