Book of Common Prayer

What About Abraham?

4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according-to^[a] the flesh, has found? ² For if Abraham was declared-righteous by works, he has a boast— but not before God.

His Righteousness Came By Faith

³ For what does the Scripture say?— “And Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness” [Gen 15:6]. ⁴ Now to the one working, the wages are not credited to him based-on grace, but based on debt. ⁵ But to the one not working but putting-faith upon the One declaring the ungodly righteous— his faith is credited for righteousness. ⁶ Just as David also says [in Ps 32:1-2] as to the blessedness of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ⁷ “Blessed are the ones whose lawless-deeds were forgiven and whose sins were covered. ⁸ Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count”.

This Occurred Prior To Circumcision

⁹ So is this blessedness upon the circumcised, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say “Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness”. ¹⁰ How then was it credited— to one being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! ¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of ^[b] faith while in uncircumcision, so that he might be^[c] the father of all the ones believing through uncircumcision— so that righteousness might be credited also to them— ¹² and the father of the circumcised to the ones not of circumcision only, but indeed the ones walking-in-line in the footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham while he was in uncircumcision.

It Is Hard For The Rich To Enter. But All Who Leave Anything Will Inherit More

²³ And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you that a rich one will enter with-difficulty into the kingdom of the heavens. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier that a camel go through a hole of a needle^[a] than^[b] that a rich one enter into the kingdom of God”. ²⁵ And having heard it, the disciples were extremely astounded, saying, “Who then can be saved?” ²⁶ And having looked at them, Jesus said to them, “With humans, this is impossible. But with God, all things are possible”. ²⁷ Then Peter, having responded, said to Him, “Behold— we left everything and followed You. What then will there be for us?” ²⁸ And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that you, the ones having followed Me— at the regeneration^[c] when the Son of Man sits on the throne^[d] of His glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones, judging^[e] the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for the sake of My name will receive a hundred-fold^[f], and will inherit eternal life.

The First In This World Will Be Last And The Last Will Be First

³⁰ “But many first^[g] ones will be last, and last ones, first.