THE DOCTRINE OF SONSHIP

INTRODUCTION

Scripture Alone

There is a profound saying that came out of the Reformation, originally written in Latin, which says ‘Scripture alone’. This saying expanded says ‘Scripture is our only authority for faith and practice’. Therefore whatever we are teaching must be clearly in the context of the Scriptures as written. 2Tim.3:16 testifies to the Divine inspiration of all Scripture and tells us that the Scripture is “profitable for teaching/doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.” If we teach and preach according to the Scripture then we are able to be judged by those who hear us because they have access to the Scriptures; but if we share authoritatively out of dreams, visions, prophetic words and our own developed conceptual understanding then not everyone is able to judge the veracity and faithfulness of our teaching. Even if we have a strong anointing that is able to be imparted, that does not prove or confirm that our word is Scripturally sound.

Derek Prince admitted that the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement was wrong

In the 1970’s five prominent leaders who were received as international conference speakers established the Discipleship/Shepherding Movement. [Derek Prince, Bob Mumford, Ern Baxter, Charles Simpson and Don Basham] By the mid to late ‘70s this movement had split the burgeoning Charismatic Movement down the middle with prominent leaders such Kathryn Kuhlman refusing to minister on the same platform, and Pat Robertson refusing to have any of these brothers on his television programs, even though he had entertained them previously. At the time all of the brothers were convinced that they had God-given revelation to begin this movement, but Derek Prince at least has acknowledged in his biography that the direction of the movement was wrong, ‘It was sin for all of us. We messed it up, but the beginning was right and of the Lord.’ When asked about the pain the movement caused, Derek answered, ‘It is one of the saddest notes of my life.’ The apostolic restoration with emphasis on father/son relationships has been accused of ‘going down the same track’ as the Discipleship Movement. Initially I did not understand this accusation. I am a survivor of the Discipleship Movement and yes over the last two years I have personally witnessed extremes of teaching that are clearly unscriptural and wrong practices being outworked in the ‘father/son’ relationship.

THE REALITY OF SONSHIP

The Message of Sonship in Contention

As I preach and teach a strong message of sonship, I also have been accused of error but no one yet has shown me any error in terms of understanding and applying the Scriptures that teach on sonship. I am first to acknowledge that the apostolic doctrine and the reality of sonship is an unfolding revelation. It is ‘the making known’ of the mystery. There is still more to be revealed and it will be revealed as we come closer and closer to the coming of the Lord. The most pressing concern I carry currently is the unwillingness of other apostles to sit down and talk through doctrine and practice. Unfortunately some are choosing to repeat rumours they have heard even though everything that I teach is written and freely available for others to judge. Some time ago, two pastoral leaders had expressed some disagreement with my teaching and I invited them to come and we sat together for a number of hours with our Bibles open and discussed the Scriptures. While we did not resolve our differences of understanding, it was a sound way to communicate. It is essential for there to be on going dialogue between leaders so that in time, the Spirit can bring us into the unity of the faith.

Jesus prayed for the Apostles

The prayer of Jesus in Jn.17 is used by many as the mandate for ‘pastors unity movements’ in cities, and yet in verses 4-18, Jesus is clearly speaking about the raising and training of the apostles to the place where He had “finished the work” and was now ready to send the ones He trained as apostles “into the world”. Then the verses following which speak of the oneness of all believers make ultimate sense: it is as apostles go forth, having been trained and raised by the Lord, making disciples and thereby raising the church, that there will be the oneness that our Lord prayed for. Therefore it is incumbent upon apostles to come together in apostolic council whether it is an informal gathering such as Paul had with the leading apostles in Jerusalem that he reports on in Gal.2:1-10, or the large council of Acts 15 that included all the apostles and elders to consider a widespread problem in the churches.

Many Sons to Glory

In our day the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ [Yeshua Messiah] is doing an awesome work. Heb.2:10 tells us that “it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the author of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” Jesus the Messiah, is already perfected: “having been perfected …” Heb.5:9. Now God is bringing to fulfilment His great goal: “many sons to glory.”

The Age of Inheritance

When is God “bringing many sons to glory”? Is it when Jesus returns and we receive the finality of our inheritance, “the redemption of our body”? Rom.8:23b No! The redemption of the body is the final fulfilment of the inheritance promised to sons. Sonship, in simple terms, is referring to a walk in maturity. Our walk begins at the new birth (Jn.1:12-13 & 3:3-6) but we begin the walk as babes, becoming children, then growing into adolescence leading to young adulthood. But the expected goal is to reach the age of maturity, the age of being placed [adopted] into sonship. There is an age of inheritance when “that which is stored up for me” Lu.15:12, that which is “reserved in heaven ready to be revealed in the last time” 1Pet.1:4-5, is given to us; is revealed in us! It is an unfolding revelation; it is a walk unto perfection! Unto glory!

The First Works of the Spirit

We are heirs from the time of the new birth but the “heir as long as he is a child, does not differ at all from a slave, though he is master of all, but is under guardians and stewards, until the time appointed by the father.”Gal.4:1-2 We have been redeemed from under the law by God’s Son, that we might receive the adoption as sons (v.5). Because we are heirs of God (v.7), we are predestined to adoption. When we first receive God’s Spirit we are born again and according to the testimony of Scripture, we can receive the infilling of the Spirit immediately, as in Acts 8:14-17 and Acts 19:6. The infilling of the Spirit is the gift Peter promised to those who received the word gladly and were baptised Acts 2:38 & 41, and the same gift that the circumcised believers with Peter recognised in Acts 10:45. But neither the new birth [an operation of the Spirit] nor the receiving of the gift of the Spirit to be filled [another operation of the Spirit] equal the adoption as sons.

