INTRODUCTION
The doctrine of adoption has long been one of the Bible’s misunderstood and unrecognized doctrines. The main reason for this is the lack of understanding of the original adoption process in the first century. Paul wrote, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, to convey the exact truths of God to us during this first century time using first century thoughts and examples. However, without a proper understanding of historical adoption processes, the original context Paul tries to convey has been lost to a vastly different and modern understanding of adoption. To seek out the historical and grammatical truths Paul originally meant, the following definition of a Grammatical-Historical (G-H) hermeneutic will be followed in this paper to prove its thesis
Its fundamental principle is to gather from the Scriptures themselves the precise meaning which the writers intended to convey. It applies to the sacred books the same principles, the same grammatical process and exercise of common sense and reason, which we apply to other books… The grammatico-historical sense of a writer is such an interpretation of his language as is required by the laws of grammar and the facts of history. Sometimes we speak of the literal sense, by which we mean the most simple, direct, and ordinary meaning of phrases and sentences.[1]
The implications of the doctrine of adoption also undergird the gospel to every born-again believer in Jesus Christ. In fact, “while not the same as our justification, is necessarily connected with it, as forgiveness would be empty without restoration to the privileges forfeited by sin.”[2] However, this doctrine is seldom taught from the pulpits, and many lose a true understanding of Christ’s salvific power and effect on their lives because of this. The doctrine of adoption, when looking at the whole of God’s Word, “may be said to be one of the doctrines upon which the NT (New Testament) lays special stress.”[3]The reason for this special stressing of adoption in the pages of Scripture is because “we who have forfeited and lost our place and privileges as children of God may be fully reinstated therein…”[4]The partial undoing of the curse of mankind by the second Adam takes place only through Jesus Christ who alone has set us free from sin and death by which we were once enslaved. The first Adam enslaved all mankind to sin through his seminal seed, and the second Adam, Jesus Christ, came as foretold by Scripture to institute a New Covenant to provide a way of escape from this curse to all who believe, Romans 12:5-19. The doctrine of “adoption as sons”[5]builds upon the doctrine of redemption. Even so the doctrine of adoption is a wellspring of knowledge for the believer, as one Bible Dictionary puts it
Adoption is a serious matter under any system of law. As a figure of speech expressing spiritual truth it emphasizes the sovereign and gracious character of the act of God in our salvation; our solemn obligation as adopted sons of our adopting Parent; the newness of the family relationship established; its climate of intimate trust and love; and the immensity of an inheritance which eternity alone can reveal to us.[6]
For this reason, the beginning of this paper will speak of the preliminary action of salvation which coincides with adoption, followed by the historical analysis which will explain first century adoption customs and lastly be concluded by the theological analysis or implications this doctrine of adoption has upon believers today. Together, these will prove the thesis of this paper in seeking out the historical/cultural context of the theological truth of adoption that Paul originally meant to convey to believers of all ages.
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS
Within the preliminary analysis is the understanding that “adoption as sons”[7]is simultaneous with salvation of the individual. This is important because without being born again into the body of Christ one cannot know the “adoption as sons of God” as is explained in the Bible.[8]Moreover, many believe that
“…it is possible that God could have creatures who are spiritually alive and yet are not members of his family and do not share the special privileges of family members – angels, for example, apparently fall into this category. Therefore, it would have been possible for god to decide to give us regeneration without the great privileges of adoption into his family.”[9]
However, those who hold this view miss the fact that God, in His being God, created humans in His image, and with that created us distinct from that of His other creations.[10]Thus, it is speculation to say that God could have withheld adoption into His family from the saved because His word precisely speaks of this very doctrine. From before the foundation of the world, “He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will”[11]Adoption is a fact that even Ryrie states “is a benefit of Christ’s death in bringing us into the family of God.”[12]Erickson writes “…it occurs simultaneously with conversion, regeneration, justification, and union with Christ.”[13]Therefore, a brief survey of salvation will be examined with its salvific implications for the believer’s being adopted into the family of God.
Salvation is the placing of faith in the Son of God’s virgin birth, death, and resurrection by which Christ crushed the head of Satan in defeating sin and death.[14]This is the beginning of the end in terms of the curse of sin upon the world and humanity. Christ took upon Himself the sin of the world, which God placed upon Him when on the cross. Moreover, it is after three days that Christ resurrected from the grave to conquer sin and death and now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven having finished all He came to accomplish.[15]In a partial explanation of the salvific work Christ accomplished, there are four areas that need be considered. In no particular order they are substitution, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption. A brief look at each and their work in the life of the believers being adopted as sons of God will be seen in following.
