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(5). Of the Lord's people as His allotted portion or heritage (1 Pet.
5:3).
The English word `clergy' is derived from this word kleros. In its earliest
use it indicated the distinction conferred by learning, `Aristotle, for all his
clergy'; `they put their sons to learn some clergy'; and so klerikos became
`clerk', which was (1) a scholar, and (2) an ecclesiastic. But this is by the
way. From kleros we get the compounds kleronomeo `to inherit', kleronomia
`inheritance', kleronomos `heir', and kleroomai, a word that occurs but once
(Eph. 1:11) and translated `to obtain an inheritance' in the A.V., `to be made
a heritage' according to the R.V. In addition to these we have several
compounds made up with other words, such as
kataklerodoteo, the intensive form `to divide ... by lot' (Acts 13:19);
sugkleronomos, this word occurs four times, as follows:
Rom. 8:17
Joint heirs with Christ.
Eph. 3:6
That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs.
Heb. 11:9
The heirs with him of the same promise.
1 Pet. 3:7
Heirs together of the grace of life.
Two of these references, namely Hebrews 11:9 and 1 Peter 3:7, are
straightforward and need no comment here, the other two are of dispensational
importance and call for a fuller investigation.
Romans 8:17, `Joint heirs with Christ.' We must not run the two
statements together thus, `If children then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs
with Christ'. This, though taken from one verse in Romans 8, belongs to two
separate sections, which can be exhibited thus:
Romans 8:15 17
The Spirit's Witness
A
Sons
a
Ye have received.
b
The sonship spirit.
a
We cry.
b
Abba, Father.
B
Spirit itself bears witness.
A
Heirs
a
We are the children of God.
b
And if children.
b
Then heirs.
a
Heirs of God.
Here we have the witness of the Spirit to every child of God.
If
children then heirs, heirs of God.
The remainder of verse 17 belongs to a new section, thus:
Romans 8:17 21
Suffering and Glory
A
8:17. Suffering and Glory
a Joint heirs (sun).
b Suffer together (sun).