Hope of Glory
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I'm going to do this in a reverse order, and first look at the English word, then look at Scriptures. Generally, I do it the other way around, but so many people are hung up on the KJV and the English words and then they convert that to our modern understanding. You need to look at the primary meaning of "adoption" in English and the way it was used when the KJV was translated. Here's a post from WordNet from Princeton:
adoption
n 1: the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception; "its adoption by society"; "the proposal found wide acceptance" [syn: acceptance, acceptation, espousal] 2: a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit) 3: the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent" [syn: borrowing]
WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
Now, on to Scriptural usage of the word. If you think in terms of adopting a child, you're going to run into problems. Why do you need to be adopted into a family if you're born into a family? You don't.
When we read or hear the word "adoption", we do tend to think of a child being born into a family and then that child, through a legal process, becoming a member of another family. There are those who teach that when we are saved we are adopted into the family of God. This concept of adoption does not agree with what we find in John 3:3, which says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be [born from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God”. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we are born from above into the family of God. Being born into the family God, means adoption, as in placement into a family, is not necessary.
In Ephesians 1:5 we find the word “adoption” in context with the word “children”. It says, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”. The phrase “adoption of children” is the translation of one Greek word, “huiothesia”. This word is the same word that is used in Romans 8:15, and is a compound word containing the words “huios” and “thesis”. The word “huios” means “son”. The word “thesis” means “to put”, “to lay”, “to appoint”, or “to ordain”. Not son-ship itself, but son-ship conferred. There is not a single hint to suggest that the word “huiothesia” means “adoption”. The word “huiothesia” means “To appoint as a son” or “To ordain to son-ship”.
It has to do with position or acceptance within a family, not placement into a family.
adoption
n 1: the act of accepting with approval; favorable reception; "its adoption by society"; "the proposal found wide acceptance" [syn: acceptance, acceptation, espousal] 2: a legal proceeding that creates a parent-child relation between persons not related by blood; the adopted child is entitled to all privileges belonging to a natural child of the adoptive parents (including the right to inherit) 3: the appropriation (of ideas or words etc) from another source; "the borrowing of ancient motifs was very apparent" [syn: borrowing]
WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University
Now, on to Scriptural usage of the word. If you think in terms of adopting a child, you're going to run into problems. Why do you need to be adopted into a family if you're born into a family? You don't.
When we read or hear the word "adoption", we do tend to think of a child being born into a family and then that child, through a legal process, becoming a member of another family. There are those who teach that when we are saved we are adopted into the family of God. This concept of adoption does not agree with what we find in John 3:3, which says, “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be [born from above], he cannot see the kingdom of God”. When we receive Jesus Christ as our personal savior, we are born from above into the family of God. Being born into the family God, means adoption, as in placement into a family, is not necessary.
In Ephesians 1:5 we find the word “adoption” in context with the word “children”. It says, "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will”. The phrase “adoption of children” is the translation of one Greek word, “huiothesia”. This word is the same word that is used in Romans 8:15, and is a compound word containing the words “huios” and “thesis”. The word “huios” means “son”. The word “thesis” means “to put”, “to lay”, “to appoint”, or “to ordain”. Not son-ship itself, but son-ship conferred. There is not a single hint to suggest that the word “huiothesia” means “adoption”. The word “huiothesia” means “To appoint as a son” or “To ordain to son-ship”.
It has to do with position or acceptance within a family, not placement into a family.
