The Message of Sonship (Bible Speaks Today)

Publisher's Description

"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"; God's 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 story line of the Bible makes clear that God is making for himself a family of sons and daughters who will serve him and reign with him in his kingdom forever—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 a means of the restoration of broken, suffering humanity. Those whom God the Father adopts into his household as sons and daughters become his family for all eternity.

As a companion to the Bible Speaks Today commentaries, the Bible Speaks Today Bible Themes series focuses on the message of key biblical texts supporting differing facets of Christian doctrine in conversation with the history of Christian tradition. Rooted in Christian heritage and interactive with contemporary culture, the series provides a rich resource for preaching, teaching, and spiritual growth.

About the Author

Trevor J. Burke (Ph.D., Glasgow) is professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. He was previously lecturer in New Testament and head of the department of biblical studies at Pacific Theological College, Suva, Fiji. He is also the author of Adopted into God's Family: Exploring a Pauline Metaphor (New Studies in Biblical Theology).