Romans 9:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”

NIV: Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham's children. On the contrary, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.'

NASB: nor are they all children because they are Abraham’s descendants, but: 'THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS SHALL BE NAMED.'

CSB: Neither is it the case that all of Abraham's children are his descendants. On the contrary, your offspring will be traced through Isaac.

NLT: Being descendants of Abraham doesn’t make them truly Abraham’s children. For the Scriptures say, 'Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted,' though Abraham had other children, too.

KJV: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.

NKJV: nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

Not everyone physically descended from Israel actually belongs to Israel. That's what Paul wrote in the previous verse. He seems to have meant something similar to what he wrote in Romans 2:28 that "no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly." The spiritual aspect of our relationship with God is far more important than our ethnicity, heritage, or biology.

Now Paul begins to give examples from Israel's history to clarify his point. To begin with, not all of Abraham's offspring were counted as the "children of Abraham." Some of them were not included in God's promises to Abraham's descendants. Both Abraham's son Ishmael, born before Isaac (Genesis 16), and his sons with Keturah, born long after Isaac (Genesis 25:1–4) were excluded from Israel.

Paul quotes from Genesis 21:12 where God said to Abraham that it is through Isaac that his offspring will be named. Jesus made similar remarks to His critics, as recorded in the gospel of John (John 8:36–39).

Romans 9:1–18 finds Paul heartbroken over the rejection of Christ by his people the Jews. They have been given so much as God's chosen people, and Paul insists that God will keep His promises to Israel. Not everyone born to Israel is truly Israel, though, Paul writes. Specific examples are given to show that God does, in fact, choose those who will receive His blessings. The following passage tackles whether this choice, by God, is fair.

Romans 9 begins with Paul describing his anguish for his people Israel in their rejection of Christ. After describing all the privileges God has given to the Jewish people as a nation, Paul insists that God will keep those promises. However, not every person born to Israel belongs to Israel, he writes. God reserves the right to show mercy to some and not others, as Paul demonstrates from Scripture. God is like a potter who creates some vessels for destruction and others for glory. God has called out His people from both the Gentiles and the Jews to faith in Christ, the stumbling stone.

Romans 8 ended with Paul's grand declaration that nothing can separate those who are in Christ Jesus from the love of God. Romans 9 turns a sharp corner and finds Paul heartbroken that his people, the Jews, have rejected Christ. He insists that God will keep His promises to Israel, but that not everyone born to Israel is truly Israel. God will show mercy to whomever He wishes, calling out His people from both the Jews and the Gentiles to faith in Christ. Romans 10 will find Paul discussing how Jewish people can be saved.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

Accessed 5/8/2024 6:51:20 PM