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,








(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

But faith has come, and we are wards no longer; you are all sons of God by your faith in Christ Jesus (for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). read more.
There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

Everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But now we have a righteousness of God disclosed apart from law altogether; it is attested by the Law and the prophets, but it is a righteousness of God which comes by believing in Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who have faith. No distinctions are drawn.

The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; read more.
in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them.

As the human body is one and has many members, all the members of the body forming one body for all their number, so is it with Christ. For by one Spirit we have all been baptized into one Body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen; we have all been imbued with one Spirit.

but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander, foul talk! Tell no lies to one another; you have stripped off the old nature with its practices, and put on the new nature which is renewed in the likeness of its Creator for the knowledge of him. read more.
In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere.


For the sons of God are those who are guided by the Spirit of God. You have received no slavish spirit that would make you relapse into fear; you have received the Spirit of sonship. And when we cry, "Abba! Father!", it is this Spirit testifying along with our own spirit that we are children of God; read more.
and if children, heirs as well, heirs of God, heirs along with Christ ??for we share his sufferings in order to share his glory.



It is because you are sons that God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying 'Abba! Father!' So you are servant no longer but son, and as son you are also heir, all owing to God.

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










(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

it is this Spirit testifying along with our own spirit that we are children of God; and if children, heirs as well, heirs of God, heirs along with Christ ??for we share his sufferings in order to share his glory.

So with us. When we were under age, we lived under the thraldom of the Elemental spirits of the world; but when the time had fully expired, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to ransom those who were under the Law, that we might get our sonship. read more.
It is because you are sons that God has sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying 'Abba! Father!' So you are servant no longer but son, and as son you are also heir, all owing to God.

so to order it in the fulness of the ages that all things in heaven and earth alike should be gathered up in Christ ??11 in the Christ in whom we have had our heritage allotted us (as was decreed in the design of him who carries out everything according to the counsel of his will),

Hence, from the day we heard of it, we have never ceased to pray for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and insight, so that you may lead a life that is worthy of the Lord and give him entire satisfaction. May you be fruitful and increase in the doing of all good, as you thus know God! May his glorious might nerve you with full power to endure and to be patient cheerfully, whatever comes, read more.
thanking the Father who has qualified us to share the lot of the saints in the Light,

For we ourselves were once senseless, disobedient, astray, enslaved to all manner of passions and pleasures; we spent our days in malice and envy, we were hateful, and we hated one another. But "the goodness and affection of God our Saviour appeared; and he saved us, not for anything we had done but from his own pity for us, by the water that means regeneration and renewal under the holy Spirit read more.
which he poured upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs to the hope of life eternal."

(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

Everyone who invokes the name of the Lord shall be saved.

But now we have a righteousness of God disclosed apart from law altogether; it is attested by the Law and the prophets, but it is a righteousness of God which comes by believing in Jesus Christ. And it is meant for all who have faith. No distinctions are drawn.

The apostles and the presbyters met to investigate this question, and a keen controversy sprang up; but Peter rose and said to them, "Brothers, you are well aware that from the earliest days God chose that of you all I should be the one by whom the Gentiles were to hear the word of the gospel and believe it. The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us; read more.
in cleansing their hearts by faith he made not the slightest distinction between us and them.

As the human body is one and has many members, all the members of the body forming one body for all their number, so is it with Christ. For by one Spirit we have all been baptized into one Body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen; we have all been imbued with one Spirit.

but off with them all now, off with anger, rage, malice, slander, foul talk! Tell no lies to one another; you have stripped off the old nature with its practices, and put on the new nature which is renewed in the likeness of its Creator for the knowledge of him. read more.
In it there is no room for Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free man; Christ is everything and everywhere.






