INTRODUCTION TO ADOPTION

THE DOCTRINE OF ADOPTION

INTRODUCTION

                       Some theologians have not given "Adoption" any special place or treatment. Some, like Strong, regard it as merely an aspect of Justification. Some of the Fathers and Roman Catholics confused it with Regeneration.

                       The confusion of Adoption with Justification may be due to the fact that both are legal or declarative acts of God. But they differ in what they secure for the believer. Justification secures Righteousness for sinners. Adoption secures Sonship for servants.

                       The confusion of Adoption with Regeneration is less excusable. Adoption is a declarative act. Regeneration is a work. Some who have confused the two were led astray by failure to distinguish between the words "child" and "son" in the N.T. Regeneration does make us children of God. But Adoption makes us "Sons" of God. The two words are not synonymous in the N.T.

                       On this point, our A.V. has seriously obscured the doctrine for the English reader. It puts "child" for "son" in a number of texts. This is righted by the A.S.V. If you use the A.V. you should mark all these changes.