Book of Common Prayer
God’s Promises To Abraham Were Not Cancelled By The Law Which Came Later
15 Brothers, I speak in accordance with human thinking: Though it is [a covenant] of a human, no one sets-aside or adds-conditions-to a covenant having been ratified. 16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed[a]. He[b] does not say [in Gen 13:15] “and to seeds”, as-though speaking in reference to many; but as-though speaking in reference to one, “and to your seed”— who is Christ. 17 And this I say: the Law, having come-about after four-hundred and thirty years, does not un-ratify[c] the covenant having been previously-ratified by God, so as to do-away-with[d] the promise. 18 For if the inheritance is of [e] the Law, it is no longer of the promise. But God has freely-given it to Abraham through the promise!
The Law Was Added Because of Transgressions, Until The Christ Should Come
19 Why then the Law? It was added because of the transgressions until which time the Seed should come to Whom the promise has been made, having been commanded[f] through angels by the hand of a mediator[g]. 20 Now a mediator is not [a mediator] of [only] one [party], but God is one[h].
The Law Served To Lead Us To Faith In Christ So As To Inherit The Abrahamic Promises
21 Is the Law then against the promises of God? May it never be! For if a Law being able to give-life had been given, righteousness really would have been by the Law! 22 But the Scripture confined all things under[i] sin, in order that the promise by faith[j] in Jesus Christ might be given to the ones believing.
Zechariah Prophesies That John Will Prepare The Way For The Messiah
67 And Zechariah, his father, was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying 68 “Blessed be the Lord God[a] of Israel, because He visited us and accomplished[b] redemption for His people, 69 and raised-up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant (70 just as He spoke through the mouth of His holy prophets from the past age[c]), 71 a salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all the ones hating us, 72 so as to show mercy to[d] our fathers and remember[e] His holy covenant (73 the oath which He swore to Abraham our father)— that He might grant to us that 74 having been delivered from the hand of our enemies, we might be serving[f] Him fearlessly 75 in holiness and righteousness before Him for all our days. 76 And indeed you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most-High. For you will go before the Lord so as to prepare His ways[g], 77 that you might give[h] His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins 78 because of the deep-feelings-of mercy of our God, with which[i] the rising[j] Sun from on-high will visit us 79 so as to shine-upon the ones sitting in darkness and a shadow of death, that He might direct[k] our feet into the way of peace”.
John Remains In Seclusion Until His Public Appearance To Israel
80 And the child was growing and becoming-strong in spirit. And he was in the desolate places until the day of his public-appearance[l] to Israel.
1 The book of the genealogy[a] of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham—
2 Abraham fathered[b] Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez fathered Hezron, and Hezron fathered Ram, 4 and Ram fathered Aminadab, and Aminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, 5 and Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth, and Obed fathered Jesse, 6 and Jesse fathered David the king.
And David fathered Solomon by the one of Uriah, 7 and Solomon fathered Rehoboam, and Rehoboam fathered Abijah, and Abijah fathered Asaph, 8 and Asaph fathered Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat fathered Joram, and Joram fathered Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah fathered Jotham, and Jotham fathered Ahaz, and Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah fathered Manasseh, and Manasseh fathered Amos, and Amos fathered Josiah, 11 and Josiah fathered Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the deportation of Babylon.
12 And after the deportation of Babylon, Jeconiah fathered Shealtiel, and Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel fathered Abihud, and Abihud fathered Eliakim, and Eliakim fathered Azor, 14 and Azor fathered Zadok, and Zadok fathered Achim, and Achim fathered Eliud, 15 and Eliud fathered Eleazar, and Eleazar fathered Matthan, and Matthan fathered Jacob, 16 and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary— by whom[c] Jesus was born, the One being called Christ.
17 So all[d] the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation of Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the deportation of Babylon to the Christ are fourteen generations.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing