Children of God

[Polaris]

The scriptures are full of references to God as our Father. Some do so in the context of a covenant relationship...

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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" (Romans 8:14-15).

... while other passages declare man to be the offspring of God in a more general sense.

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (Acts 29:29).


So what exactly is our relationship to God?
Are we merely His creation or are we indeed His children?
In what way are we His children?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

The scriptures are full of references to God as our Father. Some do so in the context of a covenant relationship...

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
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" (Romans 8:14-15).

... while other passages declare man to be the offspring of God in a more general sense.

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device" (Acts 29:29).


So what exactly is our relationship to God?
Are we merely His creation or are we indeed His children?
In what way are we His children?

Inasmuch as we believe in Jesus as the Son of God. I don't know of any context in the NT that specifies "children of God" as any persons other than those who confess Christ.

 

[Polaris]

Inasmuch as we believe in Jesus as the Son of God. I don't know of any context in the NT that specifies "children of God" as any persons other than those who confess Christ.

The second passage I referred to in my OP does.

The statement in Acts 17 is specifically directed to the men of Athens who were worshipping false gods and were not people who properly confessed Christ:

"Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands...

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device. "

This passage clearly teaches that we ALL are the offspring of God, even those who worship false gods. Also there are many scriptures that refer to God as our Father without any sort of confessional qualifications.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

This passage clearly teaches that we ALL are the offspring of God, even those who worship false gods. Also there are many scriptures that refer to God as our Father without any sort of confessional qualifications.

I disagree with how you have interpreted this text. Luke is quoting a Greek author who says this and is not emphasizing how everyone is a child of God in his own teachings.

 

[Mister_T]

Inasmuch as we believe in Jesus as the Son of God. I don't know of any context in the NT that specifies "children of God" as any persons other than those who confess Christ.

Matthew 5:9

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

 

[Polaris]

I disagree with how you have interpreted this text. Luke is quoting a Greek author who says this and is not emphasizing how everyone is a child of God in his own teachings.

Sure he is. He makes the specific point: because we are the offspring of god we should not treat God like gold and silver. That is the whole point he's trying to get across -- we should not treat God as some object, because He is our Father.

 

[Polaris]

So what does Paul mean in Acts 17 when he says we are the offspring of God?

 

[Special Revelation]

So what does Paul mean in Acts 17 when he says we are the offspring of God?

Acts 17 - All of mankind has God as their Creator. This is what the Apostle Paul is stating in Acts 17. Since all mankind is born united to Adam, they are in rebellion with God. The Bible calls all of us children of disobedience, and children of the devil.


Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are adopted into the family of God.

John 1
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

 

[Polaris]

Acts 17 - All of mankind has God as their Creator.

Since all mankind is born united to Adam, they are in rebellion with God. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are adopted into the family of God.

But the statement by Paul in Acts 17 is directed to men who didn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, yet Paul declared to them that we (including them) are the offspring of God. I find it hard to believe that offspring should be interpreted as merely "creations of God". The word "offspring" implies so much more. If Paul did in fact use offspring to mean "creation of God" then that was a very poor word to use, and comes off as very misleading. However if he actually meant what he said, there are plenty of other scriptures that support it. Many passages refer to God as our Father and us as His children. Why should we not take them for what they say?

 

[Special Revelation]

But the statement by Paul in Acts 17 is directed to men who didn't believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, yet Paul declared to them that we (including them) are the offspring of God. I find it hard to believe that offspring should be interpreted as merely "creations of God". The word "offspring" implies so much more. If Paul did in fact use offspring to mean "creation of God" then that was a very poor word to use, and comes off as very misleading. However if he actually meant what he said, there are plenty of other scriptures that support it. Many passages refer to God as our Father and us as His children. Why should we not take them for what they say?

Galatians 3 -Sons of God

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

 

[Polaris]

Galatians 3 -Sons of God

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4

What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

I agree, just as I readily admitted in my OP, there are passages that declare us to be children of God in a convenant-based context, which is what these verses portray. Through our faithfulness we are adopted into the covenant family of God.

However there are also passages that refer to God as Father of all of mankind (eg. Acts 17). These portray us as actual and literal children or offspring of God.

 

[FerventGodSeeker]

I agree, just as I readily admitted in my OP, there are passages that declare us to be children of God in a convenant-based context, which is what these verses portray. Through our faithfulness we are adopted into the covenant family of God.

However there are also passages that refer to God as Father of all of mankind (eg. Acts 17). These portray us as actual and literal children or offspring of God.

If we're all literal children of God, why would we need to be adopted into His family?

