Adoption
In the role of Son of God, which began with the agency of the Holy Spirit’s conception in the womb of a virgin, God stepped into the world of flesh as Jesus without sin, a human yet divine redeemer (Lk 1:35; Gal 4:4; Heb 1:5). Jesus’ Sonship brought forth the opportunity to receive adoption of sons at the fulness of time God determined (4:4b). Thus, Sonship emphasizes Jesus’ birth and resurrection in relation to adoption (Heb 1:6; Acts 13:33). His Sonship opened an avenue to adoption as children of God’s own family with all the Father’s spiritual benefits (Eph 1:5).
Galatians 4:4-5 includes two Greek hina clauses explaining why God brought forth His Son, made of a woman and under the law. First, the author Paul highlighted “so that He might redeem those who were under the Law.” Second, he brought up “that we might receive the adoption as sons” (4:5 NASB).
Looking at the first hina clause, the passage outlines the audience. At first glance, the reader may understand “those who were under the Law” as Israel and Mosaic Law. Rather, the Law in this context refers to enslavement of people to “the elements of the world” that humanity caused by its own fallen nature (4:3 KJV). Paul taught Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection brought God’s full plan for redemption at the fulness of time to Jew and Greek, bond and free, male and female brought together as one in Christ (4:28).
Further, the second hina clause tells why believers receive the adoption of sons. The begetting process of adoption signifies an inheritance to the promise of redemption to those baptized into Christ as Abraham’s seed (3:27, 29; cf. Gn 18:18 ) and makes believers in Christ now sons of God. The first Adam was a son of God by creation (Lk 3:38), last Adam Jesus a son of God through divine conception (Lk 1:35; Gal 4:4; Heb 1:5), and finally believers by adoption in Christ through faith (Rom 8:14-15; Gal 3:27). Two oppositional peoples in the ancient world, Jews and Gentiles, all have rights to legal adoption and live as believers by faith in Jesus Christ according to the law of the Spirit (3:28-29; 5:22-23).
Angel
A created spiritual being serving under God’s command. Scripture depicted angels ministering spirits sent forth to serve for the sake of those who will inherit salvation (Heb 1:14).They function as servants in the divine order, fulfilling roles assigned by God primarily as messengers and protectors.
Enthronement Promise
Refers to the messianic prophecy concerning the eternal reign of a descendant from the line of King David. This promise encapsulates the covenant God made with David and extends through the lineage leading to Jesus Christ, affirming His eternal kingship.
Second Samuel 7:12-16 establishes the enthronement promise of which God promises King David that his throne will be established forever through his descendants. The Lord told David in this verse, “12 When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (7:12-13 NKJV) His promise established the Davidic Covenant, underscoring the eternal nature of the dynasty that will come from David’s lineage.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the enthronement promise. The book of Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus, tracing His lineage back to David, presenting Him as the legitimate heir to David’s throne. The angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary in Lk 1:32-33 further confirms this, stating, “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
The enthronement promise, therefore, bridges the two testaments, from the Davidic covenant through the prophetic writings to their ultimate fulfillment in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This promise underscores Jesus as the Messiah, the eternal King from David’s lineage, whose reign establishes a kingdom of justice, peace, and divine righteousness.
Epistles
The epistles contain the books of Romans to Jude with thirteen Pauline and eight general epistles. They come in the form of a correspondence written to Christians already converted–either individuals or churches. The epistles had the purpose of teaching and giving counsel with instructions for believers that still apply to us today (Bernard, 2005, pp. 118-19). They provide clarity and encouragement for the application of the Gospel message (Tenney, 2009; Root, 1998). The apostles wrote the New Testament epistles to the saints of the early church. You find two types of epistles, Pauline epistles (those which Apostle Paul authored) and general (attributed to others). The Pauline epistles include Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philipppian, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Phlemon. The General Epistles encompass Hebrews, James, 1 & 2 Peter, 1, 2 & 3 John, and Jude.
