Daily Bread – July 18, 2023 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Romans 8:16 – It is the Spirit that bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. Sonship The testimony of our sonship is further extended by a word some translators render as “adoption” (huiothesias) 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 “son-ship”, 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 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 sonship (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). Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
Daily Bread 7/18/2023
