If, then, an uncircumcised man pays regard to the requirements of the Law, will not he, although not circumcised, be regarded by God as if he were?

For what are the words of Scripture? 'Abraham had faith in God, and his faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

Now wages are regarded as due to the man who works, not as a favor, but as a debt;

While, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God as righteousness.

In precisely the same way David speaks of the blessing pronounced upon the man who is regarded by God as righteous apart from actions--

Is this blessing, then, pronounced upon the circumcised only or upon the uncircumcised as well? We say that-'Abraham's faith was regarded by God as righteousness.'

Not after, but before. And it was as a sign of this that he received the rite of circumcision-to attest the righteousness due to the faith of an uncircumcised man-in order that he might be the father of all who have faith in God even when uncircumcised, that they also may be regarded by God as righteous;

And therefore his faith 'was regarded as righteousness.'

Now these words-'it was regarded as righteousness'-were not written with reference to Abraham only;

But also with reference to us. Our faith, too, will be regarded by God in the same light, if we have faith in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead;

Did, then, a thing, which in itself was good, involve Death in my case? Heaven forbid! It was sin that involved Death; so that, by its use of what I regarded as good to bring about my Death, its true nature might appear; and in this way the Commandment showed how intensely sinful sin is.

Scripture says-'For thy sake we are being killed all the day long, We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

This means that it is not the children born in the course of nature who are God's Children, but it is the children born in fulfillment of the Promise who are to be regarded as Abraham's descendants.