Express Image
God made Himself known with the advent of the Incarnation that united Him and man by making Christ the visible image of the invisible God with His exact nature (Col 1:15). Several key phrases stand out that confirm the nature of Jesus Christ as God incarnate: exact expression, marked likeness, precise reproduction (BLB.org). The express image explains Jesus’ substantial quality and nature.
Gospels
The good news of the person, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for all men. Romans 1:16 calls the Gospel the power of God that gives salvation.
The written accounts of the life, ministry, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Each account present four distinct views of Jesus Christ that complement each other and form the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They do not form a complete biography of His life, but do present a complete testimony of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Matthew presents Jesus as a King. Mark presents Him as a Servant. Luke presents Him as a man. John presents Him as the Word who was God made flesh.
Heir (Grk: klēronomos; κληρονόμος)
An heir inherits something allotted to that person with full rights to it. Beginning with Genesis, scripture foretells of an inheritance. Psalm 2:8 speaks to the begotten Son’s reign over many nations and to the ends of earth for His possession as the coming royal heir. The Son receives all the rights of the Father passed to Him through His sonship by the incarnation. The angel Gabriel confirms to Mary that her son Jesus will receive the throne of David and reign over the house of Jacob.
Incarnation
The act whereby God became man through the conception and birth of a virgin woman named Mary. This act unites deity (God) and humanity (Son) in the person of Jesus Christ according to Jn 1:1,14. This also explains the phenomenal acts and sayings of Jesus that declare both His deity in addition to His humanity and the relationship between them.
Iniquity (Grk: adikia; ἀδικία)
niquity refers to a premeditated choice; to continue without repentance in wrongdoing, indicating a deliberate intention. It comes from unrighteousness that lives inside the heart leading to sin done with intention in the absence of repentance. David prayed the Lord wash him of his iniquity from the encounter with Bathsheba and Uriah, probably after some time passing without the knowledge of it (Ps 51:2). It is often associated with a continued inner corruption or depravity. Isaiah 53:6 explains, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” This reflects the idea of iniquity as being a deeper, more ingrained pattern of behavior.
Justification
To be justified means to be counted righteous by God regardless of past sins (Rom 3:20). Works of the law do not justify a person, neither do good works (Gal 2:16), nor can a person justify oneself. Justification only comes from God by grace through faith in Jesus as one’s Savior from His sacrifice for humanity’s sin on the cross. “The just shall live by faith” (Gal 3:11b; cf. Hb 2:4; Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38). Then, the Holy Spirit justifies the human heart and transforms lives in response to personal faith as one yields to God’s grace. Accordingly, a person must admit need for Jesus, humble oneself before Him, seek His face, and repent of sin.
How does God count a person righteous? First, He forgives one’s sin by removing guilt and penalty associated with it. (Rom 4:6-8; 8:1). Then, God enables the justified to partake in the righteousness of Christ through its transfer (3:22; 4:3-5; 2 Cor 5:20-21). Finally, fully reconciled to God, the justified have the entitlements of all God’s promises (Rom 5:9; 8:30; Gal 3:20-14; Ti 3:7).
New Covenant
Jesus, the fulfilled Messiah, ushered in the new covenant by His death, resurrection, and ascension. Scripture refers to this covenant as the better covenant, established upon better promises. Jesus mediates the better, new covenant (Heb 8:6).
God’s Word first mentions the term covenant in Genesis 6:18. Covenant (Hebrew: בְּרִית; bĕriyth) indicates a divine ordinance between God and man (Blue Letter Bible, 2015), a legal relationship that God ordains by an oath to fulfill His specific purpose for humankind because of their frailty. God fulfills His purpose for humanity in covenant (Gn 14:4-6), as well as establishes (Ex 19:5; Dt 17:6) and knows His own people through it (Is 43:10).
