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Children of God #39
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https://content.bibletranslationtools.org/WycliffeAssociates/en_bc/src/branch/master/articles/childrenofgod.md
The words “children of God” are a metaphor. That is, the “children of God” are the people of God (see: Exodus 4:22-23; Romans 8:14; Galatians 3:26). In the same way a father cares for his children, so God loves and cares for his people. God’s people love, obey, and rely on God in the same way children love, obey, and rely on their father.
Comment from translator: These sentence structures imply definite and full actions. What is more accurate would read as such: God's people strive to love......in the same way children strive to love......
I don't disagree with what the translator is saying, but I wonder if we start adding these kinds of clarifications, where does it stop?
For example: God's love and care for his people is not an exact parallel with how fathers care for their children. Some human fathers are lousy, and even good fathers mess up. Neither of these cases apply to God as Father.
It would be more accurate if we added a statement like that but is that helpful? When does clarifying end up making a matter more complicated?
So, is adding "strive" helpful or overkill?
I don't think "strive to" is needed here. "God’s people love ... God in the same way children love ... their father." People love God and their earthly fathers imperfectly, but that's not the point of the metaphor.
I don't think every statement in the commentary has to be absolutley true and precise in every possible application of it for the commentary to be adequately truthful, accurate, and useful.
I think there is a theological issue. Many people do not think that Christians are truly the "people of God". This is reserved for Israel. Therefore, it would be better to avoid connecting children of God to the people of God.
Perhaps we can phrase it (thisis very rough), children of God are people who believe in God and are at peace with God. I don't know how we are saying all saved people. I think we can add something about God welcoming them to His family through adoption.
That's interesting. 1 Peter 2:10 (ESV) says this:
Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
If we are adopted into God's family, is this really a metaphor or simply a spiritual truth? The page for God the Father doesn't say anything about it beina a metaphor.
I think we used "metaphor" to make clear that we were not suggesting God literally had children the way humans have children. We explain this in the third paragraph, so I am fine removing the "metaphor" sentence.
Suggestion for first sentence:
The words "children of God" are used to talk about the people who believe in God and are at peace with God.
I think that is simple and avoids any potential issues.
I agree. I think that solution works nicely.
Susan, this is a difficult problem in theology and that passage in Peter is quoting from the OT and applying it to the new (which is its own complicated issue). How you take that statement in this context has widely different interpretations. There are two extremes to this issue. The first is dispenationalism which believes that Israel was and always will be the people of God. The other is supercessionism, which holds that the Church has replaced Israel as the people of God.
Made the change suggested above to the repo and the GL master.
Thanks, Drew. I don't think I had realized 1Pe 2:10 is from Hosea 1.
I also realize now that I was thinking of "people of God" as multiple individuals when it probably refers to a group--"a people" - עַם. So it wouldn't be good to confuse "children of God" with "the people of God".
I wonder we could use something other than "are at peace with God." People can think "Sure, I'm at peace with God. I'm not angry at him." But that's not the point. How about something like this?
The words “children of God” are used to talk about people whom God has forgiven and adopted into his family because they trust in him.
What about:
The words “children of God” are used to talk about people whom God has forgiven and belong to God because they trust in him.
That looks good. It just needs a "who".
The words “children of God” are used to talk about people whom God has forgiven and who belong to God because they trust in him.
I updated the repo and GL master.
Thanks.