What follows, then? That 'the Law is equivalent to sin'? Never! Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never have known what sin meant! Thus I would never have known what it is to covet, unless the Law had said, You must not covet. The command gave an impulse to sin, and sin resulted for me in all manner of covetous desire ??for sin, apart from law, is lifeless. I lived at one time without law myself, but when the command came home to me, sin sprang to life and I died; read more.
the command that meant life proved death for me. The command gave an impulse to sin, sin beguiled me and used the command to kill me. So the Law at any rate is holy, the command is holy, just, and for our good. Then did what was meant for my good prove fatal to me? Never! It was sin; sin resulted in death for me by making use of this good thing. This was how sin was to be revealed in its true nature; it was to use the command to become sinful in the extreme. The Law is spiritual; we know that. But then I am a creature of the flesh, in the thraldom of sin. I cannot understand my own actions; I do not act as I want to act; on the contrary, I do what I detest. Now, when I act against my wishes, that means I agree that the Law is right.

Then what about the Law? Well, it was interpolated for the purpose of producing transgressions till such time as the Offspring arrived to whom the Promise was made; also, it was transmitted by means of angels through the agency of an intermediary (an intermediary implies more than one party, but God is one). Then the Law is contrary to God's Promises? Never! Had there been any law which had the power of producing life, righteousness would really have been due to law, read more.
but Scripture has consigned all without exception to the custody of sin, in order that the promise due to faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who have faith. Before this faith came, we were confined by the Law and kept in custody, with the prospect of the faith that was to be revealed; the Law thus held us as wards in discipline, till such time as Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But faith has come, and we are wards no longer; you are all sons of God by your faith in Christ Jesus (for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.


(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.


It was by faith that he sojourned in the promised land, as in a foreign country, residing in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob who were co-heirs with him of the same promise; Verse ConceptsForeignersBeing A PilgrimJacob, The PatriarchAbraham, Calling And LifeSaints, As PilgrimsExploits Of FaithReckoned As ForeignersGod's Promise To Abraham


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











(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.

As the human body is one and has many members, all the members of the body forming one body for all their number, so is it with Christ. For by one Spirit we have all been baptized into one Body, Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen; we have all been imbued with one Spirit.

So Jesus spoke; then, lifting his eyes to heaven, he said: "Father, the time has now come; glorify thy Son that thy Son may glorify thee, since thou hast granted him power over all flesh to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given to him. And this is eternal life, that they know thee, the only real God, and him whom thou hast sent, even Jesus Christ. read more.
I have glorified thee on earth by accomplishing the work thou gavest me to do; now, Father, glorify me in thy presence with the glory which I enjoyed in thy presence before the world began. I have made thy Name known to the men whom thou hast given to me from the world (thine they were, and thou gavest them to me), and they have held to thy word. They know now that whatever thou hast given me comes from thee, for I have given them the words thou gavest me, and they have received them; they are now sure that I came from thee and believe that thou didst send me. I pray for them ??not for the world but for those whom thou hast given me do I pray; for they are thine (all mine is thine and thine is mine), and I am glorified in them. I am to be in the world no longer, but they are to be in the world; I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them by the power of thy Name which thou hast given me, that they may be one as we are one. When I was with them, I kept them by the power of thy Name which thou hast given me; I guarded them, and not one of them perished ??only the son of perdition, that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I come to thee (I speak thus in the world that they may have my joy complete within them). I have given them thy word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. I pray not that thou wilt take them out of the world, but that thou wilt keep them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world any more than I belong to the world. Consecrate them by thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, so have I sent them into the world, and for their sake I consecrate myself that they may be consecrated by the truth. Nor do I pray for them alone, but for all who believe in me by their spoken word; may they all be one! As thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, so may they be in us ??that the world may believe thou hast sent me. Yea, I have given them the glory thou gavest me, that they may be one as we are one ??23 I in them and thou in me ??that they may be made perfectly one, so that the world may recognize that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast loved me.

(for all of you who had yourselves baptized into Christ have taken on the character of Christ). There is no room for Jew or Greek, there is no room for slave or freeman, there is no room for male and female; you are all one in Christ Jesus. Now if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring; in virtue of the Promise, you are heirs.