12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

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12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

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You Are of Your Father the Devil

39 They answered him, (A)“Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, (B)“If you were Abraham's children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, 40 but now (C)you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth (D)that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did.

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39 “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”(A) said Jesus, “then you would[a] do what Abraham did. 40 As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,(B) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.(C) Abraham did not do such things.

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Footnotes

  1. John 8:39 Some early manuscripts “If you are Abraham’s children,” said Jesus, “then

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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21 For (A)to this you have been called, (B)because Christ also suffered for you, (C)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

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21 To this(A) you were called,(B) because Christ suffered for you,(C) leaving you an example,(D) that you should follow in his steps.

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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,

(H)“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
    break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
    than those of the one who has a husband.”

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:25 Some manuscripts For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia
  2. Galatians 4:28 Some manuscripts we

22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman(A) and the other by the free woman.(B) 23 His son by the slave woman was born according to the flesh,(C) but his son by the free woman was born as the result of a divine promise.(D)

24 These things are being taken figuratively: The women represent two covenants. One covenant is from Mount Sinai and bears children who are to be slaves: This is Hagar. 25 Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. 26 But the Jerusalem that is above(E) is free, and she is our mother. 27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”[a](F)

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.(G) 29 At that time the son born according to the flesh(H) persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit.(I) It is the same now. 30 But what does Scripture say? “Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman’s son.”[b](J) 31 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman,(K) but of the free woman.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1
  2. Galatians 4:30 Gen. 21:10

18 (A)I urged Titus to go, and sent (B)the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

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18 I urged(A) Titus(B) to go to you and I sent our brother(C) with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

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But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham (A)because they are his offspring, but (B)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

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God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(A) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(B) 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.”[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 9:7 Gen. 21:12

23 and in (A)Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and (B)saw Abraham far off and Lazarus (C)at his side. 24 And he called out, (D)‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and (E)cool my tongue, for (F)I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that (G)you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have (H)Moses and the Prophets; (I)let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, (J)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear (K)Moses and the Prophets, (L)neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”

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23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham,(A) have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’(B)

25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things,(C) but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.(D) 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’

27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them,(E) so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’

29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses(F) and the Prophets;(G) let them listen to them.’

30 “‘No, father Abraham,’(H) he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’

31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

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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.

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And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’(A) I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

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11 he (A)puts my feet in the stocks
    and (B)watches all my paths.’

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11 He fastens my feet in shackles;(A)
    he keeps close watch on all my paths.’(B)

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