The first is substitution which is Christ’s dying on our behalf. Christ’s penal substitution or taking away the penalty of sin on our behalf is part of His atoning work for us in salvation. This is only made possible by His being the perfect, sinless, Lamb of God. God’s absolute justice demands for there to be a perfect sacrifice.[16]In the Old Testament, it was animal sacrifices which were given year after year. However, in the New Testament it is the sinless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as the perfect sinless sacrifice. His being sinless is because He was not born from man but from the Spirit of God through Mary in a virgin birth. Therefore, sin was not in Christ at conception or in His life as it is for all others.[17]Christ’s sinless life was given for sinners as a substitute for all those who believe so that they can be brought into the family of God sinless.[18]
The second is propitiation which is Christ’s taking away the wrath of God from sinners. In doing this Christ took upon Himself the wrath sinners deserved, because God is a just God and paid the price with His sinless life. Consequently, those who accept Christ as their Savior will be given the forgiveness and mercy of God because of the price Christ paid on their behalf. Norman Geisler states “In the Old Testament, the mercy seat was the throne of grace where, once the sacrificial blood was sprinkled, God was satisfied and released His mercy upon the sinner in forgiveness. In the New testament, Christ forever satisfied God on our behalf (John 2:2) by one sacrifice (Heb. 10:14).”[19]This aspect of salvation allows the believer to come before God without punishment and be adopted into the family of God.
Next is reconciliation which is a right standing with God through Christ. Since all people have been born into the world as sinners, they all need to be reconciled to God, or given a right standing or relationship with God. Reconciliation is the act by which the believer is brought into that right relationship with God through faith in Christ’s finished work upon the cross. Explaining the relationship that is changed between God and man is difficult but is best described as follows: “Christianity declares ‘God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ’ (2 Cor. 5:19) … As Christ is our peace; as we are reconciled by his death, as God put forward Christ in expiatory power (Rom. 3:25), and as the sin that separates is ours, not God’s – only God could reconcile.”[20]God not only reconciles us to Himself but through this allows our relationship to be one of adoption and not outsiders.
Last is that of redemption or Christ’s purchasing sinners form the slave market of sin. The Greek word αγοραζο is explained as “to secure the rights to someone by paying a price, buy, acquire as property”[21]In giving His life, Christ paid the price to bring sinners out from the slave market of sin and into a newness of life in Himself. Ephesians 1:7;14 states “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” This new life in Christ is such that we are now heirs with Christ.[22]This speaks of our privileged position in salvation as children adopted by God.
The substitution, propitiation, reconciliation, and redemption that is seen on the believer’s behalf through the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross and faith in Him, brings with it adoption. This privileged position is only for those born anew by the Spirit of God by faith in Christ Jesus. This ability to become children of God through adoption is only for humans and not for creation at large or angels. However, before looking at this doctrine and its immediate implications for the believer today, a look at the historical/cultural context of Paul’s adoption language will be examined.
HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
The historical analysis is the most important part in understanding the implications of adoption for the believer today. It is only in the rightful context of adoption that one can see the immense ramifications that accompany every believer. Nonetheless, many superimpose a twenty-first century context onto the biblical writings on adoption. This dredges the Biblical doctrine of adoption from most, if not all, its meaning. Duvall and Hays show the importance of the historical context in saying, “As readers we do not determine the meaning of biblical words; rather, we try to discover what the biblical writer meant when he used a particular word. We should always keep in mind this distinction between determining meaning and discovering meaning.”[23]Therefore, a discovery of the historical first century context of adoption will follow.
In looking at the Greek word for adoption υίοθεσιανit is important to keep in mind that this is a Pauline concept used only five times in the New Testament. In fact, Longenecker states
It is not found in the Greek version of the Jewish Scriptures (i.e., the Septuagint/LXX). Nor is it paralleled by any cognate expression in the Hebrew text of the Jewish Scriptures (i.e., the Masoretic Text). Further, there is no other parallel of either thought or expression in the literature of Second temple Judaism. Nor is the term used elsewhere in the New Testament outside of the letters of Paul.[24]
With this statement in mind, a brief look at the region to which Paul wrote and how they would have understood this concept will be seen. In all three letters of Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians which Paul wrote that contain the word adoption, each of these books were to the area of Asia Minor geographically and would have also included Rome from which Paul would have written Ephesians under house arrest. Longenecker states “Undoubtedly most (if not all) of these features pertaining to the adoption of a son into a Gentile family of the Greco-Roman world would have come to the fore in the minds and consciousness of Paul’s hearers in his mission to pagan Gentiles in the eastern portion of the Roman Empire when they heard him speak about the Christian’s new status as being ‘adopted’ by God.”[25]What is about to be examined in light of adoption would have come to the forefront of the minds of the Greco-Roman world as a normative thought.
