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The Reformed Doctrine of Adoption
"Webb's book opens up the Bible's doctrine of adoption in Christ as no other book does. Its strength is that Webb begins his exposition with Genesis and from there goes on into the New Testament to provide us with a "whole Bible" view of adoption that is central to the progress of revelation and the history of redemption in the Bible" (Pastor Joe Morecraft).
- GenresTheology
188 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
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November 9, 2024
To start off with, Webb’s book is where J.I. Packer gets his cardinal idea of “adoption through propitiation” in his book ‘Knowing God.’ Packer states that “[w]ere I asked to focus the New Testament message in three words, my proposal would be adoption through propitiation, and I do not expect ever to meet a richer or more pregnant summary of the gospel than that” (Knowing God, p. 145).
At some point I knew that I wanted to read a book on adoption. I wasn’t sure where it would fit in my study of the Loci Communes. Given that there was a chapter on adoption in Fred Sander’s book ‘The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything’ in conjunction with the fact that this book was on sale for $7.00 at Reformation Heritage Books (and still is) I decided to tie it into my reading this past week.
In the book’s forward by Joseph Morecraft III, it is noted that historically, adoption has been an underdeveloped doctrine because it became ‘engulfed’ in discussions of the doctrine of justification.
Chap 1: Importance of Adoption
Webb lays out that it is his objective to craft a doctrine of adoption. He acknowledges that for much of history, the doctrine of adoption has been largely looked over. Webb thinks that at the time he published his book (1947) that the most robust statement of adoption is to be found in the WCF and that adoption stands parallel to other chief doctrines, yet in many ways is the crowning jewel of them all. In Webb’s words, adoption is the “. . .crown and glory of the entire redemptive process” (p. 19). Webb draws a well-needed distinction between justification and adoption claiming that justification is a repossession of citizenship in the Kingdom of God, whereas adoption is a repossession of sonship.
Chap 2: The Son and the Servant
Webb develops his thesis of chapter one more fully, laying out seven sub-theses that support the idea of the distinction made between adoption and justification, of son and of servant. In particular I found theses four and six to be most important:
“IV. The son and subject differ from each other as to the motive regulative of their obedience” (p. 37)
“VI. Son and servant differ as to the design had in their respective punishments” (p. 38)
Chap 3: The Sonship of the First Adam
Webb speaks to the “Edenic sonship of Adam,” the fall and how it effected Adam’s posterity, namely the loss of citizenship and sonship. Webb discusses that “. . .the original government of God in Eden was patriarchal — a government in which He was at once both a Father and a Sovereign, and in which Adam was at the same time a son and a subject” (p. 46).
Chap 4: Objections to Adamic Sonship
Webb responds to objections to the idea of Adamic sonship. Webb wisely notes that “[a] developed gospel scheme will show that the original sonship of the first Adam must be assumed to give a harmonious and consistent exposition of the redemptive plan” (p. 77).
Chap 5: Fallen Sons
Webb further explains the fall and the loss of sonship in Adam and how we are by nature children of wrath.
Chap 6: The Sonship of the Second Adam
Webb discusses how the person of Christ is the second Adam. He became man to redeem man. There is technical discussion of the incarnation and how Christ is a son both in the monogenetic sense and the theanthropic sense.
Chap 7: Sons by Incarnation
Webb offers critique concerning the idea of ‘sonship by incarnation,’ an idea advanced by Christian platonists that has dismal implications for how we understand God’s nature.
Chap 8: Sons by Love
Webb offers critique concerning the idea of the ‘ethical gospel,’ the idea that we are sons by love in the radical sense that God is somehow of his nature not complete if not for the existence of his creation. Both the platonic and ethical theories severely compromise God’s aseity.
Chap 9: Sons by Atonement (1)
Webb launches into a discussion of vicarious atonement and that as fallen sons we are objects of God’s wrath and righteous indignation, but through Christ’s atonement God the Father is propitiated, thus making us objects of the Father’s affection. Webb critiques didactic theories of the atonement and concludes that they are not explanatorily sufficient in light of the doctrine of total depravity.
Chap 10: Sons by Atonement (2)
Webb discusses how we are restored to citizenship and sonship in light of calvary; our filial relationship is restored. No longer are we children of wrath but are now children of the living God. Webb remarks that “[c]hildship of God is thus distinctly referred to Christ as the procuring cause of the relation and all its privileges and prerogatives” (175).
Chap 11: Sons by Regeneration
Chapters 9 and 10 pertain to the communicative mission of the Son, whereas Webb’s final chapter deals with the communicative mission of the Holy Spirit. Namely, that we are regenerated and given the “Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15). In Webb’s words, “[t]hat which is imparted is a filial heart, a filial disposition, or a filial principle — the spirit and temper of a child, which spirit and temper are cordially like the spirit and temper of the divine Father” (187).
Highly recommend. In many ways, this book reads like the works of those from Old Princeton, scholarly and of theological rigor. I do not believe, however, that this is the book to read if one desires a work that is more organized towards a devotional focus. For that purpose, I simply would commend Packer’s book ‘Knowing God.’
