< Romans 4 >
1 What then, it may be asked, are we to say about Abraham, the ancestor of our nation?
What then shall we say that Abraham, our earthly forefather, has gained?
2 If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.
For if he was held to be righteous on the ground of his actions, he has something to boast of; but not in the presence of God.
3 For what are the words of scripture? ‘Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.’
For what says the Scripture? "And Abraham believed God, and this was placed to his credit as righteousness."
4 Now wages are regarded as due to the person who works, not as a favor, but as a debt;
But in the case of a man who works, pay is not reckoned a favour but a debt;
5 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.
whereas in the case of a man who pleads no actions of his own, but simply believes in Him who declares the ungodly free from guilt, his faith is placed to his credit as righteousness.
6 In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced on the person who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions –
In this way David also tells of the blessedness of the man to whose credit God places righteousness, apart from his actions.
7 ‘Blessed are those whose wrongdoings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!
"Blessed," he says, "are those whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over.
8 Blessed the man whom the Lord will never regard as sinful!’
Blessed is the man of whose sin the Lord will not take account."
9 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.’
This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith--so we affirm--was placed to his credit as righteousness.
10 Under what circumstances, then, did this take place? After his circumcision or before it?
What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?
11 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;
Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised--in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;
12 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.
and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.
13 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.
Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness.
14 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!
For if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing.
15 Law entails punishment; but, where no Law exists, no breach of it is possible.
For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law.
16 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;
All depends on faith, and for this reason--that acceptance with God might be an act of pure grace,
17 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.
so that the promise should be made sure to all Abraham's true descendants; not merely to those who are righteous through the Law, but to those who are righteous through a faith like that of Abraham. Thus in the sight of God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and makes reference to things that do not exist, as though they did, Abraham is the forefather of all of us. As it is written, "I have appointed you to be the forefather of many nations."
18 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.’
Under utterly hopeless circumstances he hopefully believed, so that he might become the forefather of many nations, in agreement with the words "Equally numerous shall your posterity be."
19 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.
And, without growing weak in faith, he could contemplate his own vital powers which had now decayed--for he was nearly 100 years old--and Sarah's barrenness.
20 He was not led by want of faith to doubt God’s promise.
Nor did he in unbelief stagger at God's promise, but became mighty in faith, giving glory to God,
21 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.
and being absolutely certain that whatever promise He is bound by He is able also to make good.
22 And therefore his faith ‘was regarded as righteousness.’
For this reason also his faith was placed to his credit as righteousness.
23 Now these words – ‘it was regarded as righteousness’ – were not written with reference to Abraham only;
Nor was the fact of its being placed to his credit put on record for his sake only;
24 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;
it was for our sakes too. Faith, before long, will be placed to the credit of us also who are believers in Him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,
25 for Jesus was given up to death to atone for our offenses, and was raised to life that we might be pronounced righteous.
who was surrendered to death because of the offences we had committed, and was raised to life because of the acquittal secured for us.