Who Are Abraham's Offspring?
The more I study the Bible the more I realize the depths of the treasures that it holds. We will never be able to exhaust it's riches, but we must press on and dig deeper throughout our lives. This word study is another one that shocked me because I had always understood the promise made to Abraham a certain way. I grew up hearing it taught a certain way, and never thought to question it. In fact, in some circles questioning the interpretation that I was taught was taboo (borderline heretical in others). However, if we truly believe the Bible is the Word of God, infallible and authoritative, then we must allow it to change even our most deeply held understandings of things if they can be proven to be untenable.
This is one of those beliefs that is often bound up with so much emotion, so I would just ask that you let the Bible speak for itself and then draw your conclusions. Perhaps this will challenge a long held belief, but if this is what the Bible truly says then that belief must be challenged.
The Greek word sperma is translated - seed, descendants, and offspring in various Bible translations. For this study I will be using the ESV and in different places sperma is translated all three ways to signify slightly different things. Paul uses sperma 16 times, half of those are in Romans 4 and Galatians 3, and in all 8 places it is translated offspring in the ESV. Both passages overlap extensively because the passages are both dealing with Abraham.
Romans 4:13-18:
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
The logic of the argument through chapter 4 is that Abraham was justified by faith not works. Romans 4:3 says, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Paul moves on to prove that this took place before the law - specifically before circumcision - so the point is that Abraham was justified by faith in the promise of God, not by keeping the law of God. Verse 12 then sets up the immediate context for the passage which tells us that Abraham is not the father of the circumcised only, but rather that he is the father of all those who walk in his "footsteps of faith."
In this passage we see that Abraham was reckoned righteous by faith, Abraham's offspring (sperma) would also be reckoned righteous by faith, and Abraham's heirs are not of blood birth only, but all those "who shares the faith of Abraham."
The key point to notice is that verse 13 gives us the context to understand how Paul is using "offspring" when he writes, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring..." This makes it clear that this section must be unpacked in light of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12, 15 & 17) in which God promised Abraham a land, a blessing and descendants or offspring. You see what Paul is doing here is saying that the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise of an offspring is found in those who have the faith of Abraham. Verse 16 is very clear, "the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - NOT ONLY TO THE ADHERENT OF THE LAW (the Jews are the blood descendants of Abraham and the adherents of the law), but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all." (emphasis and parenthesis added)
Paul is interpreting for us - while inspired by the Holy Spirit - that the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant is not so narrow in scope as to include only the Jewish descendants of Abraham, but all those who have the faith of Abraham (whether Jew or Gentile).
Now I realize this is a difficult interpretation for some of you because this would not have set well with me based on how I was taught to interpret the Abrahamic covenant - that it was going to be fulfilled only by the Jews at the end of the age. Let's move on to Galatians 3 where Paul shows us a key step for understanding this interpretation that he does not bring up in the Romans 4 passage.
Galatians 3:15-19:
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
Paul's argument is that the Abrahamic covenant could not have been annulled by the Law covenant made 430 later at Sinai, so the Abrahamic covenant has priority. However, Paul then makes an incredible step by saying that the promise made to Abraham was that he would receive an offspring (singular) not offsprings (many/plural), and Christ IS THAT OFFSPRING!! Once again we have Paul - inspired by the Holy Spirit - interpreting for us the true meaning of the Abrahamic promise of an offspring. Paul says that the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise was Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment!!
In fact, in verse 14 Paul also says that Jesus is the true fulfillment of the promised blessing to Abraham, "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith."
Again, I realize that this interpretation is uncomfortable for many because we have grown up being told that there is a very straight line fulfillment and the promise to Abraham can only, and will only be fulfilled in the Jewish nation. Though I do not have time to address this here, technically the Jewish nation was not formed until the Sinai covenant. Yes they are descendants of Abraham, but they were not a nation until Sinai and Paul's whole argument here in Galatians 3 is that the Sinai covenant does not make void the Abrahamic covenant. The nationhood of the Jews came later and does not overthrow the promise made to Abraham which Paul tells us finds its true fulfillment in Christ.
This is the "extra step" that was not addressed in the Romans passage. In the Romans passage all those with the faith of Abraham are the offspring of Abraham, but here we see the true fulfillment is Christ. However, we who have Abraham's faith, in Christ, are also the offspring of Abraham because we have been made coheirs with Christ. Paul unpacks this for us later in the passage.
Galatians 3:26-29:
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (emphasis added)
Because Jesus is the true fulfillment to the Abrahamic promise, all those that have faith in him are now seen to be "Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
Many that have heard this interpretation have responded that we need to be careful with this interpretation, and sometimes there are warnings about "Replacement Theology." (Here is a link to help you better understand so-called "Replacement Theology" - http://trevorbinkley.blogspot.com/2013/02/has-theology-overshadowed-gospel.html) But before we start having knee jerk reactions we need to ask ourselves a couple questions:
1) Was Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit, and if so, is his interpretation authoritative?
2) If Paul is saying what I have just explained, shouldn't we allow his interpretation to guide our interpretation of the Abrahamic covenant?
To both of these questions we must answer with a resounding YES! We MUST allow Scripture to have priority over our theological systems. We MUST have our theology shaped by the texts of Scripture, rather than forcing our interpretation into a pre-existing form based on our understanding.
My argument is that Paul could not be more clear - Christ is the true fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. Because of His fulfillment all those who have the faith of Abraham - whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female - are recipients of the blessing of Abraham and are identified as coheir offspring of Abraham.
The most incredible thing about this interpretation is that it completely lines up with what Jesus said about how we should be reading the Old Testament. Luke 24:44-45 says, "Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."
Jesus is the key that unlocks the Bible. He is the true offspring and blessing of Abraham that lived the life we should have lived, but died the death we should have died so that we could be recipients of these incredible blessings. Do not miss the forest for the trees - Jesus is the point!
