⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ^(A)‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from ^(B)these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

⁸ Bear fruits ^(A)in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ^(B)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from ^(C)these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

²⁷ For as many of you as ^(A)were baptized ^(B)into Christ have ^(C)put on Christ. ^28 (D)There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave^[a] nor free, ^(E)there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And ^(F)if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, ^(G)heirs according to promise.

⁷ and not all are children of Abraham ^(A)because they are his offspring, but ^(B)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ⁸ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but ^(C)the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

²⁶ “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you ^(A)who fear God, to us has been sent ^(B)the message of ^(C)this salvation.

³³ They answered him, ^(A)“We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Abraham Justified by Faith

4 What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, ^(A)our forefather according to the flesh?

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, ^(A)one by a slave woman and ^(B)one by a free woman. ²³ But ^(C)the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while ^(D)the son of the free woman was born through promise. ²⁴ Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two ^(E)covenants. ^(F)One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. ²⁵ Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;^[a] she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But ^(G)the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. ²⁷ For it is written,

²⁸ Now you,^[b] brothers, ^(I)like Isaac, ^(J)are children of promise. ²⁹ But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh ^(K)persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, ^(L)so also it is now. ³⁰ But what does the Scripture say? ^(M)“Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” ³¹ So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but ^(N)of the free woman.

^53 (A)Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?”