Lexical Summary huiothesia: Adoption as sons Original Word: υἱοθεσία Strong's Exhaustive Concordance adoptionFrom a presumed compound of huios and a derivative of tithemi; the placing as a son, i.e. Adoption (figuratively, Christian sonship in respect to God) -- adoption (of children, of sons). see GREEK huios see GREEK tithemi HELPS Word-studies 5206 hyiothesía (from 5207 /hyiós, "son" and 5087 /títhēmi, "to place") – properly, sonship (legally made a son); adoption. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably from a comp. of huios and a derivation of tithémi Definition adoption NASB Translation adoption as sons (5). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 5206: υἱοθεσίαυἱοθεσία, υἱοθεσίας, ἡ (from υἱός and θέσις, cf. ὁροθεσία, νομοθεσία; in secular authors from Pindar and Herodotus down we find θετός υἱός or θετός παῖς, an adopted son), adoption, adoption as sons (Vulg.adoptio filiorum): (Diodorus 1. 31 § 27, 5 (vol. 10:31, 13 Dindorf)); (Diogenes Laërtius 4, 53; Inscriptions. In the N. T. it is used to denote a. that relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations (see υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, 4 at the beginning): Romans 9:4. b. the nature and condition of the true disciples of Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become the sons of God (see υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, 4): Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5; it also includes the blessed state looked for in the future life after the visible return of Christ from heaven; hence, ἀπεκδέχεσθαι υἱοθεσίαν, to wait for adoption, i. e. the consummate condition of the sons of God, which will render it evident that they are the sons of God, Romans 8:23, cf. Romans 8:19. The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Strong’s 5206) literally means “placing as a son.” In the Greco-Roman world adoption conveyed full legal standing, inheritance rights, and the family name. Scripture appropriates that cultural practice to describe God’s gracious act of granting believers the status, privileges, and responsibilities of His own children. Adoption is never depicted as a mere forensic transaction but as an intimate relational reality grounded in the Father’s love, accomplished through the redemptive work of the Son, and applied by the indwelling Spirit. Old Testament Foreshadowing Though the technical term is New Testament, the concept is anticipated throughout the Hebrew Scriptures. Israel is called “My firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22), the Davidic king is promised, “I will be to him a Father, and he shall be My son” (2 Samuel 7:14), and the restoration oracle declares, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son” (Hosea 11:1). These passages introduce the twin ideas of corporate sonship (Israel) and royal sonship (the Messiah), both of which find fulfillment in the Church’s adoption in Christ. New Testament Usage Romans 8:15 presents adoption experientially: “You did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” The gift of the Spirit enables filial intimacy and replaces servile dread. Romans 8:23 adds an eschatological dimension: believers “wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Adoption is already real yet not fully consummated until bodily resurrection. Romans 9:4 refers to Israel: “Theirs is the adoption as sons, theirs the divine glory…” The verse recognizes a historical privilege granted to the covenant people, setting the stage for the broader inclusion of Gentiles. Galatians 4:5 locates adoption in the accomplishment of Christ: He came “to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.” Redemption (purchase from bondage) and adoption (placement into family) stand in seamless sequence. Ephesians 1:5 roots adoption in eternal purpose: the Father “predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Adoption is thus neither accidental nor contingent but springs from divine election. Theological Significance • Union with Christ Believers are adopted “through Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 1:5). Union with the Son secures sonship; what is true of Him by nature becomes ours by grace. • Inheritance Adoption guarantees an imperishable inheritance (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:7). Heirs receive not merely gifts but God Himself as their portion. • Assurance and Access The “Spirit of sonship” testifies with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16) and enables confident prayer: “Abba! Father!” Adoption therefore undergirds assurance and fuels communion. • Transformation Adopted children bear the family likeness (Matthew 5:9, 45). Ethical exhortations flow from filial identity: “Be imitators of God, as beloved children” (Ephesians 5:1). Relationship to the Work of the Trinity The Father elects and welcomes, the Son redeems and represents, the Spirit indwells and witnesses. Adoption is thus a trinitarian blessing displaying coordinated divine action and mutual delight. Adoption and Salvation History Scripture presents a movement from national Israel (Romans 9:4) to the multinational Church (Galatians 4:5) and onward to cosmic renewal (Romans 8:23). The already-not-yet tension ensures present privilege and future hope, anchoring the believer’s pilgrimage in God’s unfolding plan. Pastoral and Practical Implications • Identity and Security Spiritual orphanhood is decisively ended. Identity rests not in performance but in paternal love. • Family Unity All adopted children share the same Father, abolishing ethnic, social, and gender barriers (Galatians 3:28–4:7). • Prayer and Worship Sonship fuels heartfelt, Spirit-empowered address to God, transforming worship from ritual to relationship. • Suffering and Discipline As legitimate sons, believers share both the sufferings and the glories of Christ (Romans 8:17; Hebrews 12:5-11). Discipline is interpreted as fatherly training, not punitive wrath. • Mission Adoption motivates and models evangelism and mercy. Having been welcomed, the Church echoes the Father’s heart in proclaiming the gospel and caring for the fatherless (James 1:27). Adoption in Early Christian Thought Church Fathers such as Irenaeus, Athanasius, and Augustine highlighted adoption under the rubric of divine filiation and participation in the life of God. Their writings emphasize that salvation is not only deliverance from sin but elevation to sonship, echoing 2 Peter 1:4’s promise of becoming “partakers of the divine nature.” Related Doctrines • Regeneration—new birth enables the life of sonship. Summary Strong’s 5206 encapsulates the gospel’s relational core: sinners not merely pardoned but embraced as sons and daughters. Adoption secures present intimacy, future inheritance, and a life of Spirit-empowered transformation, revealing the heart of the triune God and shaping every facet of Christian faith and practice. Englishman's Concordance Romans 8:15 N-GFSGRK: ἐλάβετε πνεῦμα υἱοθεσίας ἐν ᾧ NAS: a spirit of adoption as sons by which KJV: the Spirit of adoption, whereby INT: you received a Spirit of adoption whereby which Romans 8:23 N-AFS Romans 9:4 N-NFS Galatians 4:5 N-AFS Ephesians 1:5 N-AFS Strong's Greek 5206 |
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