Does biblical adoption mean adopting a child born to someone else into your family?
No. As Paul uses the term, adoption does not describe taking a child born to someone else and legally bringing them into a family. It instead reflects the Greek and Roman practice of placing the eldest son under tutors until he was fully educated and could stand alongside his father.
Les explains that the word adoption, as Paul uses it, is not the modern cultural idea of taking a child born to someone else and legally adopting that child into a family. Instead, the word goes back to the Greek and Roman practice of putting the eldest son under tutors and completely under their control until he reached the age where he was fully educated, so that he could step in side by side with the father. In the surrounding context, this connects with being led by the Spirit, being sons of God, and being born of God, the born ones.
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
More Questions
What does adoption mean in the Bible according to Paul?
The word 'adoption' as Paul uses it does not mean adopting a child born to someone else into a family, but refers to the Greek and Roman practice of placing the eldest son under tutors until he is fully educated and can stand side by side with his father.
What did Paul mean when he used the word 'adoption'?
Paul's word 'adoption' does not mean our modern legal adoption of someone else's child; it refers to the Greek and Roman practice of putting an eldest son under tutors until he is fully educated and can step in side by side with his father.
What does adoption mean in the Greek and Roman practice Paul refers to?
The word "adoption" goes back to the Greek and Roman practice of putting the eldest son under tutors, completely under their control, until he was fully educated and could step right in side by side with the father.