Romans (Rom) 4
4
1Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts? 2For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God! 3For what does the Tanakh say? “Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.” 4Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him. 5However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness.
6In the same way, the blessing which David pronounces is on those whom God credits with righteousness apart from legalistic observances:
7“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered over;
8Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai
will not reckon against his account.”
9Now is this blessing for the circumcised only? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say that Avraham’s trust was credited to his account as righteousness; 10but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! 11In fact, he received circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness he had been credited with on the ground of the trust he had while he was still uncircumcised. This happened so that he could be the father of every uncircumcised person who trusts and thus has righteousness credited to him, 12and at the same time be the father of every circumcised person who not only has had a b’rit-milah, but also follows in the footsteps of the trust which Avraham avinu had when he was still uncircumcised.
13For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. 14For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless. 15For what law brings is punishment. But where there is no law, there is also no violation.
16The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. 17This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.” Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence. 18For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.” 19His trust did not waver when he considered his own body — which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old — or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too. 20He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God, 21for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish. 22This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness.
23But the words, “it was credited to his account . . . ,” were not written for him only. 24They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead — 25Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous.
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Romans (Rom) 4: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleRomans 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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