Romans 4
4
The Faith of Abraham
1Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God? 2If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. 3For the Scriptures tell us, “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.”#4:3 Gen 15:6.
4When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. 6David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
7“Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”#4:7-8 Ps 32:1-2 (Greek version).
9Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles?#4:9 Greek is this blessing only for the circumcised, or is it also for the uncircumcised? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. 10But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!
11Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. 12And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.
13Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. 14If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. 15For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)
16So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. 17That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.”#4:17 Gen 17:5. This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
18Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!”#4:18 Gen 15:5. 19And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.
20Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 22And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. 23And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded 24for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 25He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
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Romans 4: NLT
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Romans 4
4
Abraham Justified by Faith. 1What then can we say that Abraham found, our ancestor according to the flesh?#Gal 3:6–9. 2#Rom 4:2 corresponds to Rom 4:4, and Rom 4:3–5. The Greek term here rendered credited means “made an entry.” The context determines whether it is credit or debit. Rom 4:8 speaks of “recording sin” as a debit. Paul’s repeated use of accountants’ terminology in this and other passages can be traced both to the Old Testament texts he quotes and to his business activity as a tentmaker. The commercial term in Gn 15:6, “credited it to him,” reminds Paul in Rom 4:7–8 of Ps 32:2, in which the same term is used and applied to forgiveness of sins. Thus Paul is able to argue that Abraham’s faith involved receipt of forgiveness of sins and that all believers benefit as he did through faith. Indeed, if Abraham was justified on the basis of his works, he has reason to boast; but this was not so in the sight of God. 3#Gn 15:6; Gal 3:6; Jas 2:14, 20–24. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”#Jas 2:24 appears to conflict with Paul’s statement. However, James combats the error of extremists who used the doctrine of justification through faith as a screen for moral self-determination. Paul discusses the subject of holiness in greater detail than does James and beginning with Rom 6 shows how justification through faith introduces one to the gift of a new life in Christ through the power of the holy Spirit. 4A worker’s wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due.#11:6. 5But when one does not work, yet believes in the one who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6So also David declares the blessedness of the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven#Ps 32:1–2.
and whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not record.”
9Does this blessedness#Blessedness: evidence of divine favor. apply only to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? Now we assert that “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”#4:3. 10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was he circumcised or not? He was not circumcised, but uncircumcised. 11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal on the righteousness received through faith while he was uncircumcised. Thus he was to be the father of all the uncircumcised who believe, so that to them [also] righteousness might be credited,#Gn 17:10–11; Gal 3:6–8. 12as well as the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but also follow the path of faith that our father Abraham walked while still uncircumcised.
Inheritance Through Faith. 13It was not through the law that the promise was made to Abraham and his descendants that he would inherit the world, but through the righteousness that comes from faith.#Gn 12:7; 18:18; 22:17–18; Sir 44:21; Gal 3:16–18, 29. 14For if those who adhere to the law are the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.#Gal 3:18. 15For the law produces wrath;#3:20; 5:13; 7:8; Gal 3:19. but where there is no law, neither is there violation.#Law has the negative function of bringing the deep-seated rebellion against God to the surface in specific sins; see note on Rom 1:18–32. 16For this reason, it depends on faith, so that it may be a gift, and the promise may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not to those who only adhere to the law but to those who follow the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us,#Sir 44:19; Gal 3:7–9. 17as it is written, “I have made you father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not exist.#Gn 17:5; Heb 11:19 / Is 48:13. 18He believed, hoping against hope,#Gn 15:5. that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “Thus shall your descendants be.” 19#Gn 17:17; Heb 11:11. He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body as [already] dead (for he was almost a hundred years old) and the dead womb of Sarah. 20He did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;#He did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief: any doubts Abraham might have had were resolved in commitment to God’s promise. Heb 11:8–12 emphasizes the faith of Abraham and Sarah. rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God 21and was fully convinced that what he had promised he was also able to do.#Gn 18:14; Lk 1:37. 22That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”#Gn 15:6. 23But it was not for him alone that it was written that “it was credited to him”; 24it was also for us, to whom it will be credited, who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,#10:9; 1 Pt 1:21. 25who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.#Is 53:4–5, 12; 1 Cor 15:17; 1 Pt 1:3 / 8:11.
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