Chapter 4
Abraham Justified by Faith
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What then shall we say [that] Abraham, our forefather according to [the] flesh, has discovered?
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν Ἀβραὰμ ἡμῶν τὸν προπάτορα κατὰ σάρκα εὑρηκέναι Ti oun eroumen Abraam hēmōn ton propatora kata sarka heurēkenai — NA/TR · 1
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If Abraham vvv was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
εἰ Ἀβραὰμ γὰρ ἐδικαιώθη ἐξ ἔργων ἔχει καύχημα ἀλλ’ οὐ πρὸς Θεόν ei Abraam gar edikaiōthē ex ergōn echei kauchēma all’ ou pros Theon — NA/TR · 2
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For what {does} the Scripture say? “- Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
γὰρ τί ἡ γραφὴ λέγει δὲ Ἀβραὰμ Ἐπίστευσεν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην gar ti hē graphē legei de Abraam Episteusen tō Theō kai elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn — NA/TR · 3
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Now the wages of [the] worker vvv are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
δὲ ὁ μισθὸς Τῷ ἐργαζομένῳ οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα de ho misthos Tō ergazomenō ou logizetai kata charin alla kata opheilēma — NA/TR · 4
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However, to the [one who] vvv does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
δὲ τῷ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ δὲ πιστεύοντι ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ αὐτοῦ ἡ πίστις λογίζεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην de tō mē ergazomenō de pisteuonti epi ton dikaiounta ton asebē autou hē pistis logizetai eis dikaiosynēn — NA/TR · 5
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And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει καθάπερ τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων kai Dauid legei kathaper ton makarismon tou anthrōpou hō ho Theos logizetai dikaiosynēn chōris ergōn — NA/TR · 6
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“Blessed [are they] whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Μακάριοι ὧν αἱ ἀνομίαι ἀφέθησαν καὶ ὧν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ἐπεκαλύφθησαν Makarioi hōn hai anomiai aphethēsan kai hōn hai hamartiai epekalyphthēsan — NA/TR · 7
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Blessed [is] [the] man [whose] sin [the] Lord vvv vvv will never count against him.”
μακάριος ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτίαν Κύριος οὐ μὴ λογίσηται οὗ makarios anēr hamartian Kyrios ou mē logisētai hou — NA/TR · 8
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[Is] this blessing [only] on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited [to him] as righteousness.
οὗτος Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν γάρ λέγομεν ἡ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ πίστις Ἐλογίσθη εἰς δικαιοσύνην houtos Ho makarismos oun epi tēn peritomēn ē kai epi tēn akrobystian gar legomen hē tō Abraam pistis Elogisthē eis dikaiosynēn — NA/TR · 9
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In what context… was it credited? [Was it after]… his circumcision, or vvv [before]? [It was] not vvv [after], but vvv [before].
πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη ὄντι ἐν περιτομῇ ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ pōs oun elogisthē onti en peritomē ē en akrobystia ouk en peritomē all’ en akrobystia — NA/TR · 10
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And he received [the] sign of circumcision [as] a seal of the righteousness that [he had] by faith [while] [he was still] uncircumcised. So then, he is [the] father of all who believe [but] vvv are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
Καὶ ἔλαβεν σημεῖον περιτομῆς σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς τῆς πίστεως ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸ εἶναι πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων καὶ δι’ ἀκροβυστίας εἰς τὴν δικαιοσύνην τὸ λογισθῆναι αὐτοῖς Kai elaben sēmeion peritomēs sphragida tēs dikaiosynēs tēs tēs pisteōs en tē akrobystia eis auton to einai patera pantōn tōn pisteuontōn kai di’ akrobystias eis tēn dikaiosynēn to logisthēnai autois — NA/TR · 11
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And [he is also the] father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith [that] our father Abraham vvv had before he was circumcised.
καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς ἐκ οὐκ μόνον περιτομῆς ἀλλὰ τοῖς καὶ στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς πίστεως τοῦ ἡμῶν πατρὸς Ἀβραάμ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ kai patera peritomēs tois ek ouk monon peritomēs alla tois kai stoichousin tois ichnesin tēs pisteōs tou hēmōn patros Abraam en akrobystia — NA/TR · 12
Abraham Receives the Promise
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For the promise to Abraham [and] his offspring that he would be heir [of the] world was not [given] through [the] law, but through [the] righteousness that comes by faith.
