Romans 4
1 Let's take Abraham as an example. From a human viewpoint he is the father of our nation. Let's ask, “What was his experience?”
What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
2 For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.
If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
3 However, what does Scripture say? “Abraham trusted God, and so he was considered as being a good person who did right.”
For what are the words of scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
4 Whoever works gets paid—it's not considered as a gift, but because they've earned their wages.
Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favor, but as a debt;
5 But God, who makes sinners right, considers them as right not because they've worked for it but because they trust in him. This is why
while, as for the person who does not rely on their obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, their faith is regarded by God as righteousness.
6 David speaks of the happiness of those whom God considers as right, and not because they worked for it:
In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced on the person who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions –
7 “How happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
‘Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
8 How happy are those the Lord does not consider sinful.”
Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
9 Now is this blessing just for the Jews, or is it for others too? We've just stated that Abraham was accepted as good and right because he trusted God.
Is this blessing, then, pronounced on the circumcised only or on the uncircumcised as well? We say that – ‘Abraham’s faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
10 But when did this happen? When Abraham was a Jew or before?
Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
11 It was actually before he became a Jew by being circumcised, which was a confirmation of his trust in God to make him right. This happened before he was circumcised, so he is the father of everyone who trusts in God and are considered as right by God, even though they may not be circumcised Jews.
Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision – to show the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man – in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, so that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;
12 He is also the father of circumcised Jews not merely because they're circumcised, but because they follow the example of the trust in God our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
as well as father of the circumcised – to those who are not only circumcised, but who also follow our father Abraham in that faith which he had while still uncircumcised.
13 God's promise to Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him was not based on his keeping of the law, but because he was made right through his trust in God.
For the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his descendants through Law, but through the righteousness due to faith.
14 For if the promised inheritance is based on keeping the law, then the issue of trusting God is not necessary, and the promise is pointless.
If those who take their stand on Law are to inherit the world, then faith is robbed of its meaning and the promise comes to nothing!
15 For the law results in punishment—but if there's no law then it cannot be broken.
Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
16 So the promise is based on trusting God. It is provided as a free gift, guaranteed to all the children of Abraham—not merely to those who follow the law, but also to those who trust like Abraham, the father of us all.
That is why everything is made to depend on faith: so that everything may be God’s gift, and in order that the fulfillment of the promise may be made certain for all Abraham’s descendants – not only for those who take their stand on the Law, but also for those who take their stand on the faith of Abraham. (He is the father of us all;
17 As Scripture says, “I've made you the father of many nations.” For in the presence of God, Abraham trusted in the God who makes the dead alive and speaks into existence what didn't previously exist.
as scripture says – ‘I have made you the father of many nations.’) And this they do in the sight of that God in whom Abraham had faith, and who gives life to the dead, and speaks of what does not yet exist as if it did.
18 Against all hope Abraham in hope trusted God, so he could become the father of many peoples, just as God had promised him: “This is how many descendants you'll have!”
With no ground for hope, Abraham, sustained by hope, put faith in God; in order that, in fulfillment of the words – ‘So many will your descendants be,’ he might become ‘the father of many nations.’
19 His trust in God didn't weaken even though he thought his body was practically dead (he was around a hundred years old), and knew that Sarah was too old to have children.
Though he was nearly a hundred years old, yet his faith did not fail him, even when he thought of his own body, then utterly worn out, and remembered that Sarah was past bearing children.
20 He held on to God's promise—he didn't doubt it. Instead his trust in God grew stronger, and he gave glory to God.
He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
21 He was totally convinced that what God had promised he had the power to deliver.
On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.
22 That's why Abraham was considered right by God.
And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
23 The words “Abraham was considered right” weren't just written down for his benefit.
Now these words – ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
24 They were for us too, those of us who will be considered as right, since we trust in God who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.
but also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;
25 Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to make us right.
for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offenses, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
