That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but (A)the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

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In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(A) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(B)

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13 (A)who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

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13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.(A)

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11 And (A)he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that (B)he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 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 (C)Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

The Promise Granted Through Faith

13 For the promise that he would be the (D)heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For (E)if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because (F)the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be (G)according to grace, (H)so that the promise might be [a]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, (I)who is the father of us all

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Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:16 certain

11 And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.(A) So then, he is the father(B) of all who believe(C) but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. 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.

13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise(D) that he would be heir of the world,(E) but through the righteousness that comes by faith.(F) 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,(G) 15 because the law brings wrath.(H) And where there is no law there is no transgression.(I)

16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace(J) and may be guaranteed(K) 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.(L)

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Sons and Heirs

26 For you (A)are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For (B)as many of you as were baptized into Christ (C)have put on Christ. 28 (D)There is neither Jew nor Greek, (E)there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all (F)one in Christ Jesus. 29 And (G)if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s (H)seed, and (I)heirs according to the promise.

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26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God(A) through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ(B) have clothed yourselves with Christ.(C) 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free,(D) nor is there male and female,(E) for you are all one in Christ Jesus.(F) 29 If you belong to Christ,(G) then you are Abraham’s seed,(H) and heirs(I) according to the promise.(J)

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14 For (A)as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

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14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God(A) are the children of God.(B)

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22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: (A)the one by a bondwoman, (B)the other by a freewoman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman (C)was born according to the flesh, (D)and he of the freewoman through promise, 24 which things are symbolic. For these are [a]the two covenants: the one from Mount (E)Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar— 25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the (F)Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. 27 For it is written:

(G)“Rejoice, O barren,
You who do not bear!
Break forth and shout,
You who are not in labor!
For the desolate has many more children
Than she who has a husband.”

28 Now (H)we, brethren, as Isaac was, are (I)children of promise. 29 But, as (J)he who was born according to the flesh then persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, (K)even so it is now. 30 Nevertheless what does (L)the Scripture say? (M)“Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for (N)the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.” 31 So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman but of the free.

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:24 NU, M omit the

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

The Command to Love

Behold (A)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that (B)we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, (C)because it did not know Him. Beloved, (D)now we are children of God; and (E)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, (F)we shall be like Him, for (G)we shall see Him as He is.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:1 NU adds And we are.
  2. 1 John 3:1 M you

See what great love(A) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!(B) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(C) Dear friends,(D) now we are children of God,(E) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a](F) we shall be like him,(G) for we shall see him as he is.(H)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known

The Lord will record,
When He (A)registers the peoples:
“This one was born there.” Selah

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The Lord will write in the register(A) of the peoples:
    “This one was born in Zion.”

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30 A posterity shall serve Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,

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30 Posterity(A) will serve him;
    future generations(B) will be told about the Lord.

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15 Are we not considered strangers by him? For (A)he has sold us, and also completely consumed our money.

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15 Does he not regard us as foreigners?(A) Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us.(B)

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