Romans 4

The Example of Abraham

1What then shall we say # Ro 3:5; 6:15; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14, 30 that Abraham, our father # Ro 4:16 according to the flesh, has found? 2If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. # 1Co 1:31 3What does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” # Ge 15:6; Ro 4:9 # 4:3 Ge 15:6.

4Now to him who works, # Ro 11:6 wages are not given as a gift, but as a debt. 5But to him who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. # Ro 3:22 6Even David describes the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness without works:

7“Blessed are those

whose iniquities are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered; # Ps 32:1–2

8blessed is the man

to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” # 4:7–8 Ps 32:1–2.

9Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? We are saying that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. # Ro 4:3 10How then was it credited? When he was in circumcision? Or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while being uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all those who believe, # Lk 19:9; Ro 3:22 though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them also, 12and the father of circumcision to those who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he had while still being uncircumcised.

The Promise Received Through Faith

13It was not through the law that Abraham and his descendants received the promise that he would be the heir of the world, # Ge 17:4–6; Gal 3:29 but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if those who are of the law become heirs, faith would be made void and the promise nullified, 15because the law produces wrath, # Gal 3:10 for where there is no law, there is no offense. # Ro 5:13

16Therefore the promise comes through faith, so that it might be by grace, that the promise would be certain to all the descendants, # Ro 9:8; 15:8 not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations” # Ge 17:5 # 4:17 Ge 17:5. ) before God whom he believed, and who raises the dead, # Jn 5:21 and calls those things that do not exist as though they did. # 1Co 1:28

18Against all hope, he believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” # 4:18 Ge 15:5. 19And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body to be dead (when he was about a hundred years old), nor yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb. # Ge 17:17 20He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21and being fully persuaded that what God had promised, He was able to perform. # Ge 18:14; Heb 11:19 22Therefore “it was credited to him as righteousness.” # Ro 4:3 # 4:22 Ge 15:6. 23Now the words, “it was credited to him,” were not written for his sake only, # Ro 15:4; 1Co 10:11 24but also for us, to whom it shall be credited if we believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, # Ac 2:24; 1Pe 1:21 25who was delivered for our transgressions, # Isa 53:5–6; Mt 20:28 and was raised for our justification.

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