What Is the Dangerous Heresy of Adoptionism, and Has it Crept into the Church?

The idea of adoptionism is heresy and dangerous to accept. What is adoptionism and where did it come from? Why should we know about it and is the belief still found among Christian churches today? Let’s take a look at the meaning of adoptionism and why we should be careful to avoid its dangers.

What Is Adoptionism?

At the root of adoptionism is the belief that Jesus wasn’t born as the Son of God, but rather earned the title. The Bible teaches the Holy Spirit entered Mary and conceived Jesus. Since the Holy Spirit is part of the godly Trinity, Jesus was already the Son of God before he was born. Luke 1:35 confirms this when it says: The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Adoptionism goes against the Bible story. Instead, some people with this theology believe Jesus had to prove himself after he was born to be adopted by God as his Son. They believe this occurred after Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness and resisted the devil. The story is Matthew 4 explains that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness. After fasting for 40 days and nights, he was extremely hungry. The devil ridiculed him to change the stones into bread and prove his deity, but Jesus refused.

Satan also tempted Jesus to fall off the highest point of the temple and save himself, but again he refused. A third time the devil tempted Jesus to bow down to him, promising to give him all the kingdoms of the world. In Matthew 4:10, Jesus says “Away from me, Satan!” And the devil leaves. Another part of the theory is God saw Jesus lead a sinless life up and passing the tests in the wilderness sealed the deal causing God to adopt him as his son.

Other beliefs in adoptionism include Jesus becoming the Son of God after he was baptized with the Holy Spirit. The theory claims God rewarded Jesus with supernatural powers for, again, living a life without sin. It goes on to stress that because of his earthly ministry’s success, God resurrected Jesus and he became part of the Trinity.

What Is the History of Adoptionism?

The beginnings of adoptionism can be related to monotheism (but not believing in trinitarian monotheism), believing there is only one God. This belief is held in Judaism, and early Christians used the idea of adoptionism to help them understand the divinity of both God and Jesus. The theory can be rectified by believing Jesus was born merely human and made godly when God adopted him.

Furthermore, in the eighth century, we find the theory of adoptionism held by Elipandus, Archbishop of Toledo, and Felix, Bishop of Urgel. Nestorianism was a held belief that Christ was two persons, one man and one God, instead of God and man in one. This theology began in the Eastern part of the word but made its way to the Western Church. The parts of Spain holding on to adoptionism were dominated by Islam and contained a community with Nestorianism beliefs. Adoptionism views were condemned by Pope Leo III in 798 AD.

Another form of adoptionism appears in the 12th century, Neo-Adoptionism of the philosopher and theologian Abelard. A direct link cannot be found to the eighth-century theory; however, the philosophies are similar. Because Abelard had difficulty understanding how Jesus could be both son and man, he separated the two beings. Even though Abelard renounced connection to Nestorianism or adoptionists, the similarities between the theories are clear. His beliefs were condemned by Alexander III in 1177.

What Makes Adoptionism Heretical?

The idea that Jesus was not fully God goes against the foundational message of Christianity: God sent his one and only Son to earth to die for us while we were still sinners. As mentioned above, the angel tells Mary her child will be of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, John 1:14 clearly states Jesus came from God.

John 3:16 says “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Some translations include his one and only “begotten” son. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines begotten as “brought into existence.” Another definition describes the root word begot as “to father or produce as offspring.” With the power of the Trinity, God was able to father Jesus. He was his offspring, fully God from the start.

Another part of adoptionism claims God favored Jesus because he led a sinless life. Mere humans can’t be perfect. Adam and Eve brought sin into the world, and it is all around us. Jesus was only able to lead a sinless life due to his innate godliness. Romans 3:23 states “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

3 Ways We See Adoptionism Today and How to Be Wary of It

Teaching That Goes Against Scripture

Many tough topics in the Bible are hard to understand. Faith requires Christians to believe without seeing. Adoptionism can be related to people not understanding the trinity or the dual human and godly nature of Jesus. We’re not supposed to understand everything. God has infinite wisdom, and we have human brains. While they’re still fascinating organs, they can’t comprehend the full nature of God. We can’t invent false solutions for convenience. The Bible is absolute truth. If theory goes against its word, we can’t accept the idea. Sometimes we have to simply believe rather than try to make sense of a deity we’re not meant to fully understand.

Ideas That Humans Can Be Godlike

Wanting to become deified is not a new carrot being dangled in front of people. The idea can be traced back to Genesis where we find Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan, posing as the serpent, taunted Eve by saying she would know good and evil like God if she took a bite of the forbidden fruit. Even before these events took place, Lucifer himself tried to steal God’s worship. Instead, he fell from heaven, destined to live in a pit of fire. At the core of adoptionism is the belief that God raised Jesus’s status from man to deity. Claiming supernatural powers can be seen in common practices today such as consulting psychics and reading tarot cards. Only God can know the future, and while he speaks to his children and gives some the gift of prophecy, we need to stay away from practices that go against his sovereignty.

Similarities to Heresies Still Alive Today

One type of heresy still alive today is Pelagianism. This theory stems from Pelagius during the time of Augustine. Pelagius claimed people didn’t enter the world as sinners, but as innocent beings. This can be related to the incorrect thinking that God adopted Jesus as his son because he had led a sinless life. Pelagius also taught we responded to God, instead of God responding to us first. God planned long ago to send his Son as Savior of the world. He died for us while we were still sinners. We didn’t have to come to him first. Pelagianism and Adoptionism both include an emphasis on God responding to human actions. The truth is there’s nothing we can do or say to make God love us anymore. We are already his beloved children.

Adoptionism may not be present in Christian denominations today, but the past can serve as a warning. There will be things we can never understand as humans, but we shouldn’t alter God’s truths to make sense of them. Aspects of adoptionism can be seen in popular fortunetelling practices as well as the heresy of Pelagianism. Heresy teachings go against the message and nature of God and should be condemned. God wants us to walk in his light and truth, even if we don’t always fully understand.

Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Chad Madden

Jenna Brooke Carlson is an elementary dual language teacher in the Chicago suburbs. As a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers, she enjoys spending time with other writers and perfecting her craft. Her debut novel, Falling Flat, spreads the message that healing can occur, even after tragedy. Along with writing, she’s pursuing her dreams of creating a community of brave young women, who she can encourage to live out their dreams amid challenges and imperfection. Her days are busy, but she’s determined she can conquer anything with a fuzzy blanket and a hot cup of tea. To find out more about Jenna, visit her website at jennabrookecarlson.com.