γὰρ ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἢ αὐτοῦ τῷ σπέρματι τὸ αὐτὸν εἶναι κληρονόμον κόσμου Οὐ διὰ νόμου ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως gar hē epangelia tō Abraam ē autou tō spermati to auton einai klēronomon kosmou Ou dia nomou alla dia dikaiosynēs pisteōs — NA/TR · 13
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For if those [who live by] [the] law [are] heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
γὰρ εἰ οἱ ἐκ νόμου κληρονόμοι ἡ πίστις κεκένωται καὶ ἡ ἐπαγγελία κατήργηται gar ei hoi ek nomou klēronomoi hē pistis kekenōtai kai hē epangelia katērgētai — NA/TR · 14
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because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, [there is] no transgression.
γὰρ ὁ νόμος κατεργάζεται ὀργὴν δὲ οὗ ἔστιν οὐκ νόμος οὐδὲ παράβασις gar ho nomos katergazetai orgēn de hou estin ouk nomos oude parabasis — NA/TR · 15
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Therefore, [the promise comes] by faith, so that… vvv [it] may rest on grace [and] may be guaranteed to all [Abraham’s] offspring— not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of [the] faith of Abraham. [He] is [the] father of us all.
Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως ἵνα εἰς τὸ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν κατὰ χάριν εἶναι βεβαίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι οὐ μόνον τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ ἡμῶν πάντων Dia touto ek pisteōs hina eis to tēn epangelian kata charin einai bebaian panti tō spermati ou monon tō ek tou nomou alla kai tō ek pisteōs Abraam hos estin patēr hēmōn pantōn — NA/TR · 16
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As it is written -: “I have made you a father of many nations.” [He is our father] in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the [God who] gives life to the dead and calls [into] being what {does} not yet exist.
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι τέθεικά σε Πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατέναντι Θεοῦ οὗ ἐπίστευσεν τοῦ ζωοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος ὄντα τὰ μὴ ὡς ὄντα kathōs gegraptai hoti tetheika se Patera pollōn ethnōn katenanti Theou hou episteusen tou zōopoiountos tous nekrous kai kalountos onta ta mē hōs onta — NA/TR · 17
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Against all hope, [Abraham] in hope believed and so - became [the] father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So {shall} your offspring be.”
παρ’ ἐλπίδα ὃς ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς αὐτὸν τὸ γενέσθαι πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον Οὕτως σου τὸ σπέρμα ἔσται par’ elpida hos ep’ elpidi episteusen eis auton to genesthai patera pollōn ethnōn kata to eirēmenon Houtōs sou to sperma estai — NA/TR · 18
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- Without weakening in [his] faith, he acknowledged the vvv decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ πίστει κατενόησεν τὸ ἤδη νενεκρωμένον ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα ὑπάρχων που ἑκατονταετής καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν Σάρρας τῆς μήτρας kai mē asthenēsas tē pistei katenoēsen to ēdē nenekrōmenon heautou sōma hyparchōn pou hekatontaetēs kai tēn nekrōsin Sarras tēs mētras — NA/TR · 19
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Yet vvv he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith [and] gave glory to God,
δὲ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ εἰς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀλλὰ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει δοὺς δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ de ou diekrithē tē apistia eis tēn epangelian tou Theou alla enedynamōthē tē pistei dous doxan tō Theō — NA/TR · 20
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- being fully persuaded that [God] was able to do what He had promised.
καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ἐστιν καὶ δυνατός ποιῆσαι ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται kai plērophorētheis estin kai dynatos poiēsai hoti ho epēngeltai — NA/TR · 21
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This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
διὸ καὶ Ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην dio kai Elogisthē autō eis dikaiosynēn — NA/TR · 22
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Now [the words] “it was credited to him” were written not only for [Abraham],
δὲ ὅτι Ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ ἐγράφη Οὐκ μόνον δι’ αὐτὸν de hoti Elogisthē autō egraphē Ouk monon di’ auton — NA/TR · 23
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but also for us, to whom vvv [righteousness] will be credited— for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from [the] dead.
ἀλλὰ καὶ δι’ ἡμᾶς οἷς μέλλει λογίζεσθαι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐγείραντα Ἰησοῦν ἡμῶν τὸν Κύριον ἐκ νεκρῶν alla kai di’ hēmas hois mellei logizesthai tois pisteuousin epi ton egeiranta Iēsoun hēmōn ton Kyrion ek nekrōn — NA/TR · 24
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[He] was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ ἡμῶν τὰ παραπτώματα καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ ἡμῶν τὴν δικαίωσιν hos paredothē dia hēmōn ta paraptōmata kai ēgerthē dia hēmōn tēn dikaiōsin — NA/TR · 25