Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible





of the oath he swore to Abraham our father, Verse ConceptsAbraham, New Testament ReferencesGod Swearing Blessings

The promise made to Abraham and his offspring that he should inherit the world, did not reach him through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. Verse ConceptsImputed RighteousnessGod's Promise To AbrahamRighteous By FaithPromisesTrust In Relationships

Christ, I mean, became a servant to the circumcised in order to prove God's honesty by fulfilling His promises to the fathers, Verse ConceptsCertaintyPatriarchsGod's Promise To AbrahamSalvation For Israelvindication

For in making a promise to Abraham God swore by himself (since he could swear by none greater), I will indeed bless you and multiply you.

Why, it is as with Abraham, he had faith in God and that was counted to him as righteousness. Well then, you see that the real sons of Abraham are those who rely on faith. Besides, Scripture anticipated God's justification of the Gentiles by faith when it announced the gospel beforehand to Abraham in these terms: All nations shall be blessed in thee. read more.
So that those who rely on faith are blessed along with believing Abraham. Whereas a curse rests on all who rely upon obedience to the Law; for it is written, Cursed is everyone who does not hold by all that is written in the book of the law, to perform it. And because no one is justified on the score of the Law before God (plainly, the just shall live by faith, ??12 and the Law is not based on faith: no, he who performs these things shall live by them), Christ ransomed us from the curse of the Law by becoming accursed for us (for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a gibbet), that the blessing of Abraham might reach the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promised Spirit. To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Now the Promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring; it is not said, 'and to your offsprings' in the plural, but in the singular and to your offspring ??which is Christ. My point is this: the Law which arose four hundred and thirty years later does not repeal a will previously ratified by God, so as to cancel the Promise. If the Inheritance is due to law, it ceases to be due to promise. Now it was by a promise that God bestowed it on Abraham.


Surely it is written in the Law that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-woman and one by the free-woman; but while the son of the slave-woman was born by the flesh, the son of the free-woman was born by the promise. Now this is an allegory. The women are two covenants. One comes from mount Sinai, bearing children for servitude; that is Hagar, read more.
for mount Sinai is away in Arabia. She corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for the latter is in servitude with her children. But the Jerusalem on high is free, and she is 'our' mother. For it is written, Rejoice, O thou barren who bearest not, break into joy, thou who travailest not; for the children of the desolate woman are far more than of the married. Now you are the children of the Promise, brothers, like Isaac; but just as in the old days the son born by the flesh persecuted the son born by the Spirit, so it is still to-day. However, what does the scripture say? Put away the slave-woman and her son, for the son of the slave-woman shall not be heir along with the son of the free-woman. Hence we are children of no slave-woman, my brothers, but of the free-woman,

To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment

To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment







For the Realm of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard; and after agreeing with the labourers to pay them a shilling a day he sent them into his vineyard. Then, on going out at nine o'clock he noticed some other labourers standing in the marketplace doing nothing; read more.
to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever wage is fair.' So they went in. Going out again at twelve o'clock and at three o'clock, he did the same thing. And when he went out at five o'clock he came upon some others who were standing; he said to them, 'Why have you stood doing nothing all the day?' 'Because nobody hired us,' they said. He told them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' Now when evening came the master of the vineyard said to his bailiff, 'Summon the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going on to the first.' When those who had been hired about five o'clock came, they got a shilling each. So when the first labourers came up, they supposed they would get more; but they too got each their shilling. And on getting it they grumbled at the householder. 'These last,' they said, 'have only worked a single hour, and yet you have ranked them equal to us who have borne the brunt of the day's work and the heat!' Then he replied to one of them, 'My man, I am not wronging you. Did you not agree with me for a shilling? Take what belongs to you and be off. I choose to give this last man the same as you. Can I not do as I please with what belongs to me? Have you a grudge because I am generous?' So shall the last be first and the first last."

To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment

To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment




To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment


To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment


To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment

To take an illustration from human life, my brothers. Once a man's will is ratified, no one else annuls it or adds a codicil to it. Verse ConceptsCovenant ObligationsTreatyContractsAnnulment