Pardon
Pardon leads to a new relationship with God called sonship (1 Jn 3:1-2) from Christ’s shed blood. The New Testament uses the word aphiemi for the pardon of sin: (cf. Rom 4:7, Jas 5:15; 1 John 1:9, 2:12). Rom 4:7 refers to sin as lawless deeds. Pardon occurs upon from actions of God’s grace, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s Savior, repentance, and baptism in the Name. God pardons (or remits) sins at baptism through Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross. One should view baptism as one whole with two parts: baptism by water and of the Spirit (Jn 3:5; cf. Nm 21:8-9).
Regeneration
By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost comes a new life in Christ (Ti 3:5). Salvation puts the old natural man behind and gives rise to new spiritual providing a new creation in Christ. The Apostle Paul said in 2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV).
Sanctification
In 1 Cor 1:2 (KJV), Paul addressed the saints at Corinth as the “sanctified in Christ.” Sanctified (Greek” hagiazō) in this verse means those “purified internally by the reformation of the soul” (Blue Letter Bible, 2015). Sanctification (or separation) takes place at new birth as a single whole action of finished work that comprises justification, regeneration, adoption, and initial sanctification from the Acts 2:38 experience as simultaneous and instantaneous aspects. [1] Beginning at new birth, the Holy Spirit progressively sanctifies a person in holiness throughout one’s Christian walk (1 Pt 1:2).
When God formed Adam, He breathed the breath of life from His very righteousness into him (Gn 1:27; 2:7). The Creator sanctified Adam with His breath to become “a living soul” (2:7b). Paul referred to this sanctification as the through and through in 1 Thes 5:23a: “May God himself sanctify you wholly” (KJV). Adam’s original sin, however, upset the perfect order that God intended for His creation because that sin reached the entire human race. In turn, it corrupted His image in them and caused loss of God’s original righteousness for a changed moral nature. Jesus, the Son of Man in humanity, the sinless second Adam, finished what the first Adam could not carry out. God manifested Himself in flesh in Jesus to save fallen humankind with His finished work. Jesus then bore humankind’s sin at the cross to bring about God’s original intent for their righteousness (Mt 1:1-17; Lk 3:21-23, 38; Cox, 2013).
Scepter of Righteousness
The concept of the scepter of righteousness in both testaments underscores the ideal of divine kingship—one founded on and operating according to God’s righteous standards. It signifies authority, governance, and the moral and ethical standards by which a ruler governs. This concept roots itself in both Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. In the Old Testament, it anticipates the coming of a messianic king who embodies these ideals. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ will fulfill this expectation, reigning forever with righteousness and justice.
Righteousness, in an Old Testament context, refers to the standard of justice and moral uprightness that God demands from leaders, especially kings. A notable reference to the scepter, Ps 45:6 (NKJV) says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.” A royal psalm, it foretells the messianic king who will rule with righteousness and justice.
The scepter of righteousness connects to Jesus Christ, affirming His role as the divine and righteous king. Heb 1:8 (NKJV) quotes Ps 45:6-7 to describe Jesus: “But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.'” In this passage, the “scepter of righteousness” underscores Jesus’ divine authority and His righteous reign, distinguishing His kingdom from earthly realms. It highlights His commitment to righteousness and justice, in contrast to lawlessness and injustice.
Sin (Grk: hamartia; ἁμαρτία)
In the most basic term, the root word of sin means to miss the mark. For example, not completing a legal contract in civil law shows one instance but in a criminal sense: “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established” (Dt 19:15). Sin also can relate to a spiritual or moral failure against God. The failures may occur intentionally or unintentionally either from an individual or nation.
Transgression (Grk: parabasis; παράβασις)
Transgression refers to a violation of a specific command or law. It implies crossing a boundary set by God. In the context of Scripture, a transgression is an act that goes against a direct command of God. Psalm 51:1-3, where David speaks after being confronted by Nathan about Bathsheba, shows this understanding: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”
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