Rom 8:15 | NETfull | STEP | For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, ^{▼▼ Grk “slavery again to fear.”} but you received the Spirit of adoption, ^{▼▼ The Greek term υἱοθεσία (huioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).”} by whom ^{▼▼ Or “in that.”} we cry, “Abba, Father.”