1 ¿ QUÉ, pues, diremos que halló Abraham nuestro padre según la carne?

What about Abraham, our early father? What did he learn?

2 Q ue si Abraham fué justificado por la obras, tiene de qué gloriarse; mas no para con Dios.

If 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.

3 P orque ¿qué dice la Escritura? Y creyó Abraham á Dios, y le fué atribuído á justicia.

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

4 E mpero al que obra, no se le cuenta el salario por merced, sino por deuda.

If a man works, his pay is not a gift. It is something he has earned.

5 M as al que no obra, pero cree en aquél que justifica al impío, la fe le es contada por justicia.

If 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.

6 C omo también David dice ser bienaventurado el hombre al cual Dios atribuye justicia sin obras,

David 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.

7 D iciendo: Bienaventurados aquellos cuyas iniquidades son perdonadas, Y cuyos pecados son cubiertos.

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

8 B ienaventurado el varón al cual el Señor no imputó pecado.

Those people are happy whose sins the Lord will not remember.”

9 ¿ Es pues esta bienaventuranza solamente en la circuncisión ó también en la incircuncisión? porque decimos que á Abraham fué contada la fe por justicia.

Is 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.”

10 ¿ Cómo pues le fué contada? ¿en la circuncisión, ó en la incircuncisión? No en la circuncisión, sino en la incircuncisión.

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

11 Y recibió la circuncisión por señal, por sello de la justicia de la fe que tuvo en la incircuncisión: para que fuese padre de todos los creyentes no circuncidados, para que también á ellos les sea contado por justicia;

He 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.

12 Y padre de la circuncisión, no solamente á los que son de la circuncisión, más también á los que siguen las pisadas de la fe que fué en nuestro padre Abraham antes de ser circuncidado.

He 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.

13 P orque no por la ley fué dada la promesa á Abraham ó á su simiente, que sería heredero del mundo, sino por la justicia de la fe.

God 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.

14 P orque si los que son de la ley son los herederos, vana es la fe, y anulada es la promesa.

If 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.

15 P orque la ley obra ira; porque donde no hay ley, tampoco hay transgresión.

God’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.

16 P or tanto es por la fe, para que sea por gracia; para que la promesa sea firme á toda simiente, no solamente al que es de la ley, mas también al que es de la fe de Abraham, el cual es padre de todos nosotros.

So 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.

17 ( Como está escrito: Que por padre de muchas gentes te he puesto) delante de Dios, al cual creyó; el cual da vida á los muertos, y llama las cosas que no son, como las que son.

The 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.

18 E l creyó en esperanza contra esperanza, para venir á ser padre de muchas gentes, conforme á lo que le había sido dicho: Así será tu simiente.

Abraham 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.”

19 Y no se enflaqueció en la fe, ni consideró su cuerpo ya muerto (siendo ya de casi cien años,) ni la matriz muerta de Sara;

Abraham 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.

20 T ampoco en la promesa de Dios dudó con desconfianza: antes fué esforzado en fe, dando gloria á Dios,

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

21 P lenamente convencido de que todo lo que había prometido, era también poderoso para hacerlo.

He was sure God was able to do what He had promised.

22 P or lo cual también le fué atribuído á justicia.

Abraham put his trust in God and was made right with Him.

23 Y no solamente por él fué escrito que le haya sido imputado;

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

24 S ino también por nosotros, á quienes será imputado, esto es, á los que creemos en el que levantó de los muertos á Jesús Señor nuestro,

They 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.

25 E l cual fué entregado por nuestros delitos, y resucitado para nuestra justificación

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