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The Example of Abraham

What then shall we say about[a] Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due. And to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness. So also David pronounces a blessing upon the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works:

“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.”

Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised? We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. 10 How then was it reckoned to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. 11 He received circumcision as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised and who thus have righteousness reckoned to them, 12 and likewise the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but also follow the example of the faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

God’s Promise Realized through Faith

13 The promise to Abraham and his descendants, that they should inherit the world, did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.

16 That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants—not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, for he is the father of us all, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations; as he had been told, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. 20 No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, 21 fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. 22 That is why his faith was “reckoned to him as righteousness.” 23 But the words, “it was reckoned to him,” were written not for his sake alone, 24 but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him that raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, 25 who was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

Footnotes

  1. Romans 4:1 Other ancient authorities read was gained by

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.