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What tis then oun shall we say legō that Abraham Abraam, · ho our hēmeis forefather propatōr according kata to the flesh sarx, has discovered heuriskō about this? For gar if ei Abraham Abraam was justified dikaioō by ek works ergon, he has echō something to boast kauchēma about ( but alla not ou before pros God theos). For gar what tis does the ho scripture graphē say legō? “ And de Abraham Abraam believed pisteuō · ho God theos, and kai it was credited logizomai to him autos as eis righteousness dikaiosynē.” Now de to the ho one who works ergazomai, his ho wages misthos are not ou credited logizomai as kata a gift charis, but alla as kata an obligation opheilēma. But de to the ho one who does not work ergazomai, but de entrusts pisteuō himself to epi the ho one who justifies dikaioō the ho ungodly asebēs, his autos faith pistis is credited logizomai · ho as eis righteousness dikaiosynē. So kathaper also kai David Dauid speaks legō of the ho blessedness makarismos of the ho one anthrōpos to whom hos · ho God theos credits logizomai righteousness dikaiosynē apart chōris from works ergon: Blessed makarios are those whose hos lawless deeds anomia are forgiven aphiēmi, · ho and kai whose hos sins hamartia are covered epikalyptō. · ho Blessed makarios is the man anēr whose hos sin hamartia the Lord kyrios will not ou mē take logizomai into account .” · ho Therefore oun, is this houtos blessedness makarismos for epi the ho circumcised peritomē alone, or ē is it also kai for epi the ho uncircumcised akrobystia? For gar we say legō, “It was to ho Abraham Abraam that ho faith pistis was credited logizomai as eis righteousness dikaiosynē.” 10 How pōs then oun was it credited logizomai to him? Was it after en he was eimi circumcised peritomē or ē before en akrobystia? It was not ou after en his circumcision peritomē but alla before en akrobystia. 11 · kai He received lambanō the sign sēmeion of circumcision peritomē as a seal sphragis of the ho righteousness dikaiosynē that he had by ho faith pistis · ho while he was still en · ho uncircumcised akrobystia, so eis that he autos would be eimi the father patēr of all pas who ho believe pisteuō but have never been circumcised dia, that eis they too kai might have righteousness dikaiosynē credited logizomai to them autos. · ho 12 He is also kai the father patēr of the circumcised peritomē who ho are not ou merely monon circumcised peritomē but alla also kai · ho walk stoicheō in the ho footsteps ichnos of the ho faith pistis that · ho our hēmeis father patēr Abraham Abraam had while he was still en uncircumcised akrobystia.

13 For gar the ho promise epangelia that he autos would be eimi heir klēronomos of kosmos the world kosmos did not ou come to ho Abraham Abraam or ē to ho his autos descendants sperma through dia the law nomos, · ho but alla through dia the righteousness dikaiosynē of faith pistis. 14 For gar if ei the ho heirs klēronomos are those who follow ek the law nomos, then faith pistis is meaningless kenoō · ho and kai the ho promise epangelia is void katargeō. 15 For gar the ho Law nomos brings about katergazomai wrath orgē, but de where hou there is eimi no ou law nomos, there can be no oude violation parabasis. 16 For dia this houtos reason the ho promise epangelia is based ek on faith pistis, that hina it may depend kata on grace charis and so eis that it may be eimi made certain bebaios to all pas his ho descendants sperma, not ou only monon to those ho who are under ek the ho law nomos, but alla also kai to those ho who share ek the faith pistis of Abraham Abraam, who hos is eimi the father patēr of us hēmeis all pas. 17 As kathōs it is written graphō, “ I have made tithēmi you sy the father patēr of many polys nations ethnos.” He is our father, in the presence katenanti of God theos in pisteuō whom hos he believed pisteuō, the ho God who gives zōiopoieō life to the ho dead nekros and kai calls kaleō into hōs being eimi the ho things that do not exist eimi. 18 Hoping elpis against epi hope elpis, Abraham hos believed pisteuō that eis he autos would become ginomai the father patēr of many polys nations ethnos according kata to what ho had been spoken legō, “ So houtōs will your sy descendants sperma be eimi.” · ho 19 · kai Not being weak astheneō in ho faith pistis, he considered katanoeō · ho his heautou own body sōma as dead nekroō ( since he was hyparchō about pou a hundred hekatontaetēs years old ), and kai the ho barrenness nekrōsis of ho Sarah’ s Sarra womb mētra. 20 He did diakrinō not ou waver diakrinō in ho unbelief apistia regarding eis · de the ho promise epangelia of ho God theos but alla was strengthened endynamoō in ho faith pistis, giving didōmi glory doxa to ho God theos, 21 · kai fully plērophoreō convinced that hoti what hos God had promised epangellomai, he was eimi also kai able dynatos to do poieō. 22 That dio is why · kai his faith was credited logizomai to him autos as eis righteousness dikaiosynē. 23 But de the statement, “ it was credited logizomai to him autos,” was not ou written graphō for dia his autos sake alone monon, 24 but alla for dia our hēmeis sake dia as kai well , to whom hos it will mellō be credited logizomai, those ho who believe pisteuō in epi the ho one who raised egeirō Jesus Iēsous · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios from ek the dead nekros, 25 who hos was delivered paradidōmi over to death for dia · ho our hēmeis transgressions paraptōma and kai raised egeirō for dia · ho our hēmeis justification dikaiōsis.

The Faith of Abraham

Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”[a]

When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

“Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sins are put out of sight.
Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”[b]

Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?[c] Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10 But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

11 Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12 And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

13 Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14 If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15 For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

16 So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”[d] This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”[e] 19 And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

20 Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22 And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23 And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24 for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25 He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

Footnotes

  1. 4:3 Gen 15:6.
  2. 4:7-8 Ps 32:1-2 (Greek version).
  3. 4:9 Greek is this blessing only for the circumcised, or is it also for the uncircumcised?
  4. 4:17 Gen 17:5.
  5. 4:18 Gen 15:5.