Abraham Justified by Faith
(Genesis 15:1-7; Galatians 3:1-9; Hebrews 11:8-19; James 2:14-26)

1What then shall we say Abraham our father discovered according to the flesh? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has ground of boasting, but not toward God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.”a

4Now to the one working, the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt. 5However, to the one not working, but believing on the One justifying the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness, 6just as David also declares the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,

and whose sins are covered;

8blessed is the man against whom

the Lord will never reckon sin.”b

9Is this blessing then on the circumcision, or also on the uncircumcision? For we are saying faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness. 10How then was it credited? Being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that he had while in the uncircumcision, for him to be father of all those believing while in uncircumcision, for the righteousness to be credited also to them, 12and the father of circumcision to those not only of circumcision, but also to those walking in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham during uncircumcision.

Abraham Receives the Promise
(Genesis 15:8-21; Numbers 34:1-15)

13For the promise was to Abraham or his descendants that he should be heir of the world, not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14For if those of the Law are heirs, faith has been made void and the promise made of no effect. 15For Law brings wrath; and where there is no Law, neither is transgression.

16Therefore it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise to be sure to all the seed, not only to that of the Law, but also to that of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us of all— 17as it has been written: “I have made you a father of many nations.”c—before God whom he believed, the One giving life to the dead and calling into being the things not even existing, 18who against hope, in hope believed, for him to become the father of many nations, according to that having been spoken, “So shall your offspring be.”d 19And not having become weak in the faith, he considered his body already having become dead, being about a hundred years old, and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.

20Yet he did not waver through unbelief at the promise of God, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God, 21and having been fully assured that what He had promised, He is also able to do. 22Therefore also “it was credited to him unto righteousness.”e

23Now it was not written on account of him alone that “it was credited to him,” 24but also on account of us, to whom it is about to be credited, to those believing on the One having raised Jesus our Lord out from the dead, 25who was delivered over for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.