romiNaH 4
1 asmAkaM pUrvvapuruSa ibrAhIm kAyikakriyayA kiM labdhavAn etadadhi kiM vadiSyAmaH?
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?”
2 sa yadi nijakriyAbhyaH sapuNyo bhavet tarhi tasyAtmazlAghAM karttuM panthA bhavediti satyaM, kintvIzvarasya samIpe nahi|
For if Abraham was set right by what he did, he would have had something to boast about—but not in God's eyes.
3 zAstre kiM likhati? ibrAhIm Izvare vizvasanAt sa vizvAsastasmai puNyArthaM gaNito babhUva|
However, what does Scripture say? “Abraham trusted God, and so he was considered as being a good person who did right.”
4 karmmakAriNo yad vetanaM tad anugrahasya phalaM nahi kintu tenopArjitaM mantavyam|
Whoever works gets paid—it's not considered as a gift, but because they've earned their wages.
5 kintu yaH pApinaM sapuNyIkaroti tasmin vizvAsinaH karmmahInasya janasya yo vizvAsaH sa puNyArthaM gaNyo bhavati|
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
6 aparaM yaM kriyAhInam IzvaraH sapuNyIkaroti tasya dhanyavAdaM dAyUd varNayAmAsa, yathA,
David speaks of the happiness of those whom God considers as right, and not because they worked for it:
7 sa dhanyo'ghAni mRSTAni yasyAgAMsyAvRtAni ca|
“How happy are those whose wrongs are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 sa ca dhanyaH parezena pApaM yasya na gaNyate|
How happy are those the Lord does not consider sinful.”
9 eSa dhanyavAdastvakchedinam atvakchedinaM vA kaM prati bhavati? ibrAhImo vizvAsaH puNyArthaM gaNita iti vayaM vadAmaH|
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.
10 sa vizvAsastasya tvakcheditvAvasthAyAM kim atvakcheditvAvasthAyAM kasmin samaye puNyamiva gaNitaH? tvakcheditvAvasthAyAM nahi kintvatvakcheditvAvasthAyAM|
But when did this happen? When Abraham was a Jew or before?
11 aparaJca sa yat sarvveSAm atvakchedinAM vizvAsinAm AdipuruSo bhavet, te ca puNyavattvena gaNyeran;
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.
12 ye ca lokAH kevalaM chinnatvaco na santo 'smatpUrvvapuruSa ibrAhIm achinnatvak san yena vizvAsamArgeNa gatavAn tenaiva tasya pAdacihnena gacchanti teSAM tvakchedinAmapyAdipuruSo bhavet tadartham atvakchedino mAnavasya vizvAsAt puNyam utpadyata iti pramANasvarUpaM tvakchedacihnaM sa prApnot|
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.
13 ibrAhIm jagato'dhikArI bhaviSyati yaiSA pratijJA taM tasya vaMzaJca prati pUrvvam akriyata sA vyavasthAmUlikA nahi kintu vizvAsajanyapuNyamUlikA|
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.
14 yato vyavasthAvalambino yadyadhikAriNo bhavanti tarhi vizvAso viphalo jAyate sA pratijJApi luptaiva|
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.
15 adhikantu vyavasthA kopaM janayati yato 'vidyamAnAyAM vyavasthAyAm AjJAlaGghanaM na sambhavati|
For the law results in punishment—but if there's no law then it cannot be broken.
16 ataeva sA pratijJA yad anugrahasya phalaM bhavet tadarthaM vizvAsamUlikA yatastathAtve tadvaMzasamudAyaM prati arthato ye vyavasthayA tadvaMzasambhavAH kevalaM tAn prati nahi kintu ya ibrAhImIyavizvAsena tatsambhavAstAnapi prati sA pratijJA sthAsnurbhavati|
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.
17 yo nirjIvAn sajIvAn avidyamAnAni vastUni ca vidyamAnAni karoti ibrAhImo vizvAsabhUmestasyezvarasya sAkSAt so'smAkaM sarvveSAm AdipuruSa Aste, yathA likhitaM vidyate, ahaM tvAM bahujAtInAm AdipuruSaM kRtvA niyuktavAn|
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.
18 tvadIyastAdRzo vaMzo janiSyate yadidaM vAkyaM pratizrutaM tadanusArAd ibrAhIm bahudezIyalokAnAm AdipuruSo yad bhavati tadarthaM so'napekSitavyamapyapekSamANo vizvAsaM kRtavAn|
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!”
19 aparaJca kSINavizvAso na bhUtvA zatavatsaravayaskatvAt svazarIrasya jarAM sArAnAmnaH svabhAryyAyA rajonivRttiJca tRNAya na mene|
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.
20 aparam avizvAsAd Izvarasya pratijJAvacane kamapi saMzayaM na cakAra;
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.
21 kintvIzvareNa yat pratizrutaM tat sAdhayituM zakyata iti nizcitaM vijJAya dRDhavizvAsaH san Izvarasya mahimAnaM prakAzayAJcakAra|
He was totally convinced that what God had promised he had the power to deliver.
22 iti hetostasya sa vizvAsastadIyapuNyamiva gaNayAJcakre|
That's why Abraham was considered right by God.
23 puNyamivAgaNyata tat kevalasya tasya nimittaM likhitaM nahi, asmAkaM nimittamapi,
The words “Abraham was considered right” weren't just written down for his benefit.
24 yato'smAkaM pApanAzArthaM samarpito'smAkaM puNyaprAptyarthaJcotthApito'bhavat yo'smAkaM prabhu ryIzustasyotthApayitarIzvare
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.
25 yadi vayaM vizvasAmastarhyasmAkamapi saeva vizvAsaH puNyamiva gaNayiSyate|
Jesus was handed over to die because of our sins, and was raised to life to make us right.
