CHAPTER 4

Abraham and David’s Faith Counted as Righteousness

1 What then shall we say that Abraham, 1our forefather aaccording to the flesh, has found?

2 For if Abraham was justified 1by works, he has something to boast about—but anot 2before God!

3 For what does the Scripture say? “aAbraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

4 Now to the one who aworks, his wage is not counted according to grace, but according to what is due.

5 But to the one who does not work, but abelieves upon Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

7 “aBlessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven,

And whose sins have been covered.

8 “aBlessed is the man whose sin the 1Lord will not btake into account.”

9 Therefore, is this blessing on 1athe circumcised, or on 2the uncircumcised also? For bwe say, “cFaith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.”

10 How then was it counted? While he was 1circumcised, or 2uncircumcised? Not while 3circumcised, but while 4uncircumcised;

11 and he areceived the sign of circumcision, ba seal of the righteousness of the faith which 1he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be cthe father of dall who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be counted to them,

12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which 1he had while uncircumcised.

13 For athe promise to Abraham or to his seed bthat he would be heir of the world was not 1through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For aif those who are 1of the Law are heirs, faith has been made empty and the promise has been abolished;

15 for athe Law brings about wrath, but bwhere there is no law, there also is no trespass.

16 For this reason it is 1by faith, in order that it may be according to agrace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to ball the seed, not only to 2those who are of the Law, but also to 3cthose who are of the faith of Abraham, who is dthe father of us all—

17 as it is written, “aA father of many nations have I made you”—in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, bwho gives life to the dead and 1ccalls into being dthat which does not exist.

18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become aa father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “bSo shall your seed be.”

19 And without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now aas good as dead since bhe was about a hundred years old, and cthe deadness of Sarah’s womb;

20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, agiving glory to God,

21 and abeing fully assured that bwhat God had promised, He was able also to do.

22 Therefore ait was also counted to him as righteousness.

23 Now anot for his sake only was it written that it was counted to him,

24 but for our sake also, to whom it will be counted, as those awho believe upon Him who braised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

25 He who was adelivered over on account of our transgressions, and was braised on account of our justification.