Blessing and a Plea

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

²⁹ And ^(A)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s ^(B)seed, and ^(C)heirs according to the promise.

³ For we are ^(A)the circumcision, ^(B)who worship ^[a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

Israel’s Rejection and God’s Purpose^(A)

^6 (B)But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For ^(C)they are not all Israel who are of Israel, ^7 (D)nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, ^(E)“In Isaac your seed shall be called.” ⁸ That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but ^(F)the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

⁷ Therefore know that only ^(A)those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. ⁸ And ^(B)the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ^(C)“In you all the nations shall be blessed.” ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[a]are disobedient,

⁸ and

^(D)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(E)to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(F)darkness into His marvelous light;

¹² and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father ^(A)Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Restoration of Israel

²⁸ For ^(A)he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; ²⁹ but he is a Jew ^(B)who is one inwardly; and ^(C)circumcision is that of the heart, ^(D)in the Spirit, not in the letter; ^(E)whose ^[a]praise is not from men but from God.