Matthew 3:9 Cross References - WNT

⁹ and do not imagine that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

¹¹ And I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west and will recline at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of the Heavens, ¹² while the natural heirs of the Kingdom will be driven out into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth."

²¹ For from within, out of men's hearts, their evil purposes proceed--fornication, theft, murder, adultery,

⁸ Live lives which shall prove your change of heart; and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our forefather,' for I tell you that God can raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones.

²² Well aware of their reasonings, Jesus answered their questions by asking in turn, "What is this that you are debating in your hearts?

³⁹ Noticing this, the Pharisee, His host, said to himself, "This man, if he were really a Prophet, would know who and what sort of person this woman is who is touching him--and would know that she is an immoral woman."

¹⁷ and he debated within himself, saying, "'What am I to do? for I have no place in which to store my crops.'

²⁴ So he cried aloud, and said, "'Father Abraham, take pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.'

⁴⁰ "I tell you," He replied, "that if *they* became silent, the very stones would cry out."

³³ "We are descendants of Abraham," they answered, "and have never at any time been in slavery to any one. What do those words of yours mean, 'You shall become free'?"

³⁹ "Our father is Abraham," they said. "If you were Abraham's children," replied Jesus, "it is Abraham's deeds that you would be doing. ⁴⁰ But, in fact, you are longing to kill me, a man who has spoken to you the truth which I have heard from God. Abraham did not do that.

⁵³ Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?"

²⁶ "Brethren, descendants of the family of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to us has this Message of salvation been sent.

¹⁴ Symeon has related how God first looked graciously on the Gentiles to take from among them a People to be called by His name.

¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our earthly forefather, has gained?

¹¹ Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit; ¹² and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised. ¹³ Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness. ¹⁴ For if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing. ¹⁵ For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law. ¹⁶ All depends on faith, and for this reason--that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace, ¹⁷ so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I HAVE APPOINTED YOU TO BE THE FOREFATHER OF MANY NATIONS."

⁷ nor because they are Abraham's true children. But the promise was "THROUGH ISAAC SHALL YOUR POSTERITY BE RECKONED." ⁸ In other words, it is not the children by natural descent who count as God's children, but the children made such by the promise are regarded as Abraham's posterity.

²⁷ But God has chosen the things which the world regards as foolish, in order to put its wise men to shame; and God has chosen the things which the world regards as destitute of influence, in order to put its powerful things to shame; ²⁸ and the things which the world regards as base, and those which it sets utterly at nought--things that have no existence--God has chosen in order to reduce to nothing things that do exist;

²⁷ for all of you who have been baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ. ²⁸ In Him the distinctions between Jew and Gentile, slave and free man, male and female, disappear; you are all one in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ And if you belong to Christ, then you are indeed true descendants of Abraham, and are heirs in fulfilment of the promise.

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave-girl and one by the free woman. ²³ But we see that the child of the slave-girl was born in the common course of nature; but the child of the free woman in fulfilment of the promise. ²⁴ All this is allegorical; for the women represent two Covenants. One has its origin on Mount Sinai, and bears children destined for slavery. ²⁵ This is Hagar; for the name Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to the present Jerusalem, which is in bondage together with her children. ²⁶ But the Jerusalem which is above is free, and *she* is *our* mother. ²⁷ For it is written, "REJOICE, THOU BARREN WOMAN THAT BEAREST NOT, BREAK FORTH INTO A JOYFUL CRY, THOU THAT DOST NOT TRAVAIL WITH CHILD. FOR THE DESOLATE WOMAN HAS MANY CHILDREN--MORE INDEED THAN SHE WHO HAS THE HUSBAND." ²⁸ But you, brethren, like Isaac, are children born in fulfilment of a promise. ²⁹ Yet just as, at that time, the child born in the common course of nature persecuted the one whose birth was due to the power of the Spirit, so it is now. ³⁰ But what says the Scripture? "SEND AWAY THE SLAVE-GIRL AND HER SON, FOR NEVER SHALL THE SLAVE-GIRL'S SON SHARE THE INHERITANCE WITH THE SON OF THE FREE WOMAN." ³¹ Therefore, brethren, since we are not the children of a slave-girl, but of the free woman--

¹² At that time you were living apart from Christ, estranged from the Commonwealth of Israel, with no share by birth in the Covenants which are based on the Promises, and you had no hope and no God, in all the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were so far away have been brought near through the death of Christ.