Sometimes one and sometimes another of these ideas is the most prominent. In the present case it is the second and third. God having predestinated his people to the high dignity and glory of sons of God, elected them to holiness, without which that dignity could neither be possessed nor enjoyed. It is through Jesus Christ, that we are made the sons of God. As many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the sons of God. John 1,12. For we are all the children of God by faith of Jesus Christ. Gal. 3, 26. Christ has purchased this dignity for his people. He died for them on condition that they should be the sons of God, restored to their Father’s family and reinstated in all the privileges of this divine relation- ship. The words εἰς αὑτόν, to himself, in the clause,
‘ Predestinated us to sonship by Jesus Christ to him- | self,” are somewhat difficult. The text, in the first place, is uncertain. Some editors read εἰς αὑτόν, unto himself, and others εἰς αὐτόν, unto him. In either case, however, the reference is to God.. They admit of three explanations. 1.They may limit or explain the word sonship. ‘Sonship unto himself,’ i. 6. sons in relation to God. 2. They may express the design of this adoption. ‘Sonship for himself, i. e. for his bene- fit or glory. This assumes that εἰς is here equivalent to the dative. 3. They may be connected immediately with the words Jesus Christ. ‘Through Jesus Christ to himself,’ i. e. to be brought to him by Jesus Christ. The first is generally preferred, because it