Who are the Seed of Abraham?/Dr Pat Holliday/Dr Sabrina Sessions/Marshall Perot

The question “who are the seed of Abrahm? can be answered several ways, and it is important to make some distinctions. There is the Seed of Abraham (Seed being singular); there is the seed of Abraham physically (descendants of Abraham according to the flesh); and there is the seed of Abraham spiritually (those who, like Abraham, have faith in God). 

The (singular) Seed of Abraham is Christ, as Gal. 3:16, quoting Gen. 12:7 says, “The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say ‘and to seeds,’ meaning many people, but ‘and to your seed,’ meaning one person, who is Christ.” The passage goes on to explain that an inheritance was promised to Abraham’s Seed (Christ) apart from the Law. Later, the Mosaic Law was introduced, but it did not annul the promises made to Abraham or to Abraham’s Seed (Christ).

Just as Abraham believed God and his faith was counted as righteousness Gen. 15:`6, so are all today who believe in God’s Son justified apart from the Law. In this way, Abraham is the “father” of all who believe Romans 4:11-17. “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” Gal. 3;29.

Of course, the seed of Abraham can also refer to the Hebrew people who descended from Abraham through Isaac. Still more broadly, the seed of Abraham could include Arabs, who trace their lineage through Ishmael. This is the physical seed of Abraham. The spiritual seed of Abraham (believers in Jesus Christ) is comprised of people of all nationalities and ethnicities.

 Jesus dealt with the same issue later. In speaking to the unbelieving Jews, Jesus emphasized their need to receive His words as truth and obey His commands. They replied, “We be Abraham’s seed” JN. 8:33.