4:1 如此说来,我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕凭着肉体得了什么呢?
4:2 倘若亚伯拉罕是因行为称义,就有可夸的;只是在 神面前并无可夸。
4:3 经上说什么呢?说:“亚伯拉罕信 神,这就算为他的义。”
4:4 做工的得工价,不算恩典,乃是该得的;
4:5 惟有不做工的,只信称罪人为义的 神,他的信就算为义。
4:6 正如大卫称那在行为以外蒙 神算为义的人是有福的。
4:7 他说:
“得赦免其过、遮盖其罪的,
这人是有福的!
4:8 主不算为有罪的,
这人是有福的!”
4:9 如此看来,这福是单加给那受割礼的人吗?不也是加给那未受割礼的人吗?因我们所说,亚伯拉罕的信,就算为他的义。
4:10 是怎么算的呢?是在他受割礼的时候呢?是在他未受割礼的时候呢?不是在受割礼的时候,乃是在未受割礼的时候。
4:11 并且他受了割礼的记号,作他未受割礼的时候因信称义的印证,叫他作一切未受割礼而信之人的父,使他们也算为义;
4:12 又作受割礼之人的父,就是那些不但受割礼,并且按我们的祖宗亚伯拉罕,未受割礼而信之踪迹去行的人。
应许因信实现
4:13 因为 神应许亚伯拉罕和他后裔必得承受世界,不是因律法,乃是因信而得的义。
4:14 若是属乎律法的人才得为后嗣,信就归于虚空,应许也就废弃了。
4:15 因为律法是惹动忿怒的(注:或作“叫人受刑的”),哪里没有律法,那里就没有过犯。
4:16 所以人得为后嗣是本乎信,因此就属乎恩,叫应许定然归给一切后裔,不但归给那属乎律法的,也归给那效法亚伯拉罕之信的。
4:17 亚伯拉罕所信的,是那叫死人复活、使无变为有的 神,他在主面前作我们世人的父。如经上所记:“我已经立你作多国的父。”
4:18 他在无可指望的时候,因信仍有指望,就得以作多国的父,正如先前所说:“你的后裔将要如此。”
4:19 他将近百岁的时候,虽然想到自己的身体如同已死,撒拉的生育已经断绝,他的信心还是不软弱。
4:20 并且仰望 神的应许,总没有因不信,心里起疑惑,反倒因信,心里得坚固,将荣耀归给 神。
4:21 且满心相信 神所应许的必能作成。
4:22 所以这就算为他的义。
4:23 “算为他义”的这句话,不是单为他写的,
4:24 也是为我们将来得算为义之人写的,就是我们这信 神使我们的主耶稣从死里复活的人。
4:25 耶稣被交给人,是为我们的过犯;复活,是为叫我们称义(注:或作“耶稣是为我们的过犯交付了,是为我们称义复活了”)。
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?
2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God.
3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.
5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
9Is 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.
10Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11And he received the sign of circumcision, 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.
12And 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.
13It was not through 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.
14For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless,
15because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.
16Therefore, 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 are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
17As 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 things that are not as though they were.
18Against 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."
19Without 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.
20Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
22This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."
23The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone,
24but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness - for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.