1 ARST { You Jews might say,}{“If what you have said is true,} then surely our physical ancestor Abraham found out{ about it}. BSB BSB: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has discovered?
2 ARST { This must be true} because if Abraham became righteous based on doing the things{ that God commanded in his laws}, then he could brag{ about it}.” On the contrary,{ I would say that}{ Abraham could} not possibly{ boast about it} to God! BSB BSB: If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
4 ARST Indeed, when a person works, he does not consider the wage{ he earns} to be a gracious gift. On the contrary,{ that person considers the wage he earns} to be what his employer owes him. BSB BSB: Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 ARST By contrast, when a person does not obey{ the laws God gave the Jews}, but trusts in the God who can make unrighteous people righteous, God considers him to be righteous because he trusted in him. BSB BSB: However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6 ARST This is also the same thing that David wrote{ in the Scriptures} about how blessed people are when God considers them to be righteous, even though they do not do those things{ that God commanded}.{ David wrote:} BSB BSB: And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 ARST “People are so happy when God forgives their lawless acts! People are so happy when God no longer acknowledges their sinful acts! BSB BSB: “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 ARST Any person whom the Lord never again considers to be sinful is so happy!” BSB BSB: Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
9 ARST Therefore, these happy people are not only circumcised{ Jews} but even uncircumcised people{ who are not Jews}!{ This must be true} because we{ Jews} quote{ the scripture that states,}“God considers Abraham to be righteous because he trusted{ in him}.” BSB BSB: 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.
10 ARST So then,{ you surely know} when Abraham trusted in God and God considered{ him to be righteous}!{ You surely know whether this happened} before he was circumcised or afterward!{ Indeed,} it was not while Abraham was circumcised, but while he was still uncircumcised{ that God considered him to be righteous}. BSB BSB: In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
11 ARST Abraham was circumcised as a mark{ in his body} to prove that God had made him righteous because Abraham trusted{ in him} before he was circumcised.{ This happened} in order for him to become the{ spiritual} ancestor for every non- Jewish person who trusts in God in order that God would consider them to be righteous{ because they trust in him}. BSB BSB: 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 are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12 ARST { This} also{ happened in order for Abraham to become} the{ spiritual} ancestor of those people who are circumcised, that is, those circumcised{ Jews}{ who are not only circumcised in their bodies}, but who also trust in God the same way that our ancestor Abraham did even before he was circumcised. BSB BSB: 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 had before he was circumcised.
13 ARST { This is true} because{ when} God promised Abraham and those who descend from him that the{ whole} world would belong to him,{ God did not promise this} because{ Abraham obeyed} the laws{ God gave the Jews}. Rather,{ God promised this} because God had made{ Abraham} righteous because Abraham trusted{ in him}. BSB BSB: 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.
14 ARST { This is true} because, if people could inherit{ what God promised Abraham} by obeying the laws{ he gave the Jews},{ then} trusting{ in God} would become useless! What God promised would also become invalid. BSB BSB: For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15 ARST { This is} because the laws{ God gave the Jews} are intended to punish{ those who disobey them}. However, where God’ s laws do not exist, no one can disobey{ them}. BSB BSB: because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 ARST This is why what God promised comes by trusting in him in order to show how kind he is.{ God was so kind} in order that he could secure what he promised to everyone who has{ spiritually} descended{ from Abraham}.{ Those who have spiritually descended from Abraham} are not only those{ Jews} who obey the laws{ God gave them}, but also those who trust{ in God} as Abraham did. Abraham is the{ spiritual} ancestor of all of us{ who trust in God}. BSB BSB: Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that 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.
17 ARST (This is exactly what{ God} said in the Scriptures{ about Abraham}:“I have chosen you to be a{ spiritual} ancestor for numerous people groups.”) God considers{ Abraham to be our spiritual ancestor}. Abraham trusted God.{ God is the one} who causes dead people to become alive{ again}. He also commands things that do not exist{ to exist}, then they exist. BSB BSB: 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.
18 ARST Abraham trusted{ in God} by hoping{ in God} despite what seemed hopeless. As a result, he became the{ spiritual} ancestor for numerous people groups.{ This happened} just as God had promised{ him}{ in the Scriptures}:“The people who descend from you will become as numerous{ as the stars in the sky}.” BSB BSB: 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.”
19 ARST Abraham thought that his body was too old to produce children.(He was almost 100 years old!){ He also thought} that{ his wife} Sarah was unable to become pregnant{ because she never had been able to do so before}.{ Nevertheless,} Abraham kept on trusting{ God}. BSB BSB: Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
20 ARST Indeed, Abraham did not faithlessly doubt what God had promised. On the contrary, God empowered Abraham to continue trusting{ in him} while Abraham was glorifying God. BSB BSB: Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21 ARST God also totally assured Abraham that he is able to do what he had promised{ to do}. BSB BSB: being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
22 ARST And this is why,“God considered Abraham to be righteous because he trusted in him.” BSB BSB: This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
23 ARST Yet, when{ Moses} wrote{ in the Scriptures},“God considered how Abraham trusted{ him},”{ these words} not only refer to Abraham. BSB BSB: Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
24 ARST On the contrary,{ these words} also refer to us{ who trust in Jesus}. God is going to consider how we{ believers} trust{ him}.{ We are} the people who trust him.{ He is} the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he had died. BSB BSB: but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25 ARST God allowed people to kill Jesus because we sinned{ against God}.{ God} also caused Jesus to become alive again in order to make us righteous. BSB BSB: He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.