position than the son by birth; yet it is so.

*

*

*

*

*

`The expression in (Galatians 3) verse 15, "when it hath been confirmed",

must also be observed.  Every Will had to be passed through the Record

Office of the city.  It was not regarded in the Greek law as a purely

private document ... It must be deposited ... in the Record Office'.

Here it will be seen that one may be `adopted', or made the heir, without

being at the same time a true child, but in the case of the Scriptural usage of

adoption there is no idea that the believer is only an `adopted' child, for the

testimony of the Word is explicit on the point, making it clear that adoption is

something added:

`The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the

children of God' (Rom. 8:16).

The argument of Galatians 4:1-7 proceeds upon the supposition that there

is a difference between a `child' (1,2), and one who has received the `adoption'

(5).  `If a son, then an heir of God through Christ' (7).  That `adoption' is

related to `inheritance' we can see by examining Ephesians 1.  There we find the

word `predestinate' used twice, once in verse 5, where it is `unto adoption',

and again in verse 11, where it refers to `inheritance'.

Let us now observe the way in which this important word is used in

connection with three different companies of the redeemed.

In the ninth chapter of Romans the apostle

enumerates the distinctive and

exclusive privileges of Israel `according to the

flesh: who are Israelites; to

whom pertaineth the adoption' (Rom. 9:3,4).  The

structure of the passage

relates `adoption' with `promises' and the whole

is important enough to claim

our attention before passing on.  Accordingly we

set out the structure:

A

According to flesh, brethren.

B

Who are Israelites.

C

To whom pertaineth the Adoption.

D

And the glory.

E

And the covenants.

E

And the giving of the law.

D

And the service of God.

C

And the Promises.

B

Whose are the fathers.

A

As concerning the flesh, Christ came.

When Israel were about to be brought out of Egypt, God called the nation

His `firstborn' saying, `Israel is My son, even My firstborn' (Exod. 4:22).

Attached to this position is a citizenship, the city being Jerusalem, which is

destined to be the centre of the earth when the Kingdom is set up.  This we

already know and we need now do no more than quote the references (Isa. 2:3;

Zech. 14:16,17).  One item, however, must now be given due prominence.  It is

obvious that if one nation is to be granted pre-eminence, the others must be

subservient, and one of the accompaniments of the privilege of adoption, which