If you have further questions or struggle with this interpretation and would like to discuss this further please email me at trevorjbinkley@gmail.com
Grace and Peace!
This is one of those beliefs that is often bound up with so much emotion, so I would just ask that you let the Bible speak for itself and then draw your conclusions. Perhaps this will challenge a long held belief, but if this is what the Bible truly says then that belief must be challenged.
The Greek word sperma is translated - seed, descendants, and offspring in various Bible translations. For this study I will be using the ESV and in different places sperma is translated all three ways to signify slightly different things. Paul uses sperma 16 times, half of those are in Romans 4 and Galatians 3, and in all 8 places it is translated offspring in the ESV. Both passages overlap extensively because the passages are both dealing with Abraham.
Romans 4:13-18:
For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.
16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
The logic of the argument through chapter 4 is that Abraham was justified by faith not works. Romans 4:3 says, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." Paul moves on to prove that this took place before the law - specifically before circumcision - so the point is that Abraham was justified by faith in the promise of God, not by keeping the law of God. Verse 12 then sets up the immediate context for the passage which tells us that Abraham is not the father of the circumcised only, but rather that he is the father of all those who walk in his "footsteps of faith."
In this passage we see that Abraham was reckoned righteous by faith, Abraham's offspring (sperma) would also be reckoned righteous by faith, and Abraham's heirs are not of blood birth only, but all those "who shares the faith of Abraham."
The key point to notice is that verse 13 gives us the context to understand how Paul is using "offspring" when he writes, "For the promise to Abraham and his offspring..." This makes it clear that this section must be unpacked in light of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12, 15 & 17) in which God promised Abraham a land, a blessing and descendants or offspring. You see what Paul is doing here is saying that the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise of an offspring is found in those who have the faith of Abraham. Verse 16 is very clear, "the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring - NOT ONLY TO THE ADHERENT OF THE LAW (the Jews are the blood descendants of Abraham and the adherents of the law), but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is father of us all." (emphasis and parenthesis added)
Paul is interpreting for us - while inspired by the Holy Spirit - that the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant is not so narrow in scope as to include only the Jewish descendants of Abraham, but all those who have the faith of Abraham (whether Jew or Gentile).
Now I realize this is a difficult interpretation for some of you because this would not have set well with me based on how I was taught to interpret the Abrahamic covenant - that it was going to be fulfilled only by the Jews at the end of the age. Let's move on to Galatians 3 where Paul shows us a key step for understanding this interpretation that he does not bring up in the Romans 4 passage.
Galatians 3:15-19:
15 To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.
19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.
Paul's argument is that the Abrahamic covenant could not have been annulled by the Law covenant made 430 later at Sinai, so the Abrahamic covenant has priority. However, Paul then makes an incredible step by saying that the promise made to Abraham was that he would receive an offspring (singular) not offsprings (many/plural), and Christ IS THAT OFFSPRING!! Once again we have Paul - inspired by the Holy Spirit - interpreting for us the true meaning of the Abrahamic promise of an offspring. Paul says that the true fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise was Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment!!
In fact, in verse 14 Paul also says that Jesus is the true fulfillment of the promised blessing to Abraham, "so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith."
Again, I realize that this interpretation is uncomfortable for many because we have grown up being told that there is a very straight line fulfillment and the promise to Abraham can only, and will only be fulfilled in the Jewish nation. Though I do not have time to address this here, technically the Jewish nation was not formed until the Sinai covenant. Yes they are descendants of Abraham, but they were not a nation until Sinai and Paul's whole argument here in Galatians 3 is that the Sinai covenant does not make void the Abrahamic covenant. The nationhood of the Jews came later and does not overthrow the promise made to Abraham which Paul tells us finds its true fulfillment in Christ.
This is the "extra step" that was not addressed in the Romans passage. In the Romans passage all those with the faith of Abraham are the offspring of Abraham, but here we see the true fulfillment is Christ. However, we who have Abraham's faith, in Christ, are also the offspring of Abraham because we have been made coheirs with Christ. Paul unpacks this for us later in the passage.
Galatians 3:26-29:
for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (emphasis added)
Because Jesus is the true fulfillment to the Abrahamic promise, all those that have faith in him are now seen to be "Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise."
Many that have heard this interpretation have responded that we need to be careful with this interpretation, and sometimes there are warnings about "Replacement Theology." (Here is a link to help you better understand so-called "Replacement Theology" - http://trevorbinkley.blogspot.com/2013/02/has-theology-overshadowed-gospel.html) But before we start having knee jerk reactions we need to ask ourselves a couple questions:
1) Was Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit, and if so, is his interpretation authoritative?
2) If Paul is saying what I have just explained, shouldn't we allow his interpretation to guide our interpretation of the Abrahamic covenant?
To both of these questions we must answer with a resounding YES! We MUST allow Scripture to have priority over our theological systems. We MUST have our theology shaped by the texts of Scripture, rather than forcing our interpretation into a pre-existing form based on our understanding.
My argument is that Paul could not be more clear - Christ is the true fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham. Because of His fulfillment all those who have the faith of Abraham - whether Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female - are recipients of the blessing of Abraham and are identified as coheir offspring of Abraham.
The most incredible thing about this interpretation is that it completely lines up with what Jesus said about how we should be reading the Old Testament. Luke 24:44-45 says, "Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."
Jesus is the key that unlocks the Bible. He is the true offspring and blessing of Abraham that lived the life we should have lived, but died the death we should have died so that we could be recipients of these incredible blessings. Do not miss the forest for the trees - Jesus is the point!
If you have further questions or struggle with this interpretation and would like to discuss this further please email me at trevorjbinkley@gmail.com
Grace and Peace!
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