Daily Bread - JAN/09/08

Romans 8:16 - It is the Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.

Paul uses the word for sons (huios) and the word for children (tekna) interchangeably. In Romans chapter eight, for example, Paul will first say sons in verse 14 and then children in verse 16; he then goes back to sons in verse 19 then back to children again in verse 21 and ends with sons in verse 26. On the other hand, John only uses the word children (tekna) in all of his writings. What we can safely say is that both words in this context mean the same thing. We might liken it to the description of man in Genesis whom God made both male and female (Genesis 1:27; 5:2) "And God made man both male and female." Thus, we may rightfully say that God made us, His sons, both male and female. The following verses of scripture are all those passages in the New Testament which refer to us as either the "sons of God" or the "children of God" - "sons of God": Matthew 5:9; Romans 8:14,19; 9:26; Galations 3:26; 4:6; Hebrews 2:10; 12:7 - uses the Greek word for sons (huios). And, "children of God": John 1:12; Romans 8:16, 21; 9:8; Ephesians 5:1; Philippians 2:15; 1 John 3:1,10; 5:2 uses the Greek for children (tekna). All of these verses were examined in both the Byzantine Text (majority text) and the NA27 (eclectic text). There was complete agreement in the wording for all the text types represented.

The testimony of our sonship is further extended by a word that means "sonship" (huiothesias). This particular Greek word is translated by most translators as "adoption of children" based upon a theological understanding of the word (Romans 8:15,23; 9:4; Galatians 4:5; Ephesians 1:5). However, the literal definition of the word more accurately concurs with the miracle new birth and transformation of nature that took place when we were born of the Spirit and entered into sonship. This Greek word is a compound word of 'hios' and 'tithemi' a prolonged form of 'theo' (God) which means, "to set in place." By virtue of its construction it would then mean a "sons set in place" or "sonship" or perhaps even "son of God." This word is used only by Paul in the New Testament and does not occur in classical Greek writings (Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993) - The complete word study dictionary: New Testament). The only link that we have with this word and those things written in the Old Testament is found in Romans 9:4, "They are Israelites to them belong the son-ship (hiothesia) the glory the covenants the giving of the law the worship and the promises. In Deuteronomy 14:1 God calls Israel at that time the "sons of Yahweh your God" (baniym atem la-yhvah eloheychem). Finally, the concept of sonship is extended beyond Israel in Hosea when the prophet says, "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, You are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, You are the sons of the living God" (Hosea 1:10; Romans 9:26).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org