Topic
Sons of God (New Testament)
36 passages cited, from 1 classic reference work.
These works date from 1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Luke 12:27–33ISBE
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven;…
- John 1:12ISBE
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
- John 2:9–11ISBE
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth…
- John 3:1ISBE
There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
- John 3:2ISBE
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
- John 5:1ISBE
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
- John 5:1–3ISBE
After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind,…
- John 13:35ISBE
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
- John 14:23ISBE
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
- John 15:8ISBE
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
- John 17:23ISBE
I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
- Acts 17:28ISBE
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.
Show 24 more
- Romans 8:14 ISBE
- Romans 8:15 ISBE
- Romans 8:16 ISBE
- Romans 8:17 ISBE
- Romans 8:19 ISBE
- Romans 8:23 ISBE
- Romans 8:29 ISBE
- 2 Corinthians 1:4 ISBE
- 2 Corinthians 5:10 ISBE
- Galatians 3:26 ISBE
- Galatians 4:5 ISBE
- Galatians 4:6 ISBE
- Galatians 4:7 ISBE
- Galatians 5:18 ISBE
- Ephesians 2:2 ISBE
- Ephesians 2:2–4 ISBE
- Ephesians 2:3 ISBE
- Ephesians 3:12 ISBE
- Ephesians 3:14 ISBE
- Hebrews 12:5–11 ISBE
- 1 Peter 1:3–5 ISBE
- 1 John 3:1 ISBE
- 1 John 3:2 ISBE
- 1 John 3:14 ISBE
In the reference works
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 42 references
1. New Testament Terms:
Two Greek words are translated "son," teknon, huios, both words indicating sonship by parentage, the former indicating that the sonship has taken place by physical descent, while the latter presents sonship more from the legal side than from the standpoint of relationship. John, who lays special emphasis on sonship by birth, uses teknon, while Paul, in emphasizing sonship from the legal side, as referring to adoption, which was current among the Romans but scarcely if at all known to, or if known, practiced by, the Jews, uses the word huios (Joh 1:12; Ro 8:14,16,19; Ga 4:6,7; 1 Joh 3:1,2).
2. New Testament Doctrine:
Men are not by nature the sons of God, at least not in the sense in which believers in Christ are so called. By nature those outside of Jesus Christ are "children of wrath" (Eph 2:3), "of disobedience" (Eph 2:2), controlled not by the Spirit of God (Ro 8:14), but by the spirit of disobedience (Eph 2:2-4). Men become sons of God in the regenerative and adoptive sense by the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour (Joh 1:12 f; Ga 3:26). The universal brotherhood which the New Testament teaches is that brotherhood which is based on faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as the divine and only Saviour of the world. And the same is true of the universal Fatherhood of God. It is true that all men are "his offspring" (Ac 17:28 f) in the sense that they are God's created children; but that the New Testament makes a very clear and striking distinction between sonship by virtue of creation and sonship by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, there can be no reasonable doubt.
Sonship is the present possession of the believer in Christ (1 Joh 3:2). It will be completed at the second coming of our Lord (Ro 8:23), at which time the believer will throw off his incognito, by reason of which the world may not have recognized his sonship (1 Joh 3:1,2), and be fully and gloriously revealed as the son of God (2Co 5:10). It doth not yet appear, it hath not yet appeared, what we shall be; the revelation of the sons of God is reserved for a coming day of manifestation.
The blessings of sonship are too numerous to mention, save in the briefest way. His sons are objects of God's peculiar love (Joh 17:23), and His Fatherly care (Lu 12:27-33). They have the family name (Eph 3:14 f; 1 Joh 3:1); the family likeness (Ro 8:29); family love (Joh 13:35; 1 Joh 3:14); a filial spirit (Ro 8:15; Ga 4:6); a family service (Joh 14:23 f; 15:8). They receive fatherly chastisement (Heb 12:5-11); fatherly comfort (2Co 1:4), and an inheritance (Ro 8:17; 1Pe 1:3-5).
Among the evidences of sonship are: being led by the Spirit (Ro 8:14; Ga 5:18); having a childlike confidence in God (Ga 4:5); having liberty of access (Eph 3:12); having love for the brethren (1 Joh 2:9-11; 5:1), and obedience (1 Joh 5:1-3).
William Evans
Texts: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.