Adoption into Sonship does not equal a Father/Son Relationship

The adoption as sons is a further work [or third operation] and manifestation of the Spirit in the life of the believers. It is the adoption by the Spirit that brings the believer into the inheritance, into the walk in maturity, the goal being “walking unto and into the glory of God”, which is “Christ in us”, fully manifest (Col.1:27 & Jn.14:21-23). In real spiritual terms coming into sonship is not coming into relationship with an apostolic father nor is it conditional upon a specific relationship with an apostle, even though it is generally apostles who are ministering the message and impartation of sonship. However even as anyone who is born again is able to minister to others bringing them into the born again experience, and even as anyone who is Spirit-filled is able to bring another believer into the Spirit-filled experience, so it is that a believer who has experienced the adoption into sonship is able to minister sonship to others.

Apostles are Fathers

In recent years God has restored apostles, and apostles are fathers to the body of Christ, but in the restoration, the apostles are often fathers specifically to ministry leaders and elders [elders according to Scripture are the pastoral leaders of local churches]. However one of the errors promulgated and practised by some apostles is that the apostolic father sets himself up in an exalted position, requiring all others to come into a sonship relationship with him. The teaching on sonship that such apostles are giving is that sonship is something entered into by finding an apostolic father and that the revelation of sonship is tied up with and restricted to having a father/son relationship with that apostle. There is no Scriptural foundation for such teaching. Yes, clearly Paul calls Timothy his “beloved and faithful son in the Lord” 1Cor.4:17, and Paul calls Titus “a true son” Titus 1:4, and Paul says of Onesimus “my son whom I have begotten in my chains” Philemon 10. As well Paul reveals that he is a father to the Corinthian church having “begotten” them through the Gospel (1 Cor.4:15) and he calls the Galatians “my little children” (Gal.4:19). However in all of his Epistles he does not use such relationship-based language when teaching the doctrine of sonship by adoption, which is for all believers, whether they are Paul’s sons or not.

We are Called to Walk in Maturity

None of the apostles that Christ has raised in these last days is yet perfect and none has the full revelation of God’s eternal purpose, otherwise called the mystery or the hidden wisdom. Even Paul made such a disclaimer in Phil.3:12. At the same time Paul is calling the church to walk in maturity, to receive “the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.” 1 Cor.2:7.  It is the “mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ” Eph.3:9. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:15-16 that there is a “mind” that the mature should have; [in modern understanding this ‘mind’ is a paradigm or a positive mindset based on revelation]. If we will accept this walk in maturity and commit ourselves to “walk by the same rule” and “be of the same mind” then Paul says that “if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.” This is a promise: God will do this for us; He will enable us to walk together in a mature mind.

It is a Walk in Grace

One of the awesome aspects and key components of the inheritance is the supply of grace to us in Christ Jesus. Paul says this grace was made available to us before time began (2Tim.1:9) and again he says in Rom.1:5 that “through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.” It is the grace of God given to us freely in Christ Jesus that enables us to walk in maturity. This grace is ministered through apostles that Christ has raised in the last days to bring the church to maturity, even perfection, “to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” Eph.4:13b. In Ephesians 1:5-6 Paul says that the predestined adoption as sons is “to the praise of the glory of His grace”. It is only by the grace of God that we can walk in maturity. Our adoption [placement] as sons is a work of the Spirit that brings us into an unlimited enabling grace.

A Profound Spiritual Blessing

One of the “spiritual blessings” that “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us with” is “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Eph.1:3&5. God has chosen us “in Christ before the foundation of the world” v.4 for this purpose.  Brethren, we are predestined to the adoption as sons by Jesus Christ unto Himself. This is the entry to, the beginning of, the walk to perfection, unto glory. This is the placement by the Spirit to receive the promised inheritance. This passage in Ephesians makes it abundantly clear that God in Jesus Christ is receiving us as sons. It is by adoption but the normal understanding of the word adoption is not the Biblical meaning of the word. The Biblical word means ‘the placement of a son’. Again it is God who receives us as sons. This is confirmed in Rom.8:15 which says we “received the Spirit of adoption”; the NIV actually says “the Spirit of sonship”. God’s goal is for the Father to have many sons and He has made that possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Entering into sonship is a work of grace by the Spirit. We cannot labour to enter sonship, even as we cannot labour to receive our initial salvation (Eph.2:8). Everything we receive from God is by grace through faith; it is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God. It is not of works, lest we should boast, but some are boasting, claiming superior revelation, claiming some unique grace and calling because of dreams and visions and words from intercessors. Even some of the apostles are relying on words from intercessors to set serious direction and goals. This should not be so. The fruit of such practice is an aura of superiority and therefore divisiveness in the body that brings division with other apostles, thereby halting the coming into oneness that Jesus expects in the body. This coming into oneness is only achieved when the apostles are of one mind, following the same rule and becoming a pattern for the saints to follow.

Conclusion

In this document I have attempted to raise issues and problems that are arising in the apostolic movement here in Australia at the present time. As well I have attempted to clarify the teaching that I give on sonship, based on the understanding that I have of Scriptures, so that you the reader can judge and enter into dialogue with me and others concerning this vital subject. May the LORD Jesus enable us by His grace to come into the oneness that He intends and has ordained.

Paul Galligan.

28/07/06