9I am in Christ, and I am telling you the truth; I do not lie. My conscience is ruled by the Holy Spirit, and it tells me I am not lying. ²I have great sorrow and always feel much sadness. ³I wish I could help my Jewish brothers and sisters, my people. I would even wish that I were cursed and cut off from Christ if that would help them. ⁴They are the people of Israel, God’s chosen children. They have seen the glory of God, and they have the agreements that God made between himself and his people. God gave them the law of Moses and the right way of worship and his promises. ⁵They are the descendants of our great ancestors, and they are the earthly family into which Christ was born, who is God over all. Praise him forever! ⁿ Amen.

⁶It is not that God failed to keep his promise to them. But only some of the people of Israel are truly God’s people, ⁿ ⁷and only some of Abraham’s ⁿ descendants are true children of Abraham. But God said to Abraham: “The descendants I promised you will be from Isaac.” ⁿ ⁸This means that not all of Abraham’s descendants are God’s true children. Abraham’s true children are those who become God’s children because of the promise God made to Abraham.

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Footnotes

nborn … forever! This can also mean “born. May God, who rules over all things, be praised forever!”
nGod’s people Literally, “Israel,” the people God chose to bring his blessings to the world.
nAbraham Most respected ancestor of the Jews. Every Jew hoped to see Abraham.
n“The descendants … Isaac.” Quotation from Genesis 21:12.