υἱοθεσία

υἱοθεσία — huiothesía

υἱοθεσία, υἱοθεσίας, ἡ (from υἱός and θέσις, cf. ὁροθεσία, νομοθεσία; in secular authors from Pindar and Herodotus down we find θετός υἱός or θετός παῖς, an adopted son), adoption, adoption as sons (Vulg.adoptio filiorum): (Diodorus 1. 31 § 27, 5 (vol. 10:31, 13 Dindorf)); (Diogenes Laërtius 4, 53; Inscriptions. In the N. T. it is used to denote a. that relationship which God was pleased to establish between himself and the Israelites in preference to all other nations (see υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, 4 at the beginning): Rom 9:4.

b. the nature and condition of the true disciples of Christ, who by receiving the Spirit of God into their souls become the sons of God (see υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ, 4): Rom 8:15; Gal 4:5; Eph 1:5; it also includes the blessed state looked for in the future life after the visible return of Christ from heaven; hence, ἀπεκδέχεσθαι υἱοθεσίαν, to wait for adoption, i. e. the consummate condition of the sons of God, which will render it evident that they are the sons of God, Rom 8:23, cf. Rom 8:19.