Book Notice: The Message of Sonship

Trevor J. Burke

The Message of Sonship
Bible Speaks Today; ed. Derek T. Tidball
Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2012.
Available at Amazon.com.

The image of salvation as adoption is largely a Pauline metaphor (see Burke’s earlier volume, Adopted into God’s Family: Exploring a Pauline Metaphor), but here Burke explores an analogous theme, that is, sonship. Burke explores sonship as a biblical theme set in the coordinates creation, salvation, moral obligation, and restoration. He goes so far to state the entire plot of the Bible is based around sonship. Adam was identified as the primal “son of God” (Luke 3:38) and in the penultimate chapter of the  Bible is the promise “He who overcomes will inherit … I will be his God and he will be my son” (Rev 21:7). Burke proceeds to survey the sonship theme in the Old Testament (esp. Exodus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, and HOsea) and then in the New Testament (Jesus as Son of God, Gospel of John, Adoption, Escape from Wrath, Sonship and the Second Coming, Hebrews, 1 John, Revelation). I like the way he concludes his discussion of 1 John:

Set against a context of schism, John’s pastoral strategy is to protect this community by reminding the believers of their new sense of belonging as God’s children in order to strengthen the filial bonds within. John describes salvation as being born of God, born into a new family, whose members are called to live righteously as their Father is righteous. God the Father, moreover, has lavished his love upon us and given us a new identity as the children of God with the expectation to honour him, though we are dishonoured in a world that is antagonistic to everything that is Christian. There is also the tension between being God’s children “now” and the full consumation of our sonhsip lying ahead (the “not yet). In the intervening period, holiness is to exemplify our lives, which includes reciprocating the love which our Father has lavished on us as his children as well as loving our brothers and sisters in Christ.” (pp. 222-23).

A pretty good book on an important topic. Discussion of sonship is 1 Thessalonians was another highlight.

There is also an on-line interview with Trevor Burke about his book which is worth checking out.