1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about —but not before God.3 What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." [^1]4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.6 David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:7 "Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them." [^2]9 Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.10 Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!11 And he received circumcision as a sign, 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 have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.12 And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless,15 because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.16 Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring —not only to those who are of the law but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.17 As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." "He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed —the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." [^4]19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead —since he was about a hundred years old —and that Sarah's womb was also dead.20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.22 This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."23 The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,24 but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness —for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.25 He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

1 Quid ergo dicemus invenisse Abraham patrem nostrum secundum carnem ? 2 Si enim Abraham ex operibus justificatus est, habet gloriam, sed non apud Deum. 3 Quid enim dicit Scriptura ? Credidit Abraham Deo, et reputatam est illi ad justitiam. 4 Ei autem qui operatur, merces non imputatur secundum gratiam, sed secundum debitum. 5 Ei vero qui non operatur, credenti autem in eum, qui justificat impium, reputatur fides ejus ad justitiam secundum propositum gratiæ Dei. 6 Sicut et David dicit beatitudinem hominis, cui Deus accepto fert justitiam sine operibus : 7 [Beati, quorum remissæ sunt iniquitates,et quorum tecta sunt peccata.8 Beatus vir, cui non imputavit Dominus peccatum.] 9 Beatitudo ergo hæc in circumcisione tantum manet, an etiam in præputio ? Dicimus enim quia reputata est Abrahæ fides ad justitiam. 10 Quomodo ergo reputata est ? in circumcisione, an in præputio ? Non in circumcisione, sed in præputio. 11 Et signum accepit circumcisionis, signaculum justitiæ fidei, quæ est in præputio : ut sit pater omnium credentium per præputium, ut reputetur et illis ad justitiam : 12 et sit pater circumcisionis non iis tantum, qui sunt ex circumcisione, sed et iis qui sectantur vestigia fidei, quæ est in præputio patris nostri Abrahæ.13 Non enim per legem promissio Abrahæ, aut semini ejus ut hæres esset mundi : sed per justitiam fidei. 14 Si enim qui ex lege, hæredes sunt : exinanita est fides, abolita est promissio. 15 Lex enim iram operatur. Ubi enim non est lex, nec prævaricatio. 16 Ideo ex fide, ut secundum gratiam firma sit promissio omni semini, non ei qui ex lege est solum, sed et ei qui ex fide est Abrahæ, qui pater est omnium nostrum 17 (sicut scriptum est : Quia patrem multarum gentium posui te) ante Deum, cui credidit, qui vivificat mortuos, et vocat ea quæ non sunt, tamquam ea quæ sunt : 18 qui contra spem in spem credidit, ut fieret pater multarum gentium secundum quod dictum est ei : Sic erit semen tuum. 19 Et non infirmatus est fide, nec consideravit corpus suum emortuum, cum jam fere centum esset annorum, et emortuam vulvam Saræ. 20 In repromissione etiam Dei non hæsitavit diffidentia, sed confortatus est fide, dans gloriam Deo : 21 plenissime sciens, quia quæcumque promisit, potens est et facere. 22 Ideo et reputatum est illi ad justitiam. 23 Non est autem scriptum tantum propter ipsum quia reputatum est illi ad justitiam : 24 sed et propter nos, quibus reputabitur credentibus in eum, qui suscitavit Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum a mortuis, 25 qui traditus est propter delicta nostra, et resurrexit propter justificationem nostram.