Mike,

Rom 4:16 says: Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

If the promise is only to those of the Seed who have faith in Christ, than why does Paul say that the promise might be sure to all the seed; both of the law AND of the faith of Abraham?

Thanks,
J____

Hi J____,
Thank you for your question.
You quote:

Rom 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all.

Then you ask:

If the promise is only to those of the Seed who have faith in Christ, than why does Paul say that the promise might be sure to all the seed; both of the law AND of the faith of Abraham?

The answer is that the phrase ‘the seed… of the law’, and the phrase ‘the seed of Abraham’ were considered to be referring to one and the same thing until God, through the apostles Peter at the home of Cornelius the Gentile, Roman, centurion, and Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles, revealed that being in Abraham was no longer a matter of physical descent, but is now rather a matter of spiritually knowing Christ.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

“He is not a Jew which is one outwardly” does not exclude outward Jews from being capable of being inward Jews. What is being said here is the same message of the verse you ask about. It is not “in Christ” that we are “counted for the seed”, so that both Jews and Gentiles can now become “the seed of Abraham.
This is what Paul tells us in Galatians:

Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

So contrary to the doctrines of Messianic Jews and A. E. Knoch’s Concordant Publishing Concern, there are not two administrations. Christ did not come to make of twain, two, but “to make of twain one”.
I think the apostle Paul can answer your question far better than I can, so I will let him do so:

Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
Eph 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
Eph 2:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Do you see that word ‘one’ in verses 14, 15, and 16? That is “the simplicity [ Greek – singleness] that is in Christ Jesus, which some would deny.

2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

It would seem that such clear language concerning the oneness, “the simplicity, that is in Christ”, could not be misconstrued into a doctrine of two administrations which most of Christendom teaches. There is now no such thing as a physical or “outward Jew” or an “outward” Israel”.

Rom 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
Rom 2:29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

But do not make the mistake of casting the pearl that is this second chapter of Ephesians before the swine who decide what is and what is not essential doctrines in Babylon.
I hope all these verses have served to answer your question.
Your brother in Christ,
Mike