Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Promise Was Not Through The Law But Faith, Making It Firm To All

¹³ For the promise to Abraham or to his seed^[a] that he should be the inheritor of the world was not through the Law^[b], but through the righteousness of faith! ¹⁴ For if the ones of the Law are inheritors, faith has been made-empty^[c] and the promise has been nullified^[d]. ¹⁵ For the Law brings-about wrath. But where there is no Law, neither is there transgression^[e]. ¹⁶ For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be based on grace, so that the promise might be firm^[f] to all the seed— not to the seed of the Law only^[g], but also to the seed of the faith of Abraham,

Abraham Is The Father of All Who Believe

... who is the father of us all— ¹⁷ just as it has been written [in Gen 17:5] that “I have made you a father of many nations”— before God^[h] Whom he believed, the One giving-life-to the dead and calling the things not being as^[i] being,

He Believed God’s Promise, Contrary To All His Human Circumstances

¹⁸ ... who believed contrary-to^[j] hope, upon hope, so that he might become^[k] the father of many nations in accordance with the thing having been spoken [in Gen 15:5]: “So shall your seed be”. ¹⁹ And not having weakened in faith, he considered^[l] his own body already having become impotent^[m], being about a hundred years old, and the deadness of the womb of Sarah. ²⁰ But he did not waver in unbelief with reference to the promise of God, but became-strong in faith— having given glory to God, ²¹ and having been fully-convinced that what He had promised He was able also to do.

His Faith Was Credited To Him As Righteousness, And So Is Ours

²² Therefore indeed it was credited to him for righteousness. ²³ And it was not written for his sake only that it was credited to him, ²⁴ but also for our sake to whom it is going-to be credited— the ones putting-faith upon the One having raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵ Who was handed-over for^[n] our trespasses and was raised for^[o] our justification.

Jesus Calls Matthew The Tax Collector And Eats With His Friends. I Came For Sinners

⁹ And while Jesus was passing on from there, He saw a man sitting at the tax-office, being called Matthew. And He says to him, “Be following Me!” And having stood up, he followed Him. ¹⁰ And it came about while He was reclining-back [to eat] in the^[a] house that behold— many tax-collectors and sinners^[b], having come, were reclining-back-with Jesus and His disciples. ¹¹ And having seen it, the Pharisees were saying to His disciples, “For what reason is your Teacher eating with the tax-collectors and sinners?” ¹² And the One, having heard it, said, “The ones being strong have no need of a physician, but the ones being ill. ¹³ But having gone, learn what it means [in Hos 6:6]: ‘I desire mercy, and not a sacrifice’. For I did not come to call righteous ones, but sinners”.

Jesus Raises a Girl After a Public Request, And Heals a Woman With a Secret Request

¹⁸ While He was speaking these things to them, behold— one [synagogue] official, having come, was prostrating-himself before Him, saying that “My daughter just-now came-to-an-end^[a]. But having come, lay Your hand on her, and she will live”. ¹⁹ And having arisen, Jesus followed him, and [so did] His disciples. ²⁰ And behold— a woman having-a-bloody-discharge^[b] for twelve years, having approached from behind, touched the tassel of His garment. ²¹ For she was saying within herself, “If I only touch His garment, I will be restored^[c]”. ²² But Jesus, having turned and having seen her, said, “Take-courage, daughter. Your faith has restored you”. And the woman was restored from that hour. ²³ And Jesus, having come into the house of the official, and having seen the flute-players and the crowd being thrown-into-a-commotion^[d], ²⁴ was saying “Go away. For the little-girl did not die, but is sleeping”. And they were laughing-scornfully at Him. ²⁵ But when the crowd was put out, having gone in, He took-hold-of her hand and the little girl arose. ²⁶ And this news went out into that whole land.