--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We were not fathers also to convey the…" description: "\"We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively taken, had belonged to us, as to Abraham it d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png" --- # We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham… ![“We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively taken, had belonged to us, as to Abraham it did.” quote by Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png) > “We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively taken, had belonged to us, as to Abraham it did.” [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The covenant promised to Abraham is not automatically transferred to us; we must actively claim and uphold it. **In simple terms:** Promises require active participation, not passive inheritance. Key Takeaway Actively engage with the promises you inherit. Themes faith heritage responsibility Mood thoughtful serious Type theological reflective When to use this quote - religious practice - family traditions - community leadership Key Concepts covenant theology spiritual stewardship collective identity Questions to Reflect On - How do you honor inherited responsibilities? - What steps can you take to actively fulfill a promise? A Different Perspective Assuming rights without effort can lead to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) ## Related quotes > [We have the promise of God's being our God, and of the blessing by Christ for ourselves, as we are Abraham's seed, yet take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-have-the-promise-of-god-s-being-our-god-and-of-the-blessing-by/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Galatians: “But ye, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.” And again, in the same Epistle, he plainly declares that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-church-fathers/galatians-but-ye-brethren-as-isaac-was-are-the-children-of-the/) The Church Fathers > [“This is what I am trying to say: The agreement God made with Abraham could not be canceled 430 years later when God gave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-what-i-am-trying-to-say-the-agreement-god-made-with-abraham/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“God then made Abraham a promise: “Look now toward heaven and see the stars. Thy seed shall be like them.” (Genesis 15:5) As with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-booth/god-then-made-abraham-a-promise-look-now-toward-heaven-and-see-the/) [Mark Booth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-booth/) > [“Abraham had eight sons--not one. All eight sons bring something to the table. Abraham loved all of his sons. He was a good father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ben-zehabe/abraham-had-eight-sons-not-one-all-eight-sons-bring-something-to-the/) [Michael Ben Zehabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ben-zehabe/) > [Abraham: You did not come into this environment to create through action. Instead, your action is meant to be a way in which you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/abraham-you-did-not-come-into-this-environment-to-create-through/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Abraham did not know where he was going immediately, but he knew where he was going ultimately. He did not know the Whither but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vance-havner/abraham-did-not-know-where-he-was-going-immediately-but-he-knew-where/) [Vance Havner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vance-havner/) > [“It made no sense that Abraham could head for the mountain in Moriah still believing in God's goodness. It made no sense that even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-made-no-sense-that-abraham-could-head-for-the-mountain-in-moriah/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“So get this clear in your minds: Abraham did not get close to God by trying to keep the law; his method was simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-swaney/so-get-this-clear-in-your-minds-abraham-did-not-get-close-to-god-by/) Richard A. Swaney > [I think it's something that we said collectively, in terms of the fact that we was getting ready to face probably the biggest storms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-carlos/i-think-it-s-something-that-we-said-collectively-in-terms-of-the-fact/) [John Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-carlos/) > [Being on 'Whitney' is a job, but stand-up is my life. I could never stop. There's an art to it. I love having strangers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-d-elia/being-on-whitney-is-a-job-but-stand-up-is-my-life-i-could-never-stop/) [Chris D'Elia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-d-elia/) > [We talked about the Internet and Wikipedia and how facts and history are being collectively created online.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joichi-ito/we-talked-about-the-internet-and-wikipedia-and-how-facts-and-history/) [Joichi Ito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joichi-ito/) > [The key thing about all the world's big problems is that they have to be dealt with collectively. If we don't get collectively smarter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-engelbart/the-key-thing-about-all-the-world-s-big-problems-is-that-they-have-to/) [Douglas Engelbart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-engelbart/) > [We know that we are not collectively guilty, so how can we accuse any other nation, no matter what some of its people have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-wiesenthal/we-know-that-we-are-not-collectively-guilty-so-how-can-we-accuse-any/) [Simon Wiesenthal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-wiesenthal/) > [We need enlightenment, not just individually but collectively, to save the planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/we-need-enlightenment-not-just-individually-but-collectively-to-save/) [Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/) ## More by Thomas Goodwin > [ “Thomas Goodwin Jr. wrote of his godly father: In all the violence of \[his fever\], he discoursed with that strength of faith and assurance… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/thomas-goodwin-jr-wrote-of-his-godly-father-in-all-the-violence-of/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [We have the promise of God's being our God, and of the blessing by Christ for ourselves, as we are Abraham's seed, yet take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-have-the-promise-of-god-s-being-our-god-and-of-the-blessing-by/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [Grace is more than mercy and love. It super-adds to them. It denotes, not simply love, but the love of a sovereign, transcendent Superior.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/grace-is-more-than-mercy-and-love-it-super-adds-to-them-it-denotes/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [If I were to go to heaven, and find that Christ was not there, I would leave immediately; for heaven without Christ would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/if-i-were-to-go-to-heaven-and-find-that-christ-was-not-there-i-would/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Secondly, He bids his ambassadors declare, that as to that point men need not trouble themselves, nor take care about it; for he himself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/secondly-he-bids-his-ambassadors-declare-that-as-to-that-point-men/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [In public worship all should join. The little strings go to make up a concert, as well as the great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/in-public-worship-all-should-join-the-little-strings-go-to-make-up-a/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Where God gives opportunity for preaching it is more than likely that he has some people to convert. Usually the Word of God takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/where-god-gives-opportunity-for-preaching-it-is-more-than-likely-that/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/those-blessings-are-sweetest-that-are-won-with-prayer-and-worn-with/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [I will begin first to search out this right by that magna charta, that great and faithful charter which was made to Abraham, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/i-will-begin-first-to-search-out-this-right-by-that-magna-charta-that/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?' saith the Apostle; 'it is God that justifieth,' and it is their being elect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/who-shall-lay-anything-to-the-charge-of-god-s-elect-saith-the-apostle/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“Therefore, seeing the Lord, when he doth speak, doth speak by others, and there is a great deal of reason for it, because it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/therefore-seeing-the-lord-when-he-doth-speak-doth-speak-by-others-and/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“All that God is, will supply your need.