Romans 9:8

The verse primarily distinguishes between physical and spiritual lineage within Israel, not necessarily applying Old Testament prophecy to a Gentile church, but rather defining who truly constitutes the "seed" of Abraham.

The verse explicitly states that "children of the flesh" are not "children of God," but rather "children of the promise" are counted as the seed. This distinction, in the context of Romans 9, refers to a spiritual lineage and God's sovereign choice, not a physical birth or a ritual like baptism. The "promise" here refers to God's covenant with Abraham and its spiritual fulfillment through Christ, not a mechanism for including infants into the church through baptism. Therefore, the verse does not

The primary argument against this interpretation is that "children of the promise" in this context refers specifically to the descendants of Abraham through Isaac, distinguishing them from the descendants through Ishmael. Paul is not necessarily replacing Israel with the Church, but rather clarifying who within Israel (or Abraham's lineage) truly inherits the promises. He is defining the true "seed" within the existing covenant framework, not necessarily creating a new, entirely separate entity