At some point I knew that I wanted to read a book on adoption. I wasn’t sure where it would fit in my study of the Loci Communes. Given that there was a chapter on adoption in Fred Sander’s book ‘The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything’ in conjunction with the fact that this book was on sale for $7.00 at Reformation Heritage Books (and still is) I decided to tie it into my reading this past week.
In the book’s forward by Joseph Morecraft III, it is noted that historically, adoption has been an underdeveloped doctrine because it became ‘engulfed’ in discussions of the doctrine of justification.
Chap 1: Importance of Adoption
Webb lays out that it is his objective to craft a doctrine of adoption. He acknowledges that for much of history, the doctrine of adoption has been largely looked over. Webb thinks that at the time he published his book (1947) that the most robust statement of adoption is to be found in the WCF and that adoption stands parallel to other chief doctrines, yet in many ways is the crowning jewel of them all. In Webb’s words, adoption is the “. . .crown and glory of the entire redemptive process” (p. 19). Webb draws a well-needed distinction between justification and adoption claiming that justification is a repossession of citizenship in the Kingdom of God, whereas adoption is a repossession of sonship.
Chap 2: The Son and the Servant
Webb develops his thesis of chapter one more fully, laying out seven sub-theses that support the idea of the distinction made between adoption and justification, of son and of servant. In particular I found theses four and six to be most important:
“IV. The son and subject differ from each other as to the motive regulative of their obedience” (p. 37)
“VI. Son and servant differ as to the design had in their respective punishments” (p. 38)
Chap 3: The Sonship of the First Adam
Webb speaks to the “Edenic sonship of Adam,” the fall and how it effected Adam’s posterity, namely the loss of citizenship and sonship. Webb discusses that “. . .the original government of God in Eden was patriarchal — a government in which He was at once both a Father and a Sovereign, and in which Adam was at the same time a son and a subject” (p. 46).
Chap 4: Objections to Adamic Sonship
Webb responds to objections to the idea of Adamic sonship. Webb wisely notes that “[a] developed gospel scheme will show that the original sonship of the first Adam must be assumed to give a harmonious and consistent exposition of the redemptive plan” (p. 77).
Chap 5: Fallen Sons
Webb further explains the fall and the loss of sonship in Adam and how we are by nature children of wrath.
Chap 6: The Sonship of the Second Adam
Webb discusses how the person of Christ is the second Adam. He became man to redeem man. There is technical discussion of the incarnation and how Christ is a son both in the monogenetic sense and the theanthropic sense.
Chap 7: Sons by Incarnation
Webb offers critique concerning the idea of ‘sonship by incarnation,’ an idea advanced by Christian platonists that has dismal implications for how we understand God’s nature.
Chap 8: Sons by Love
Webb offers critique concerning the idea of the ‘ethical gospel,’ the idea that we are sons by love in the radical sense that God is somehow of his nature not complete if not for the existence of his creation. Both the platonic and ethical theories severely compromise God’s aseity.
Chap 9: Sons by Atonement (1)
Webb launches into a discussion of vicarious atonement and that as fallen sons we are objects of God’s wrath and righteous indignation, but through Christ’s atonement God the Father is propitiated, thus making us objects of the Father’s affection. Webb critiques didactic theories of the atonement and concludes that they are not explanatorily sufficient in light of the doctrine of total depravity.
Chap 10: Sons by Atonement (2)
Webb discusses how we are restored to citizenship and sonship in light of calvary; our filial relationship is restored. No longer are we children of wrath but are now children of the living God. Webb remarks that “[c]hildship of God is thus distinctly referred to Christ as the procuring cause of the relation and all its privileges and prerogatives” (175).
Chap 11: Sons by Regeneration
Chapters 9 and 10 pertain to the communicative mission of the Son, whereas Webb’s final chapter deals with the communicative mission of the Holy Spirit. Namely, that we are regenerated and given the “Spirit of adoption” (Romans 8:15). In Webb’s words, “[t]hat which is imparted is a filial heart, a filial disposition, or a filial principle — the spirit and temper of a child, which spirit and temper are cordially like the spirit and temper of the divine Father” (187).
Highly recommend. In many ways, this book reads like the works of those from Old Princeton, scholarly and of theological rigor. I do not believe, however, that this is the book to read if one desires a work that is more organized towards a devotional focus. For that purpose, I simply would commend Packer’s book ‘Knowing God.’
November 12, 2016
An excellent treatment of the doctrine. He begins by discussing the importance of the doctrine, which is strangely neglected both in a number of Reformed systematic theologies and in most of the Reformed confessions. He provides an insightful discussion of the relationship between adoption and the atonement. He also provides a helpful critique of false views of adoption. Though the book is seventy years old, this part of the discussion is still relevant. Given some of the evangelical views current about man's relationship to God, a dose of this book might be helpful. Strongly recommended.
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