In beginning to look at the historical setting of adoption in first century Asia Minor and Rome, it is important it understand the family relationship was different than ours today. The father had ultimate authority over the household which was called the patria potestas.
This was the father’s power over his family; it was the power of absolute disposal of control, and in the early days it was actually the power of life and death. In relation to his father, a Roman son never came of age. No matter how old he was, he was still under the patria potestas, in the absolute possession and under the absolute control of his father. ”[26]
This headship is the foundation of the adoption process in the first century. This absolute control of the patria potestaswas the reason why adoption was held so seriously. The adopted son would have had to pass from one patria potestasto another in a legal manner which was known as the mancipatio.The mancipatiowould have been the first step in the twofold process of adoption. Within the mancipatiothe patria potestaswould symbolically, through copper and scales, sell his son and then buy him back twice. However, on the third time in which he sold his son he would not buy him back. It was during this last transaction in which the patria potestasdid not buy his son back that “the patria potestaswas held to be broken.”[27]After this symbolic act, which was accomplished amid witnesses, that the grounds were laid for a legal adoption. However, there was still one more process to undergo called the vidicatio.
The vindicatiowas the process by which the new patria potestas, or adopting father, “went to the praetor, one of the Roman magistrates, and presented a legal case for the transference of the person to be adopted into his patria potestas.”[28]It was only after this final step that the adoption process was complete and the legal transference of the son was complete. Along with the understanding of the process of adoption it should also be pointed out that the adoption of the person could range greatly in age. As was stated previously, the patria potestashas ultimate control over his children even if they themselves were considered adults within society. He would have been able to sell his children regardless of their age. Moreover, it was usually that the person being adopted was of upper adolescence or young adult age so that they could take on the affairs of their adopting patria potestas.
This historical understanding of adoption is exceedingly different from that of the twenty-first centuries adoption process. Many like to compare both today’s adoption process and that of the first centuries in their teaching of the five passages on adoption. However, as is seen in the following theological analysis, the comparison stops at the word “adoption.” The adoption process in the first century was not only different in its process but even more so in the heart or mind of the adopted person and those of the first century.
THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
Within the theological analysis, a careful study of the consequences of adoption in the first century will be examined along with their theological equivalence for the believer today. There are many facets of Paul’s use of adoption that would have come to the minds of the people in the first century. However, for the sake of this paper’s thesis of seeking out the historical/cultural context of the theological truth of adoption that Paul originally meant to convey to believers of all ages, an outline of Barclay’s four main points will be seen in following.
First, “the adopted person lost all rights in his old family and gained all the rights of a legitimate son in his new family. In the most binding legal way, he got a new father.”[29]This particular point of adoption which would have been known throughout Rome and Asia Minor had to do with position. The position of the person adopted was no longer seen as a part of their previous family but now seen as part of their new family. Believers today are no longer a part of the family of this world system of sin but have a new position in Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” Our position as believers is not as slaves of sin, but as adopted sons of God!
Romans 6:6 states “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” The best part of our new position in Christ as adopted sons of God is that “we have been given the privileges and duties of adult-sons, regardless of our spiritual age or rate of spiritual growth.”[30]
Second, “It followed that he became heir to his new father’s estate. Even if other sons were born afterwards, it did not affect his rights. He was co-heir with them, and no one could deny him that right.”[31]The believer’s relationship to Christ is that of an heir and co-receiver of all He has been given by the Father. This is also a part of the reconciliation on our behalf that is received at the time of salvation. Romans 8:17 “and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” Christians are now able to claim salvation, a right which cannot be taken away because of the Holy Spirit’s sealing of us until the day of redemption. Meaning that we are forevermore heirs of Christ and adopted sons of God. God sends His Spirit to dwell in us as a testimony that we are His. Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God.” The rights and privileges that go along with being heirs of Christ are innumerable but are gleaned upon throughout Scripture.
