Abraham Justified by Faith (Genesis 15:1–7; Psalm 32:1–11; Hebrews 11:8–19)
1 ULT What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has discovered? BSB BSB: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has discovered?
2 ULT For if Abraham was justified by works, he has a boast, but not before God. BSB BSB: If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
4 ULT Now to the one working, the wage is not credited according to grace, but according to obligation. BSB BSB: Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
5 ULT Now to the one not working, but believing on the one justifying the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. 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 ULT Even as David also speaks{ of} the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: BSB BSB: And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7 ULT “Blessed{ are those} whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered. BSB BSB: “Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8 ULT Blessed{ is} a man whose sin the Lord does certainly not count.” BSB BSB: Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
9 ULT Then{ is} this blessedness upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision? For we say,“His faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 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 ULT How then was it credited? Being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision?{ It was} not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. BSB BSB: In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
11 ULT And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith that{ he had} in his uncircumcision so that he would be the father of all the ones believing through uncircumcision, so that the righteousness would be credited to them; 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 ULT and the father of circumcision to the one{ being} not only from the circumcision, but to the ones also following in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham in uncircumcision. 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.
Abraham Receives the Promise (Genesis 15:8–21)
13 ULT For the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he would be heir of the world{ was} not through the law but through the righteousness of faith. 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 ULT For if the heirs{ are} from the law, the faith has been emptied, and the promise has been nullified. BSB BSB: For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15 ULT For the law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither{ is there} transgression. BSB BSB: because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16 ULT For this reason{ it is} by faith, in order that{ it may be} according to grace, so that the promise might be certain to all the seed— not only to the one from the law, but also to the one from the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 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 ULT just as it is written,“I have appointed you the father of many nations,” in the presence of God whom he trusted, the one making the dead ones live and calling the things not existing as existing; 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 ULT who against hope believed on the basis of hope so that he might become the father of many nations according to what{ was} said,“So will your seed be.” 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 ULT And not weakening in the faith, he considered his own body as already being dead(being about a hundred years old)— and the deadness of the womb of Sarah. 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 ULT But toward the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief, but was strengthened in the faith, having given glory to 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 ULT and having been fully convinced that what he had promised, he is also able to do. BSB BSB: being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
22 ULT And therefore,“it was credited to him as righteousness.” BSB BSB: This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
23 ULT Now it was not written only for his sake,“It was credited to him,” BSB BSB: Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
24 ULT but also for our sake, to whom it is about to be credited, to the ones believing in the one having raised Jesus our Lord from the dead ones, 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 ULT who was given up for the sake of our trespasses and was raised for the sake of our justification. BSB BSB: He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
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