Reference: Promise
American
Used by Paul to denote the spiritual gifts of God, chiefly the Messiah, the Holy Spirit, and the fullness of gospel blessings, of which an assurance was given to Abraham and other saints in behalf of themselves, and of believers who should come after them, Ro 4:13-14; Ga 3:14-29. The "children of the promise" are either Isaac's posterity, as distinguished from Ishmael's; Jews converted to Christianity; or all true believers, who by faith lay hold on the promise of salvation in Christ. In Heb 11:39, "promise" means the thing promised, Ac 1:4. The "exceeding great and precious promises" of God include all good things for this life and the future; which are infallibly secured to his people in Christ, 2Co 1:20; 1Ti 4:8; 2Pe 1:4. On the ground of the infinite merits of their Redeemer, infinite love, unbounded wisdom, and almighty power are pledged for their benefit; and having given them his only son, God will with him freely give them every inferior blessing he sees to be desirable for them, Ro 8:32.
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being with them when they were assembled, he order'd they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the father had promis'd, which, said he, I mention'd.
Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith. for if they only who are of the law have right of possession, faith is made useless, and the promise becomes of no effect.
he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not with him likewise freely give us all things?
for all the promises of God do center in him, and are verifyed by him to the glory of God by our preaching.
that the blessing promised to Abraham might come on the Gentiles thro' Jesus Christ; that we by believing might receive the spirit that was promised. Brethren, I speak according to the practice of men; contracts between men, when once ratified, cannot be disannulled or altered afterwards by any man. read more. now to Abraham and his offspring were the promises made. he does not say, "to offsprings," as if he spoke of many; but as speaking of one, "and to thy offspring," which means Christ. this therefore I say, that the law, which was not till four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul the promise, that was ratified before by God, so as to set the promise afoot. now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise. "To what purpose then was the law?" it was added as a check to transgressors, till the offspring should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels with the intervention of a mediator. now a mediator supposes two parties, of which God is but one. Is the law then opposite to the promises? by no means. for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, certainly justification should have been by the law. but the scripture has declar'd all guilty of sin, that the blessing promised on condition of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. but before faith came, we were shut up together as prisoners under the custody of the law, 'till faith was to be revealed. so that the law was our school-master to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. but now faith being come, we are no longer under a pedagogue. for you are all the sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. for as many of you as have been baptized into christianity, have been invested as christians. there is now no distinction of Jew or Greek, of bond or free, of male or female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. and if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's offspring, and his heirs by virtue of the promise.
Tho' these were all celebrated for their faith, they did not receive the reward that was promised:
Hastings
Although the OT is the record of God's promises to lowly saints and to anointed kings, to patriarchs and to prophets, to the nation of His choice and to the world at large, the word itself is rarely used in the English Version, and less frequently in the RV than in the AV. The Heb. noun d
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they were glad to hear him, and promis'd to give him money. upon which he contriv'd the most favourable occasion to betray him.
and I am going to send you what my father has promis'd you. but continue in the city of Jerusalem, until you shall be endued with power from on high.
being with them when they were assembled, he order'd they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for what the father had promis'd, which, said he, I mention'd.
therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the father the promise of the holy spirit, he has diffused that spirit, the effects of which ye now see and hear.
for the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
for the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of land: yet he promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, tho' he had then no child.
now while the time was approaching to accomplish what God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew numerous in Egypt,
although they could not convict him of any thing capital, yet they demanded of Pilate, that he should be put to death.
to you therefore we declare, that the promise which God had made to the fathers, he has now perform'd to us, who are their children, by his having raised up Jesus again.
but don't believe them: for above forty of them lie in ambush, having bound themselves by oath not to eat or drink till they have kill'd him: they are already prepar'd, and only wait your answer.
and now I stand arraign'd for expecting the accomplishment of the divine promise made to our fathers,
that is, the children by natural descent are not thereby the children of God: but the children of the promise are alone considered as his posterity.
for all the promises of God do center in him, and are verifyed by him to the glory of God by our preaching.
since then, we have these promises, my dear brethren, let us cleanse our selves from all impurity, whether of body or mind, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
that the blessing promised to Abraham might come on the Gentiles thro' Jesus Christ; that we by believing might receive the spirit that was promised.
and if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's offspring, and his heirs by virtue of the promise.
