Galatians 3:7 Know you therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. To be the children of a person, in a figurative sense, is equivalent to, "to resemble him, and to be involved in his fate, good or bad." The idea is, similarity both in character and circumstances. To be "the children of God," is to be like God and also, as the apostle states it to be, "heirs of God." To be "the children of Abraham," is here to resemble Abraham, to imitate his conduct, and to share in his blessedness (John 8:39; 1 John 2:29; 1 John 3:1, 8, 9). It is as if the apostle had said, "These Judaising teachers talk much of the glory and advantage of being children of Abraham, and insist that it is by circumcision that men attain to this dignity and happiness. But how far is this from the truth! Abraham's highest distinction was that he was a justified person, a friend of God; and this distinction he attained not by circumcision, but by faith. It follows, then, that they who believe like Abraham, and are like Abraham justified through believing, they — they alone — are his true spiritual descendants. Though a man should be "a Hebrew of the Hebrews, circumcised the eighth day, and touching the righteousness that is in the law, blameless," if he is not a believer, he is not spiritually a child of Abraham. And if a man be but a believer, be he Jew or Gentile, he is spiritually a child of Abraham. And this fact, that all who believe, whether they were descendants of Abraham or not, were to be made partakers of his blessedness, was distinctly enough taught in the ancient oracles given to Abraham. (John Brown, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.WEB: Know therefore that those who are of faith, the same are children of Abraham. |
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