1 W hat about Abraham, our early father? What did he learn?

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 I f Abraham was made right with God by what he did, he would have had something to be proud of. But he could not be proud before God.

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 T he Holy Writings say, “Abraham put his trust in God and that made him right with God.”

For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

4 I f a man works, his pay is not a gift. It is something he has earned.

Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

5 I f a man has not worked to be saved, but has put his trust in God Who saves men from the punishment of their sins, that man is made right with God because of his trust in God.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

6 D avid tells of this. He spoke of how happy the man is who puts his trust in God without working to be saved from the punishment of sin.

Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

7 “ Those people are happy whose sinful acts are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 T hose people are happy whose sins the Lord will not remember.”

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

9 I s this happiness given to the Jews only? Or is it given also to the people who are not Jews? We say again, “Abraham put his trust in God and that made him right with God.”

Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 W hen did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham went through the religious act of becoming a Jew? It was before.

How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 H e went through the religious act after he had put his trust in God. That religious act proved that his trust in God made him right with God even before he went through the religious act of becoming a Jew. In that way, it made him the early father of all those who believe. It showed that those who did not go through the religious act of becoming a Jew could be right with God.

And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 H e is also the early father of all those who have gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew. It is not because they went through the act. It is because they put their trust in God the same as Abraham did before he went through the religious act of becoming a Jew.

and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 G od promised to give the world to him and to all his family after him. He did not make this promise because Abraham obeyed the Law. He promised to give the world to Abraham because he put his trust in God. This made him right with God.

For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 I f those who obey the Law are to get the world, then a person putting his trust in God means nothing. God’s promise to Abraham would be worth nothing.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 G od’s anger comes on a man when he does not obey the Law. But if there were no Law, then no one could break it.

because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 S o God’s promise is given to us because we put our trust in Him. We can be sure of it. It is because of His loving-favor to us. It is for all the family of Abraham. It is for those who obey the Law. It is for those who put their trust in God as Abraham did. In this way, he is the father of all Christians.

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

17 T he Holy Writings say, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This promise is good because of Who God is. He makes the dead live again. He speaks, and something is made out of nothing.

(as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

18 A braham believed he would be the father of many nations. He had no reason to hope for this, but he had been told, “Your children will become many nations.”

Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

19 A braham was about one hundred years old. His body was about dead, but his faith in God was not weak when he thought of his body. His faith was not weak when he thought of his wife Sarah being past the age of having children.

And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara’s womb:

20 A braham did not doubt God’s promise. His faith in God was strong, and he gave thanks to God.

he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

21 H e was sure God was able to do what He had promised.

and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

22 A braham put his trust in God and was made right with Him.

And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

23 T he words, “He was made right with God,” were not for Abraham only.

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

24 T hey were for us also. God will make us right with Himself the same way He did Abraham, if we put our trust in God Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

25 J esus died for our sins. He was raised from the dead to make us right with God.

who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.