4[BUT] IF so, what shall we say about Abraham, our forefather humanly speaking--[what did he] find out? [How does this affect his position, and what was gained by him?]G5101G2046G3767G11G2257G3962G2596G4561G2147 2For if Abraham was justified (established as just by acquittal from guilt) by good works [that he did, then] he has grounds for boasting. But not before God!G1063G1487G11G1344G1537G2041G2192G2745G235G3756G4314G2316 3For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God).G1063G5101G3004G1124G1161G11G4100G2316G2532G3049G846G1519G1343 4Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor {or} a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him).G1161G2038G3049G3408G3756G3049G2596G5485G235G2596G3783 5But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).G1161G2038G3361G1161G4100G1909G1344G765G846G4102G3049G1519G1343 6Thus David congratulates the man {and} pronounces a blessing on him to whom God credits righteousness apart from the works he does:G2509G1138G2532G3004G3108G444G3739G2316G3049G1343G5565G2041 7Blessed {and} happy {and} to be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered up {and} completely buried.G3107G3739G458G863G2532G3739G266G1943 8Blessed {and} happy {and} to be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account {nor} reckon it against him.G3107G435G3739G2962G3049G3364G3049G266 9Is this blessing (happiness) then meant only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.G3778G3108G3767G1909G4061G2228G1909G203G2532G1063G3004G3754G4102G3049G11G1519G1343 10How then was it credited [to him]? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.G4459G3049G3767G3049G5607G1722G4061G2228G1722G203G3756G1722G4061G235G1722G203 11He received the mark of circumcision as a token {or} an evidence [and] seal of the righteousness which he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised--[faith] so that he was to be made the father of all who [truly] believe, though without circumcision, and who thus have righteousness (right standing with God) imputed to them {and} credited to their account,G2532G2983G4592G4061G4973G1343G4102G3588G1722G203G1519G846G1511G3962G3956G4100G1223G203G1519G1343G3049G846G2532 12As well as [that he be made] the father of those circumcised persons who are not merely circumcised, but also walk in the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.G2532G3962G4061G3756G1537G4061G3440G235G2532G4748G2487G4102G2257G3962G11G1722G203 13For the promise to Abraham or his posterity, that he should inherit the world, did not come through [observing the commands of] the Law but through the righteousness of faith.G1063G1860G1511G846G2818G2889G3756G11G2228G846G4690G1223G3551G235G1223G1343G4102 14If it is the adherents of the Law who are to be the heirs, then faith is made futile {and} empty of all meaning and the promise [of God] is made void (is annulled and has no power).G1063G1487G1537G3551G2818G4102G2758G2532G1860G2673 15For the Law results in [divine] wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression [of it either].G1063G3551G2716G3709G1063G3757G3756G3551G2076G3761G3847 16Therefore, [inheriting] the promise is the outcome of faith {and} depends [entirely] on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace (unmerited favor), to make it stable {and} valid {and} guaranteed to all his descendants--not only to the devotees {and} adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is [thus] the father of us all.G1223G5124G1537G4102G2443G2596G5485G1519G1860G1511G949G3956G4690G3756G3440G1537G3551G235G2532G1537G4102G11G3739G2076G3962G2257G3956 17As it is written, I have made you the father of many nations. [He was appointed our father] in the sight of God in Whom he believed, Who gives life to the dead and speaks of the nonexistent things that [He has foretold and promised] as if they [already] existed.G2531G1125G3754G5087G4571G3962G4183G1484G2713G3739G4100G2316G2227G3498G2532G2564G5607G3361G5613G5607 18[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.G3739G3844G1680G4100G1909G1680G1519G846G1096G3962G4183G1484G2596G2046G3779G2071G4675G4690G2071 19He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb.G2532G3361G770G4102G2657G3756G1438G4983G2235G3499G5225G4225G1541G2532G3500G4564G3388 20No unbelief {or} distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong {and} was empowered by faith as he gave praise {and} glory to God,G1161G1252G3756G1519G1860G2316G570G235G1743G4102G1325G1391G2316 21Fully satisfied {and} assured that God was able {and} mighty to keep His word {and} to do what He had promised.G2532G4135G3754G3739G1861G2076G1415G2532G4160 22That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).G2532G1352G3049G846G1519G1343 23But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,G1161G1125G3756G1125G1223G846G3440G3754G3049G846 24But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted {and} credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,G235G1223G2248G2532G3739G3195G3049G4100G1909G1453G2424G2257G2962G1537G3498 25Who was betrayed {and} put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].G3739G3860G1223G2257G3900G2532G1453G1223G2257G1347
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