Some error occured while loading the Quick View. Please close the Quick View and try reloading the page.
Sonship' is an important, yet often overlooked, theme throughout the Bible. Adam, the first human being, is identified as a 'son of God'; Israel is God's 'first-born son'; the covenant with king David is cast in father-son terms; Christians are children of God, 'adopted as sons'; and the same designation brings Scripture to a triumphant conclusion: 'He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son' (Revelation 21:7).
The storyline of the Bible is clear, that God is making for himself a family of sons and daughters who will serve him and reign with him in his kingdom for ever - and this purpose is achieved through Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God.
In his warm-hearted, edifying exposition of this theme, Trevor Burke shows how 'sonship' is the focus of creation, is a metaphor for salvation, carries moral obligation, and is the goal of restoration of broken, suffering humanity. For those whom God the Father adopts into his household as sons and daughters, the family bonds that begin in this life will last for all eternity.
General preface 9
Author's preface 10
Abbreviations 12
Bibliography 14
Introduction: Sonship as a biblical metaphor 17
Part 1
Sonship in the Old Testament
1. A son is born: Israel (Exodus 4:22-23) 37
2. A son heading home (Deuteronomy 1:31; 8:5; 14:1-2;
32:1-43) 53
3. A Son sworn in: the king (2 Samuel 7) 69
4. A prodigal son returns home (Hosea 11; Isaiah 1:2-4) 81
Part 2
Sonship in the New Testament
5. Jesus, the Son of God (Luke 2:6-7; 1:32-36; Matthew 2:13-18; 3:13-17; 4:1–11; Luke 9:28-36; Matthew
27:33-54; Romans 1:3-4) 99
6. The Son of God and the children of God (John 1:14, 18;
5:16-30; 1:12-13; 3:1-10; 8:31-58; 11:51-52; 20:21-23) 120
7. Adopted sons and daughters empowered by the Spirit
(Romans 8:3, 12-17; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:4;
Romans 8:16-25) 139
8. Children of wrath who become strong and stable sons
and daughters of God (Ephesians 1:4-6; 2:1-10; 4:11-16) 161
9. Sonship and the second coming of God's Son
(1 Thessalonians 1:9-10; 4:16; 5:1-11) 177
10. A sermon on sonship (Hebrews 1:1-13; 3:5-6; 2:10-18;
12:1-11) 190
11. Children born and loved by God and called to love each
other (1 John 2:29 - 3:3; 5:1-2) 206
12. Sons and daughters, home at last! (Revelation 21:3-8) 224
Study Guide 231