ownership
Definition
Ownership is the central legal concept through which Stephen Jones grounds God’s sovereignty in Free Will Versus Ownership. Everything God created belongs to Him by right of creation. Man was formed from the dust of the ground (Gen. 2:7) — dust that God created and over which He retains ownership. Therefore man does not own himself; God owns man.
Jones argues that the traditional “free will” debate asks the wrong question. The real question is not whether man has free will, but whether God has free will as Owner. This has direct legal consequences for God’s liability (see liability):
“God dug the ‘pit’ in Eden by planting the tree of knowledge. He did not cover it. Therefore when Adam fell, God was liable as the owner of the pit, regardless of Adam’s ‘free will’ in falling.” [Jones, Free Will Versus Ownership, ch. 2; Ex. 21:33-34]
Lev. 25:23 states: “The land shall not be sold forever, for the land is Mine.” God claims eminent domain over all land. Man has authority over his “land” (his body, his possessions), but God retains sovereignty:
“You are strangers and sojourners with Me. I am the Owner; you have only limited authority.” [Jones, Free Will Versus Ownership, ch. 2; Lev. 25:23]
Uses per Author
Stephen Jones
Jones develops ownership through Torah liability laws. Ex. 21:33-34 teaches that the owner of a pit is liable when an ox falls in, regardless of whether the ox fell “by its own free will.” Ownership itself creates liability:
“The legal principle is: whoever owns the pit is liable. The question is not whether the ox fell by its own will. The question is: who owns the pit?” [Jones, Free Will Versus Ownership, ch. 2]
Application to Eden: God planted the tree, God did not fence it. By His own liability laws, He is responsible. Therefore He sent His Son to pay the redemption price for the whole world (1 John 2:2):
“He bought the dead ox. The ox is now His. Do you realize what this means? He bought all who fell, and they are now His.” [Jones, Free Will Versus Ownership, ch. 2; Rom. 5:18]
E.W. Bullinger
Bullinger grounds everything in God’s primacy as First Cause: “The great First Cause is independent of all. All need Him, and He needs the help of none” (Number in Scripture, Part II: ONE). This encompasses God’s ownership over all creation.
Watchman Nee / Witness Lee
Nee/Lee see ownership in the framework of the marriage between Christ and the church. The believer is not his own master; he was bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20) and belongs to Christ.