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.

³⁹ They answered and said to Him, ^(A)“Abraham is our father.”

Jesus said to them, ^(B)“If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. ^40 (C)But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth ^(D)which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this.

²¹ For ^(A)to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for ^[a]us, ^(B)leaving ^[b]us an example, that you should follow His steps:

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:

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.

¹⁸ I urged Titus, and sent our ^(A)brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not walk in the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same steps?

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.”

²³ And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and ^(A)cool my tongue; for I ^(B)am tormented in this flame.’ ²⁵ But Abraham said, ‘Son, ^(C)remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’

²⁷ “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, ²⁸ for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham said to him, ^(D)‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ ³⁰ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ ³¹ But he said to him, ^(E)‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, ^(F)neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, ^(A)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.