Dual PanelAbraham's faith
1WHAT, then, are we to say about Abraham, our ancestor by natural descent?
2If Abraham was justified by anything he did, then he has grounds for pride. But not in the eyes of God!
3For what does scripture say? “Abraham put his faith in God, and that faith was counted to him as righteousness.”
4Now if someone does a piece of work, his wages are not “counted” to be a gift; they are paid as his due.
5But if someone without any work to his credit simply puts his faith in him who acquits the wrongdoer, then his faith is indeed “counted as righteousness”.
6In the same sense David speaks of the happiness of the man whom God “counts” as righteous, apart from any good works:
7“Happy are they”, he says, “whose lawless deeds are forgiven, whose sins are blotted out;
8happy is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him.”
9Is this happiness confined to the circumcised, or is it for the uncircumcised also? We have just been saying: “Abraham's faith was counted as righteousness.”
10In what circumstances was it so counted? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? He was not yet circumcised, but uncircumcised;
11he received circumcision later as the sign and hallmark of that righteousness which faith had given him while he was still uncircumcised. It follows that he is the father of all who have faith when uncircumcised, and so have righteousness “counted” to them;
12and at the same time he is the father of the circumcised, provided they are not merely circumcised, but also follow that path of faith which our father Abraham trod while he was still uncircumcised.
13It was not through law that Abraham and his descendants were given the promise that the world should be their inheritance, but through righteousness that came from faith.
14If the heirs are those who hold by the law, then faith becomes pointless and the promise goes for nothing;
15law can bring only retribution, and where there is no law there can be no breach of law.
16The promise was made on the ground of faith in order that it might be a matter of sheer grace, and that it might be valid for all Abraham's descendants, not only for those who hold by the law, but also for those who have Abraham's faith. For he is the father of us all,
17as scripture says: “I have appointed you to be father of many nations.” In the presence of God, the God who makes the dead live and calls into being things that are not, Abraham had faith.
18When hope seemed hopeless, his faith was such that he became “father of many nations”, in fulfilment of the promise, “So shall your descendants be.”
19His faith did not weaken when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (for he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb;
20no distrust made him doubt God's promise, but, strong in faith, he gave glory to God,
21convinced that what he had promised he was able to do.
22And that is why Abraham's faith was “counted to him as righteousness”.
23The words “counted to him” were meant to apply not only to Abraham
24but to us; our faith too is to be “counted”, the faith in the God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25for he was given up to death for our misdeeds, and raised to life for our justification.