Romans 9:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

NIV: In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham's offspring.

NASB: That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants.

CSB: That is, it is not the children by physical descent who are God's children, but the children of the promise are considered to be the offspring.

NLT: This means that Abraham’s physical descendants are not necessarily children of God. Only the children of the promise are considered to be Abraham’s children.

KJV: That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

NKJV: That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

No Israelite would have disagreed with Paul's example in the previous verse. He pointed out that not all of Abraham's children were included in the line of God's promises to Israel. Only those who came through Isaac were included. So, while the promise was certainly given to Abraham's offspring, it was not promised to absolutely all his descendants.

Now, though, Paul gets to the point of his illustration: It's not enough to simply be born "of the flesh" into Israel. It is the children of the promise who count as offspring. They are the ones who are truly Israel and will inherit God's promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Paul will build from this argument to describe the difference between these two groups.

This parallels similar statements made by Jesus, who pointed out that being a true "child," spiritually, is not a matter of biology. It's a question of one's spiritual state, and their relationship with God (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 5/4/2024 9:48:33 AM