Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible




What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got? For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God. But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness. read more.
Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt. But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness. As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying, Happy are those who have forgiveness for their wrongdoing, and whose sins are covered. Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord. Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness. How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it: And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account; And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision. For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power; For the outcome of the law is wrath; but where there is no law it will not be broken. For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (As it is said in the holy Writings, I have made you a father of a number of nations) before him in whom he had faith, that is, God, who gives life to the dead, and to whom the things which are not are as if they were. Who without reason for hope, in faith went on hoping, so that he became the father of a number of nations, as it had been said, So will your seed be. And not being feeble in faith though his body seemed to him little better than dead (he being about a hundred years old) and Sarah was no longer able to have children: Still, he did not give up faith in the undertaking of God, but was made strong by faith, giving glory to God, And being certain that God was able to keep his word. For which reason it was put to his account as righteousness.

Even as Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness. Be certain, then, that those who are of faith, the same are sons of Abraham. And the holy Writings, seeing before the event that God would give the Gentiles righteousness by faith, gave the good news before to Abraham, saying, In you will all the nations have a blessing. read more.
So then those who are of faith have a part in the blessing of Abraham who was full of faith.

By faith Abraham did as God said when he was ordered to go out into a place which was to be given to him as a heritage, and went out without knowledge of where he was going. By faith he was a wanderer in the land of the agreement, as in a strange land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who had a part with him in the same heritage: For he was looking for the strong town, whose builder and maker is God.

By faith Abraham made an offering of Isaac, when he was tested: and he with whom the agreement had been made gave up as an offering the only son of his body, Of whom it had been said, From Isaac will your seed take their name: Judging that God was able to give life even to the dead; and because of this he did get him back as if from death.

Was not the righteousness of Abraham our father judged by his works, when he made an offering of Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was helping his works and was made complete by them; And the holy Writings were put into effect which said, And Abraham had faith in God and it was put to his account as righteousness; and he was named the friend of God. read more.
You see that a man's righteousness is judged by his works and not by his faith only.


How then is the Jew better off? or what profit is there in circumcision? Much in every way: first of all because the words of God were given to them. And if some have no faith, will that make the faith of God without effect? read more.
In no way: but let God be true, though every man is seen to be untrue; as it is said in the Writings, That your words may be seen to be true, and you may be seen to be right when you are judged. But if the righteousness of God is supported by our wrongdoing what is to be said? is it wrong for God to be angry (as men may say)? In no way: because if it is so, how is God able to be the judge of all the world? But if, because I am untrue, God being seen to be true gets more glory, why am I to be judged as a sinner? Let us not do evil so that good may come (a statement which we are falsely said by some to have made), because such behaviour will have its right punishment. What then? are we worse off than they? In no way: because we have before made it clear that Jews as well as Greeks are all under the power of sin; As it is said in the holy Writings, There is not one who does righteousness; Not one who has the knowledge of what is right, not one who is a searcher after God; They have all gone out of the way, there is no profit in any of them; there is not one who does good, not so much as one: Their throat is like an open place of death; with their tongues they have said what is not true: the poison of snakes is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of curses and bitter words: Their feet are quick in running after blood; Destruction and trouble are in their ways; And of the way of peace they have no knowledge: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now, we have knowledge that what the law says is for those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and all men may be judged by God: Because by the works of the law no man is able to have righteousness in his eyes, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin. But now without the law there is a revelation of the righteousness of God, to which witness is given by the law and the prophets; That is, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, to all those who have faith; and one man is not different from another, For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;

What, then, may we say that Abraham, our father after the flesh, has got? For if Abraham got righteousness by works, he has reason for pride; but not before God. But what does it say in the holy Writings? And Abraham had faith in God, and it was put to his account as righteousness. read more.
Now, the reward is credited to him who does works, not as of grace but as a debt. But to him who without working has faith in him who gives righteousness to the evil-doer, his faith is put to his account as righteousness. As David says that there is a blessing on the man to whose account God puts righteousness without works, saying, Happy are those who have forgiveness for their wrongdoing, and whose sins are covered. Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord. Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness. How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it: And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account; And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision. For God's word, that the earth would be his heritage, was given to Abraham, not through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they who are of the law are the people who get the heritage, then faith is made of no use, and the word of God has no power; For the outcome of the law is wrath; but where there is no law it will not be broken. For this reason it is of faith, so that it may be through grace; and so that the word of God may be certain to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

Now, it was not because of him only that this was said, But for us in addition, to whose account it will be put, if we have faith in him who made Jesus our Lord come back again from the dead, Who was put to death for our evil-doing, and came to life again so that we might have righteousness.



And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.