Now we, my brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.
by whom you also have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: and having believed in him, ye were mark'd with the seal of the holy spirit, which was promised:
"that the Gentiles should be heirs as well as the Jews, make one body together, and partake of the divine promise in Christ by the gospel."
Let us therefore fear, lest any of us by rejecting the promise of entring into his rest, should be excluded from it.
but imitate the example of those who by faith and patience have obtain'd the inheritance that was promis'd to them.
and after he had patiently waited, he obtained what was promised.
wherefore God was willing to give the heirs of promise a stronger proof of the immutability of his counsel, by the intervention of an oath:
besides here they that receive tithes are men who die: but there 'twas he of whom it is testified that he liveth.
and for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that, the transgressions that were unexpiated by the first testament, being expiated by his death, they who are called might receive the eternal inheritance, which was promised.
'twas by faith that he sojourned in a land that was promised, as in a strange country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were equally entitled to the same promise.
of whom it was said, "only the descendants of Isaac shall be counted your posterity:"
Tho' these were all celebrated for their faith, they did not receive the reward that was promised:
happy is he that can stand the tryal: for when he has undergone the test, he shall receive that crown of life which the Lord has promised to those that love him.
by which we have receiv'd the most inestimable promises, that thereby you might become partakers of the divine perfections, after having escap'd from the corruption of a sensual world.
"where is the promise of his coming? for since our fathers are dead, the state of things is the same it has ever been since the beginning of the world."
and this is the reward that he hath promised us, even eternal life.
Watsons
PROMISE, an assurance given by God, in his word, of bestowing blessings upon his people, 2Pe 1:4. The word in the New Testament is usually taken for the promises that God heretofore made to Abraham, and the other patriarchs, of sending the Messiah, and conferring his Holy Spirit and eternal life on those that should believe on him. It is in this sense that the Apostle Paul commonly uses the word promise, Ro 4:13-14; Ga 3:14,17-18,21-22,29. The promises of the new covenant are called better than those of the old, Heb 8:6. because they are more spiritual, clear, comprehensive, and universal than those of the Mosaic covenant. The time of the promise, Ac 7:17, is the time of fulfilling the promise. The "children of the promise" are,
1. The Israelites descended from Isaac, in opposition to the Ishmaelites descended from Ishmael and Hagar.
2. The Jews converted to Christianity, in opposition to the obstinate Jews, who would not believe in Christ.
3. All true believers, who are born again by the supernatural power of God, and who by faith lay hold on the promise of salvation in Jesus Christ.
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now while the time was approaching to accomplish what God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew numerous in Egypt,
Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith. for if they only who are of the law have right of possession, faith is made useless, and the promise becomes of no effect.
that the blessing promised to Abraham might come on the Gentiles thro' Jesus Christ; that we by believing might receive the spirit that was promised.
this therefore I say, that the law, which was not till four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul the promise, that was ratified before by God, so as to set the promise afoot. now if the right to the inheritance be from the law, it is no longer founded upon the promise; altho' God made a donation of it to Abraham by promise.
Is the law then opposite to the promises? by no means. for if there had been a law given, which could have given life, certainly justification should have been by the law. but the scripture has declar'd all guilty of sin, that the blessing promised on condition of faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
and if you belong to Christ, you are Abraham's offspring, and his heirs by virtue of the promise.
Our high priest then has obtained a priesthood so much the more excellent, as he is the mediator of a better alliance, established upon better promises.
by which we have receiv'd the most inestimable promises, that thereby you might become partakers of the divine perfections, after having escap'd from the corruption of a sensual world.