 

[Vassal]

I agree, just as I readily admitted in my OP, there are passages that declare us to be children of God in a convenant-based context, which is what these verses portray. Through our faithfulness we are adopted into the covenant family of God.

However there are also passages that refer to God as Father of all of mankind (eg. Acts 17). These portray us as actual and literal children or offspring of God.

We are children of God only in a metaphorical sense. He is like a father because he guides, protects us, and shares his glory with us. Acts 17 is also clearly in a metaphorical sense, because in the following verse he clearly explains what he means in saying this. He says that we ought not to think of God as just a carving of gold, silver, or stone, but as a father-figure. God is a personal and wants to be involved in the lives of the people he created, not just some carved stone figure that we mindless give sacrifices to.

 

[Runlikethewind]

Could it be that all humans are children of God through the incarnation of God as man in Jesus Christ? When Jesus took on the fullness of human nature, He raised humanity itself, human nature itself, to a new level. The incarnation of Christ gave human nature a divine quality. All peoples in all times who share the human nature share in God's nature for God and humans are one in Jesus.

How bout that?

 

[Polaris]

If we're all literal children of God, why would we need to be adopted into His family?

We need to be adopted into the family of God in a covenant sense. Through our faithfulness we become a family in faith and purpose.

In Acts 17 Paul is clearly talking to men who weren't yet adopted into the covenant family yet he includes them in his description of man as the offspring of God.

 

[Polaris]

We are children of God only in a metaphorical sense. He is like a father because he guides, protects us, and shares his glory with us. Acts 17 is also clearly in a metaphorical sense, because in the following verse he clearly explains what he means in saying this. He says that we ought not to think of God as just a carving of gold, silver, or stone, but as a father-figure. God is a personal and wants to be involved in the lives of the people he created, not just some carved stone figure that we mindless give sacrifices to.

So every instance in which God is referred to as our Father is metaphorical? How do support that claim?

The point of Paul's statement seems quite clear: because we are the offspring of God we should not make Him into some object or idol. The word offspring is used for a reason -- probably because that's really what Paul meant, and probably because that is our true relationship to God, our Father.

 

[Polaris]

Could it be that all humans are children of God through the incarnation of God as man in Jesus Christ? When Jesus took on the fullness of human nature, He raised humanity itself, human nature itself, to a new level. The incarnation of Christ gave human nature a divine quality. All peoples in all times who share the human nature share in God's nature for God and humans are one in Jesus.

How bout that?

That's an interesting thought, but I still fail to see why we shouldn't take the scriptures at their words. The repeated and consistant usages of the terms offspring, father, children, in describing our relationship to God leave little wiggle room. Why should we believe them to always be merely metaphorical descriptions?

 

[FerventGodSeeker]

We need to be adopted into the family of God in a covenant sense. Through our faithfulness we become a family in faith and purpose.

Where does the Bible differentiate this "covenant sense" from the literal one or any other one? I thought we were letting the verses speak for themselves here, but suddenly you're inserting a "covenant sense" into the "plainness" of the passages about our adoption as sons.

In Acts 17 Paul is clearly talking to men who weren't yet adopted into the covenant family yet he includes them in his description of man as the offspring of God

You're going to have to explain how "offspring" there means "literal spirit children." In 1 Cor. 8:6, we see that the God is the "Father" of all things in some sense.

 

[Runlikethewind]

That's an interesting thought, but I still fail to see why we shouldn't take the scriptures at their words. The repeated and consistant usages of the terms offspring, father, children, in describing our relationship to God leave little wiggle room. Why should we believe them to always be merely metaphorical descriptions?

I am not taking it in a metaphorical sense at all. We are literal the offspring of God because we are his creation and we are literally his children because we all share in His divinity through the incarnation of Jesus. There is nothing metaphorical about that.

 

[Special Revelation]

Could it be that all humans are children of God through the incarnation of God as man in Jesus Christ? When Jesus took on the fullness of human nature, He raised humanity itself, human nature itself, to a new level. The incarnation of Christ gave human nature a divine quality. All peoples in all times who share the human nature share in God's nature for God and humans are one in Jesus.

How bout that?

I think this is not truth since God makes a distinction between the old humanity and new humanity, or new creation in Christ as compared to old creation that is fallen. It is clear that redemption of sinful man is a large theme in the Bible. All who have saving faith in Christ are adopted into God's family, calling Him Abba Father. All who does not have saving faith in Christ are not adopted into the family of God. I also believe your answer appears to fall outside of Roman Catholic teaching.