DISPENSATIONAL TRUTH

Children v. Sons

Several Greek words are translated �children� in the A.V. New Testament.

Brephos, a new-born babe, Acts 7:19.
Nepios, an infant not having the power of speech (Gal. 4:3; Eph. 4:14).
Paidion a little or young lad (Matt. 14:21).
Paidarion a very little lad (Matt. 11:16).
Pais a lad, boy, servant or maid (Matt. 2:16).
Teknon a child, one that has been born a child whether son or daughter (Matt. 2:18).
Huios, a son, a male (Matt. 5:9).

The two words with which we are here particularly concerned are teknon and huios. Unfortunately the A.V. have not been quite consistent in their rendering giving us �child� in seventy-seven occurrences and �son� in twenty-one, as translations of teknon, and translating huios �child� fifty times, �son� 120, �Son� 210 times. It is evident even from this survey, that teknon means �a child� as distinct from huios which means �a son�, but there are passages where this distinction should have been made clear where precision is dulled by the translator. For example where John 1:12 reads �gave them power to become sons of God� it should read �children�. So also that well-known passage in 1 John 3:1,2, �that we should be called the sons of God�, �now are we the sons of God� must be altered to read �children of God�. John uses the word huios twentyfour times, but never of a believer.

It is Paul whose ministry speaks of the believer as a �son� (Rom. 8:14,19), and the reader should remember when reading Galatians 3:7,26 to translate �sons� here also. John�s ministry brings the believer into the family of faith, Paul takes him further and gives him the position of a son. This distinction will be better understood if the article on ADOPTION be read. Israel as compared with the nations have the place of �sons� although the phrase �the children of Israel� has become so commonly used that we do not suggest that we should attempt to alter it, only that we should remember, that where the A.V. reads �children of Israel�, the Greek uses the word huios �son�, remembering too the inspired consequence �if a son, then an heir of God�. It should also be remembered that all �sons� must be �children�, but that all children need not necessarily be sons. Neither Peter, James nor John use the word huios of a believer, that is the exclusive testimony of the ministry entrusted to Paul.

An Alphabetical Analysis