Adopted children are legitimate

For years I was bothered by these verses in the Bible:

Deuteronomy 23:2- A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD

Hebrews 12:8 – But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Since the last verse is in Hebrews, they cannot be brushed aside as Old Testament and Old Covenant.

Is an adopted child forever doomed?

But a few days ago, I read these verses and a few days later, realized like an electric current an insight I am thankful to God for:

Luke chapter 2

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him.

41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover...

43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home...

48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

Now Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus; God was the 'biological' father.

Joseph was the adoptive father.

This is clear because when Mary was pregnant, Joseph wanted to quietly "put her aside" without shaming her, thinking she had sex outside marriage and was not carrying his child. But the angel came to Joseph and told him that the baby was conceived through the Holy Spirit.


So Joseph was the adoptive father.

Yet the Bible refers to Joseph as Jesus' father, and Mary as his mother.

They are both referred to as Jesus' parents.

In other words, the adoptive father and mother of Jesus were his "real" parents.

Of course there is the familiar verse where all children of God are his adopted children.

Romans 8:15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.* Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”