Romans 4
Names of God Bible
We Have God’s Approval by Faith
4 What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham? 2 If Abraham had God’s approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded as the basis of Abraham’s approval by God.”
4 When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned. 5 However, when people don’t work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as the basis of God’s approval. 6 David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,
7 “Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven
and whose sins are pardoned.
8 Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful.”
9 Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, “Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of God’s approval.” 10 How was his faith regarded as the basis of God’s approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised. 11 Abraham’s faith was the basis of his approval by God while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as the basis of their approval by God. 12 He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.
13 So it was not by obeying the laws in Moses’ Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, he received this promise through God’s approval that comes by faith. 14 If those who obey Moses’ Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless. 15 The laws in Moses’ Teachings bring about anger. But where those laws don’t exist, they can’t be broken. 16 Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift.[a] Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses’ Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us, 17 as Scripture says: “I have made you a father of many nations.”
Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don’t even exist. 18 When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: “That is how many descendants you will have.” 19 Abraham didn’t weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children. 20 He didn’t doubt God’s promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God for the promise, he became strong because of faith 21 and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised. 22 That is why Abraham’s faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God.
23 But the words “his faith was regarded as the basis of his approval by God” were written not only for him 24 but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as the basis of our approval by God—each of us who believe in the one who brought Yeshua, our Lord, back to life. 25 Yeshua, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God’s approval.
Footnotes
- Romans 4:16 Or “grace.”
Romanos 4
Reina-Valera 1995
El ejemplo de Abraham
4 ¿Qué, pues, diremos que halló Abraham, nuestro padre según la carne? 2 Si Abraham hubiera sido justificado por las obras, tendría de qué gloriarse, pero no ante Dios, 3 pues ¿qué dice la Escritura? Creyó Abraham a Dios y le fue contado por justicia. 4 Pero al que trabaja no se le cuenta el salario como un regalo, sino como deuda; 5 pero al que no trabaja, sino cree en aquel que justifica al impío, su fe le es contada por justicia. 6 Por eso también David habla de la bienaventuranza del hombre a quien Dios atribuye justicia sin obras, 7 diciendo:
«Bienaventurados aquellos cuyas iniquidades son perdonadas,
y cuyos pecados son cubiertos.
8 Bienaventurado el hombre a quien el Señor no culpa de pecado.»
9 ¿Es, pues, esta bienaventuranza solamente para los de la circuncisión o también para los de la incircuncisión? Porque decimos que a Abraham le fue contada la fe por justicia. 10 ¿Cómo, pues, le fue contada? ¿Estando en la circuncisión, o en la incircuncisión? No en la circuncisión, sino en la incircuncisión. 11 Y recibió la circuncisión como señal, como sello de la justicia de la fe que tuvo cuando aún no había sido circuncidado, para que fuera padre de todos los creyentes no circuncidados, a fin de que también a ellos la fe les sea contada por justicia; 12 y padre de la circuncisión, para los que no solamente son de la circuncisión, sino que también siguen las pisadas de la fe que tuvo nuestro padre Abraham antes de ser circuncidado.
La promesa realizada mediante la fe
13 La promesa de que sería heredero del mundo, fue dada a Abraham o a su descendencia no por la Ley sino por la justicia de la fe, 14 porque si los que son de la Ley son los herederos, vana resulta la fe y anulada la promesa. 15 La ley produce ira; pero donde no hay Ley, tampoco hay transgresión. 16 Por eso, la promesa es fe, para que sea por gracia, a fin de que sea firme para toda su descendencia, no solamente para la que es por la Ley, sino también para la que es de la fe de Abraham. Él es padre de todos nosotros, 17 como está escrito: «Te he puesto por padre de muchas naciones.» Y lo es delante de Dios, a quien creyó, el cual da vida a los muertos y llama las cosas que no son como si fueran.
18 Él creyó en esperanza contra esperanza, para llegar a ser padre de muchas naciones, conforme a lo que se le había dicho: «Así será tu descendencia.» 19 Y su fe no se debilitó al considerar su cuerpo, que estaba ya como muerto (siendo de casi cien años), o la esterilidad de la matriz de Sara. 20 Tampoco dudó, por incredulidad, de la promesa de Dios, sino que se fortaleció por la fe, dando gloria a Dios, 21 plenamente convencido de que era también poderoso para hacer todo lo que había prometido. 22 Por eso, también su fe le fue contada por justicia.
23 Pero no sólo con respecto a él se escribió que le fue contada, 24 sino también con respecto a nosotros a quienes igualmente ha de ser contada, es decir, a los que creemos en aquel que levantó de los muertos a Jesús, Señor nuestro, 25 el cual fue entregado por nuestras transgresiones, y resucitado para nuestra justificación.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.
Copyright © 1995 by United Bible Societies