¹⁶ The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed.^(A) Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,”^[a](B) meaning one person, who is Christ.

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

¹⁶ Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace^(A) and may be guaranteed^(B) to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.^(C)

³ For I could wish that I myself^(A) were cursed^(B) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,^(C) those of my own race,^{(D) 4} the people of Israel.^(E) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;^(F) theirs the divine glory,^(G) the covenants,^(H) the receiving of the law,^(I) the temple worship^(J) and the promises.^{(K) 5} Theirs are the patriarchs,^(L) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,^(M) who is God over all,^(N) forever praised!^[a](O) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

⁶ It is not as though God’s word^(P) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.^{(Q) 7} Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[b](R) 8} In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,^(S) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.^(T)