Adopted Into Grace: Roman Law, the Gospel, and the Fatherhood of God
Adoption is not just an aspect of the Gospel. It is the Gospel.
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by Rod D. Martin
March 30, 2025
When Paul describes our salvation, he invokes the law — specifically, the Roman law concerning adoption. He does so deliberately, decisively, and repeatedly. His hearers understood what he was saying: they lived under that law. There can be no question regarding his intent.
And that has enormous implications for the Gospel, and our status before God.
In Roman law, adoption was no soft sentiment. It was a public legal act that completely redefined who a person was: his rights, his duties, even his debts. Paul wasn’t waxing poetic when he said we’ve received “the Spirit of adoption”.1 He was invoking the most powerful legal metaphor available in the Greco-Roman world, a metaphor — and a reality — that explained not just what God has done, but who we become as a result.
He was also explainin…