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

¿Qué diremos, entonces, que halló Abraham, nuestro padre (antepasado) según la carne ?

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.

Porque si Abraham fue justificado por las obras, tiene de qué jactarse, pero no para con Dios.

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

Porque ¿qué dice la Escritura? “Y creyo Abraham a Dios, y le fue contado por justicia.”

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

Ahora bien, al que trabaja, el salario no se le cuenta como favor, sino como deuda;

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.

pero al que no trabaja, pero cree en Aquél que justifica al impío, su fe se le cuenta por justicia.

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.

Como también David habla de la bendición que viene sobre el hombre a quien Dios atribuye justicia aparte de las obras:

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

“ Bienaventurados aquellos cuyas iniquidades han sido perdonadas, y cuyos pecados han sido cubiertos.

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

Bienaventurado el hombre cuyo pecado el Señor no tomara en cuenta.”

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.”

¿Es, pues, esta bendición sólo para los circuncisos, o también para los incircuncisos ? Porque decimos: “A Abraham, la fe le fue contada por justicia.”

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

Entonces, ¿cómo le fue contada? ¿Siendo circunciso o incircunciso ? No siendo circunciso, sino siendo incircunciso.

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.

Abraham recibió la señal de la circuncisión como sello de la justicia de la fe que tenía mientras aún era incircunciso, para que fuera padre de todos los que creen sin ser circuncidados, a fin de que la justicia también se les tome en cuenta a ellos.

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.

También Abraham es padre de la circuncisión para aquéllos que no solamente son de la circuncisión, sino que también siguen en los pasos de la fe que tenía nuestro padre Abraham cuando era incircunciso. La Promesa Cumplida por la Fe

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.

Porque la promesa a Abraham o a su descendencia de que él sería heredero del mundo, no fue hecha por medio de la Ley, sino por medio de la justicia de la fe.

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.

Porque si los que son de la Ley son herederos, vana resulta la fe y anulada la promesa.

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.

Porque la Ley produce ira, pero donde no hay ley, tampoco hay transgresión.

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.

Por eso es por fe, para que esté de acuerdo con la gracia, a fin de que la promesa sea firme para toda la posteridad, no sólo a los que son de la Ley, sino también a los que son de la fe de Abraham, quien es padre de todos nosotros.

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.

Como está escrito: “ Te he hecho padre de muchas naciones,” delante de Aquél en quien creyó, es decir Dios, que da vida a los muertos y llama a las cosas que no son, como si fueran.

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.”

Abraham creyó en esperanza contra esperanza, a fin de llegar a ser padre de muchas naciones, conforme a lo que se le había dicho: “ Asi sera tu descendencia.”

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.

Y sin debilitarse en la fe contempló su propio cuerpo, que ya estaba como muerto puesto que tenía como cien años, y también la esterilidad de la matriz de Sara.

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

Sin embargo, respecto a la promesa de Dios, Abraham no titubeó con incredulidad, sino que se fortaleció en fe, dando gloria a Dios,

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

estando plenamente convencido de que lo que Dios había prometido, poderoso era también para cumplirlo.

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

Por lo cual también su fe le fue contada por justicia. Justificación para Todos los que Creen

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

Y no sólo por él fue escrito que le fue contada,

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.

sino también por nosotros, a quienes será contada, como los que creen en Aquél que levantó de los muertos a Jesús nuestro Señor,

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

que fue entregado por causa de nuestras transgresiones y resucitado para nuestra justificación.