Third, “In law, the old life of the adopted person was completely wiped out: for instance, all debts were cancelled. He was regarded as a new person entering into a new life in which the past had no part.”[32]As born again believers our adoption as sons of God comes with it a new life in Christ as justified people. As such our sins are no longer counted against us as Psalm 103:12 says “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The believer has a glorious stance as the adopted sons of God to now “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”[33]As a believer, we are able now to live lives that are pleasing to God and glorify Him in our daily lives with a complete severing from our old sinful ways.
Lastly, “In the eyes of the law, he was absolutely the son of his new father.”[34]The complete change in life was evident to all and would have completely changed the lives of the people involved in the adoption. However, if there were any legal issues where the son was said to still be the son of the first patria potestas, the witnesses would stand and proclaim the adopted son’s new life with his new father. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit does for believers today in sealing them and preserving them until the day of redemption. As Ephesians 1:13-14 states, “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.” Here Paul is saying to believers that we have the witness of the Holy Spirit testifying to our adoption into God’s family.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the rights and privileges we have in Christ at the time of salvation are innumerable as the adopted of God. In seeking out the historical/cultural context of the theological truths of adoption that Paul originally meant to convey to believers of all ages, there is seen not just the ramifications of salvation in adoption that Paul was trying to get his hearers to picture, but also the picture and application of familial traits that would have gone along with that adoption. These familial traits have been lost to the modern reader of Scripture and with them a better understanding of our most privileged position as adopted children of God. I pray this paper brings them to a greater recognition of their position in Christ as heirs of Christ and adopted children of God.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Barackman, Floyd, H. Practical Christian Theology. Binghamton, New York: Practical Press, 1981.
Barclay, William. The New Daily Bible Study: The Letter to the Romans. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.
Bauer, Walter. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Liturature. Edited by Frederick W. Danker. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Bryant, Alton, T. The New Compact Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1967.
Elwell, Walter A., ed. Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology. Grand Rapids:
Baker Books, 2001.
Erickson, Millard, J. Christian Theology: Third Edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 2013.
Geisler, Norman. Systematic Theology, Volume Three. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany, 2004.
Longenecker, Richard, N. The Meaphor of Adoption in Paul’s Letters. The Covenant Quarterly, 72 no 3 – 4 Aug – Nov 2014, p 71-78, 2014.
Ryrie, Charles, C. A Survey of Bible Doctrine. Chicago: Moody Press, 1972.
Ryrie, Charles, C. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.
Terry, Milton, S. Biblical Hermeneutics: A Treatise on the Interpretation of the Old and New
Testament. New York: Hunt and Eaton, 1890.
Unger, Merrill, F. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1988.
[1]Milton S. Terry, Biblical Hermeneutics(New York: Hunt and Eaton, 1890), 70; 101.
[2]Merrill Unger, Unger Bible Dictionary(Chicago: Moody, 1988), 28.
[3]Ibid.
[4]Ibid.
[5]NASB Rom. 8:15, 23, 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5
[6]Alton Bryant, The New Bible Dictionary(Michigan: Zondervan, 1967), 22.
[7]NASB Rom. 8:15, 23, 9:4; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5.
[8]Ibid.
[9]Ryrie, 329-353.
[10]Genesis 1:26-28.
[11]Ephesians 1:5
[12]Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology(Chicago: Moody, 1972), 352.
[13]Millard Erickson, Christian Theology(Michigan: Baker, 2002), 892.
[14]Genesis 3:15.
[15]Hebrews 10:1-18.
[16]Hebrews 10.
[17]Psalm 51:5.
[18]Romans 10:9-10.
[19]Norman Geisler, Systematic Theology(Minnesota: Bethany, 2013), 230.
[20]Walter Elwell, Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Theology(Michigan: Baker, 2001) 993.
[21]Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000) 14.
[22]Romans 8:16-17.
[23]Scott J. Duvall and Daniel J. Hays, Grasping God’s Word (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 163.
[24]Richard Longenecker, The Metaphor of Adoption in Paul’s Letters (Article 2014), 71.
[25]Ibid, 72.
[26]William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans(Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002), 124.
[27]Ibid, 125.
[28]Ibid.
[29]Ibid
[30]Barrackman, Practical Christian Theology, 267.
[31]Barclay, The Letter to the Romans,125.
[32]Ibid.
[33]Romans 12:1-2.
[34]Barclay, The Letter to the Romans,125.
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