Waiting The Adoption?
And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:23
Martyn Lloyd-Jones in his sermon on Ephesians1:5 makes the statement that the term adoption in the New Testament is one which Paul, the only writer of the New Testament to use the word, borrowed from Roman law. If we try to use the modern day concept of adoption we will miss what Paul meant in the various usages of the term.
As Lloyd-Jones points out it is a purely forensic term and has to do with legal status of a son. In fact it was a concept in which even the natural son was to be a part of when he became of legal age to receive the inheritance. Paul says in Galatians that an heir as long as he is a child differs nothing from a slave though he is lord of all.
If we see this idea of adoption and apply it to what the Christian receives it will shed more light on exactly what we are to receive as adopted sons. It is more than merely being a “partaker of divine nature” at our regeneration. The elect were called children of God before they were even born so it is not as though either regeneration or adoption makes us sons. Regeneration gives us the nature of a son and adoption gives us the legal standing of a son but the elect were always called children of God- John 11:52, Heb 2:13-14.
But what exactly is adoption to the Christian and what did Paul mean in Romans when he spoke of adoption the redemption of the body? Once we grasp the Roman concept of adoption being a legal term giving one the legal right to all that the heir possesses it will bring into sharp focus exactly what Paul was saying in Romans 8 “waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”
Paul’s analogy of the legal right of a son when coming of age in Galatians 4 is one that needs to be looked at to grasp this concept of legal rights. Paul makes a distinction between a Jew and a Gentile in his analogy of legal rights as sons. In verses 3-7 “even we (Jews) when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the law, to redeem them (Israel) that were under the law, that we (Jews) might receive the adoption of sons (legal right of sons) And because ye (Gentiles) are sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his son into your hears, crying Abba Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son, and if a son then an heir of God through Christ.”
In this analogy he is speaking of individual legal rights as sons that comes to the person upon regeneration and faith in Christ. But what about the adoption that is yet to be realized as stated in Romans 8? Many take this verse in Romans 8 and say that it is the time when we receive the full adoption as sons with the resurrection of the physical body. But there is something wrong with that concept when looked at in the light of Roman law as spelled out by Lloyd-Jones. If it is a purely forensic term then it is talking about something having to do with legal rights of an heir. When Paul spoke of redemption of our body was he talking about the actual literal resurrection of the physical body from biological death? If so why did he not say “waiting for the adoption, to wit the resurrection of our bodies?” He never used the word resurrection when speaking of the body nor did he use the plural bodies but spoke of body as singular.
What is something that needs to be addressed by those that take this adoption to be the physical resurrection yet future is that it is stating that the physical body, not yet adopted has no legal right as of yet to the inheritance. If that is true can we then make the claim that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit? What we must be forced to do it to make a dichotomy between the soul/spirit and the body. The soul and spirit having the legal right of the inheritance but the physical body doesn’t. We must separate the one from the other something foreign from Scripture. There is no getting away from this dichotomy.
But what about Romans 8 and the connection between the redemption of the body and adoption? Doesn’t that teach that at the resurrection of the physical body the adoption takes place?
In Romans 8 we read that the earnest expectation of the creature
waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. This word translated creature
is the same word used many times to refer not to the physical creation but
creatures themselves. In some cases such as 2cor 5 "a new creation"
it is referring to the elect of God. In verse 21 of Romans 8 we are told that
this creation itself shall also be delivered form the bondage of corruption
INTO the glorious liberty of the children of God. Now can this be the physical
creation? Notice that in verse 19 the
creation “WAITS…” In vese 20 the creation was subject to vanity “NOT
WILLINGLY.” In both of these we see characteristics of personality not to
mention the groaning and travailing of verse 22. Some say that this is merely
poetic language to describe something. But can we say that Paul is writing such
literture that can be consider poetic such as the Psalms many times are? No he
is dealing with something doctrinal. In
verse 18 he mentions how the glory shall be revealed in us and then after he
said that he then says in verse 19 “FOR…” connecting it to what was just said
before.
Since we see that there is more support for the creation or
creature of these verses to be something other than material creaction for we
are sure rats, roaches and rattlesnakes are not going to be delivered “into the
gloious liberty of the Children of God.”
Who is it then? This is the Old
Testament saints who had died in faith not receiving the promise. They had to
be delivered from the "bondage of corruption" which was the Old Covenant law . Paul then
says "and not only [they] but ourselves also." In addition to the Old
Testament saints who have died and were waiting in Abraham's bosom for the resurrection, but the New Testament
believer at that time was waiting for the the adoption "the redemption
of OUR (plural) body (singular)"
the redemption of the purchased possession. If Christ has not returned then
redemption is not complete and we are not yet saved. For he will appear a
second time without sin UNTO salvation. Paul told the Romans that salvation was
nearer then when they believed. Peter said that salvation was ready to be
revealed. So if he has not appeared a second time then salvation is not yet finished.
If he has not appeared a second time then he has not yet entered into his
kingdom as he said he would in the lifetime of some living then Matt 16:27-28.
In verse 17 Paul says that we are joint heirs with Christ and that
we will be “glorified TOGETHER.” Is that together mean that we are to be
glorified at the same time as Christ? Or does it mean that we, Paul and all
first century saints, and some other
group, the Old Covenant saints would be
glorified together ? It is said of the
Old Covenant saints that “God having
provided better things for us, That THEY without us should not be made
perfect.” Heb. 11:40. It is after this
statement is made that he then talks about the creation waiting for the
adoption.
If we will back up from Romans 8 into Romans 7 where Paul talks
about the law and how sin taking occasion
by the commandment wrought in him "all manner of
concupiscence" and then read how he desire to be delivered "from the
body of this death" we see something interesting. Paul is not referring to
the fleshly body that will return to the dust. In the next chapter he says
there is no more condemnation to those that walk after the spirit and not the
flesh. Is that flesh he is speaking about the physical body? Note the next
verse "for the law of the Spirit of life has set me free from the law of
sin AND DEATH.". The law of sin and death is the law spoken of in Romans
7. Paul uses the term flesh a number of times to speak of the workings of the
law to those under it. In Galatians 3:3 "are ye so foolish having begun in
the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Here is associates
keeping the law of Moses with the work of the flesh as he does in Phil 3 where
he mentions how he had reason to "trust
in the flesh" where he was talking about the keeping of the law as a
"Hebrew of the Hebrews".
So we see that Paul's desire for deliverance from the body of sin
was the deliverance from the Old Covenant law that worked in him "all
manner of concupiscence". It is a failure to see this connection that has
led many to reject fulfilled eschatology
based solely on the idea that both the physical body and the physical
universe needs to be redeemed at the second coming. Another such reason is the
curse that was put on the earth at the fall. These needs to be briefly examined
to see that this has no merit to support and need for such a renovation.
But when we see the redemption of the body as the legal standing of the corporate body that was manifested when the bondwoman and her son were cast out (A.D.70) and the full legal rights of the church as children of the promise, the redemption of the purchased possession, we are not forced into such a dichotomy. We as children of God can make the claim that we are no longer servants but children and heirs according to the promise. If we are still waiting for any portion of the adoption we must of necessity deny full sonship or make the soul/spirit and body dichotomy that is foreign to the Word of God.
Please direct your comments to Mike
Krall.