Jesus said to them, "I tell you the solemn truth, before Abraham came into existence, I am!"

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him.

You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, 'And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.'

So he replied, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet had no child.

Then God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

and their bones were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

"But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, the people increased greatly in number in Egypt,

I am the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely.

Brothers, descendants of Abraham's family, and those Gentiles among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.

What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?

For if Abraham was declared righteous by the works of the law, he has something to boast about -- but not before God.

For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, "faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants -- not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, "so will your descendants be."

So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham's sake,

nor are all the children Abraham's true descendants; rather "through Isaac will your descendants be counted."

So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.

Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,

so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.

And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, "All the nations will be blessed in you."

So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant. Scripture does not say, "and to the descendants," referring to many, but "and to your descendant," referring to one, who is Christ.

For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to the promise.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

For surely his concern is not for angels, but he is concerned for Abraham's descendants.

Now when God made his promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself,

And so by persevering, Abraham inherited the promise.

Now this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, met Abraham as he was returning from defeating the kings and blessed him.

To him also Abraham apportioned a tithe of everything. His name first means king of righteousness, then king of Salem, that is, king of peace.

But see how great he must be, if Abraham the patriarch gave him a tithe of his plunder.

And those of the sons of Levi who receive the priestly office have authorization according to the law to collect a tithe from the people, that is, from their fellow countrymen, although they too are descendants of Abraham.

But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise.

And it could be said that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid a tithe through Abraham.

For he was still in his ancestor Abraham's loins when Melchizedek met him.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going.

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness," and he was called God's friend.

like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so.