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/all-that-god-is-will-supply-your-need/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [My brethren, when God first began to love you, He gave you all that He ever meant to give you in the lump, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/my-brethren-when-god-first-began-to-love-you-he-gave-you-all-that-he/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [The most thankful person is the most fully human.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/the-most-thankful-person-is-the-most-fully-human/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) > [“God is infinitely beautiful in himself, and his beauty ought to attract you like a magnet to him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/god-is-infinitely-beautiful-in-himself-and-his-beauty-ought-to/) [Thomas Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) [Explore all 41 Thomas Goodwin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/) ## More Abraham quotes > [“That’s all! Now either leave us alone or join us as a father rather than a receiver of sacrifices. You have the choice of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/that-s-all-now-either-leave-us-alone-or-join-us-as-a-father-rather/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [Hebron is a bone of contention between Israeli settlers and the Palestinians in part because Abraham is buried there, in the Tomb of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/hebron-is-a-bone-of-contention-between-israeli-settlers-and-the/) [Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/) > [Donald Trump is not going to be the nominee, because we are not going to allow - people will wake up and we're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/donald-trump-is-not-going-to-be-the-nominee-because-we-are-not-going/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [“Never you look down on your Abraham because of your Sarah because the blessing is not in the womb of Sarah but in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ikechukwu-izuakor/never-you-look-down-on-your-abraham-because-of-your-sarah-because-the/) [Ikechukwu Izuakor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ikechukwu-izuakor/) > [“Whatever you are, be a good one.”   Abraham Lincoln”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rriiver-nyile/whatever-you-are-be-a-good-one-abraham-lincoln/) [Rriiver Nyile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rriiver-nyile/) > [Moses was a great leader, right? But he wasn't a great communicator. And so God sent him Aaron so he could, let's say, communicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javier-milei/moses-was-a-great-leader-right-but-he-wasn-t-a-great-communicator-and/) [Javier Milei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javier-milei/) > [“king of Heshbon. 6 b Moses, the servant of the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/king-of-heshbon-6-b-moses-the-servant-of-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“In the end, thought Sol, past logic and hope, it is dreams and the love of those dearest to us that form Abraham’s answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-simmons/in-the-end-thought-sol-past-logic-and-hope-it-is-dreams-and-the-love/) [Dan Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-simmons/) > [It was psychobabbler Abraham Maslow who wrote of the phenomena of self-actualization. What Maslow failed to grasp is that reaching true self-actualization can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-nugent/it-was-psychobabbler-abraham-maslow-who-wrote-of-the-phenomena-of/) [Ted Nugent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-nugent/) > [“Mungu hutumia watu 'wajinga' na 'wapumbavu' kufanya mambo makubwa katika maisha yao na ya watu wengine. Katika Biblia, Musa aliitwa mjinga alipokiuka amri ya…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enock-maregesi/mungu-hutumia-watu-wajinga-na-wapumbavu-kufanya-mambo-makubwa-katika/) [Enock Maregesi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enock-maregesi/) > [“9. Abraham’s death (25:1 – 11) After Sarah’s death, Abraham took another wife, Keturah. Abraham was a rejuvenated old man and continued to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sailhamer/9-abraham-s-death-25-1-11-after-sarah-s-death-abraham-took-another/) [John H. Sailhamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sailhamer/) > [“The biblical story of the binding of Isaac shows that human sacrifice was far from unthinkable in the 1st millennium BCE. The Israelites boasted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-biblical-story-of-the-binding-of-isaac-shows-that-human-sacrifice/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [Everybody faces obstacles. And I looked to people who had been through many to succeed in life. Abraham Lincoln, born to a poor family,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-winfield/everybody-faces-obstacles-and-i-looked-to-people-who-had-been-through/) [Dave Winfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-winfield/) > [Someone asked me...how it felt and I was reminded of a story that a fellow townsman of ours used to tell--Abraham Lincoln. They asked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/someone-asked-me-how-it-felt-and-i-was-reminded-of-a-story-that-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [American foreign policy and military might have opened an opportunity for the Gospel in the land of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stanley/american-foreign-policy-and-military-might-have-opened-an-opportunity/) [Charles Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stanley/) [Browse all 484 Abraham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abraham/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively taken, had belonged to us, as to Abraham it did.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Goodwin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-promise-as-abraham-was-nor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abraham" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-promise-as-abraham-was-nor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02b/thomas-goodwin-15928_abraham_we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-p_171308.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We were not fathers also to convey the promise, as Abraham was; nor although the promise, as collectively…” — Thomas Goodwin", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Goodwin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-goodwin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We were not fathers also to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-promise-as-abraham-was-nor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-goodwin/we-were-not-fathers-also-to-convey-the-promise-as-abraham-was-nor/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```