Adoption

One of the themes in Paul’s epistles is the idea of adoption. Paul mentions it in Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians. The idea in all contexts is that the believer in Jesus becomes a son (child) of God through adoption.

We’re all familiar with the situation of a child who has no living parents, or his parents are unable to care for him. Another family adopts him and becomes legally his parents. Ideally they will treat adopted children the same as their biological children, although the difference between biological and adopted will always remain.

It seems that this is how it is with Gentile believers in Jesus in relation to Jews. Throughout the Hebrew scriptures God identifies the people of Israel as his son(s). This is perhaps best illustrated in Exodus 4:22. “And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, ‘Thus saith the LORD, “Israel is my son, even my first-born.”‘”

The kings of Israel were considered to be sons of God in a special way, especially Solomon. “Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.” (I Chronicles 22:9-10) “And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:12-16) David is spoken of in a similar way. “He shall cry unto me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth.” (Psalm 89:26-27)

With Israel considered as the natural-born children of God, Gentile believers seem to be in a position of adopted children. In Romans Paul describes Israel as having many advantages over Gentiles. “What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1-2) But then in chapter eleven he uses the metaphor of Gentile believers being wild olive branches that are grafted into the olive tree of Israel. He tells a similar story in different words in Ephesians 2:12-13. “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” It’s clear that Gentile believers are brought in, adopted into the family of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to become sons of God and participants in the covenants along with Israel.

Interestingly, Paul, in discussing the advantages of Israel in Romans 9, says that, “Theirs is the adoption as sons.” (9:4) If Israel is considered the natural-born sons as opposed to the adopted ones, why are they called adopted here? It appears that the Greek word for adoption is broader than the English word and refers to sonship in general. Israel’s advantage is that they are considered sons of God.

There are two other mentions of adoption in Romans 8 and they both seem to refer mostly to Gentile believers, who are the primary focus of the epistle. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” (8:14-17) A passage a little later seems to consider adoption to be something that is culminated at the resurrection. “And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (8:23-25) This passage seems to show the ultimate destiny of being children of God.

But this adoption pertains to the past as well as the future. In Ephesians 1 Paul points out that this adoption was planned by God in the past. “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, thta we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will.” (1:4-5) It was always God’s plan that some Gentiles be included in his family along with Israel.

Unfortunately, much of Christianity has come to the conclusion that Israel, the natural-born children, are no longer part of God’s plan, and that Christians have taken their place. God promised many times in scripture that this would never happen. “Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 31:35-37) We need to take seriously Paul’s admonition in Romans 11:18. “Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.” We Gentiles are adopted into the family along with Israel, not in place of her.