Paavali
Abraham's Faith and Righteousness
Paul uses Abraham as the main example that righteousness is credited through faith and not by works. Abraham believed God before his circumcision, and he did not waver in faith regarding the promise of a great offspring, even though he was nearly a hundred years old and Sarah's womb was dead. In this way, he became the father of all who believe, and the same is credited to us who believe in him who raised Jesus from the dead.
Roomalaiskirje 4,1-25
1What then shall we say about Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? What did he find?
Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν ⸀εὑρηκέναι Ἀβραὰμ τὸν ⸀προπάτορα ⸀ἡμῶν κατὰ σάρκα;
2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.
εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα· ἀλλʼ οὐ ⸀πρὸς θεόν,
3For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."
τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
4Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.
τῷ δὲ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα·
5But to the one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, that faith is credited as righteousness.
τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην,
6David says the same when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ᾧ ὁ θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων·
7"Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven and whose sins are covered.
Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι,
8Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
μακάριος ἀνὴρ ⸀οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.
9Is this blessing, then, only for the circumcised, or for the uncircumcised as well? We say that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.
Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν; λέγομεν ⸀γάρ· Ἐλογίσθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
10Under what circumstances, then, was it credited? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? He was not yet circumcised—he was still uncircumcised.
πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ·
11He received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness he had by faith while still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness might be credited to them as well;
καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβεν περιτομῆς, σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ, εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων διʼ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ ⸀λογισθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὴν δικαιοσύνην,
12and he is also the father of the circumcised—those who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσιν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν τῆς ⸂ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως⸃ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.
13For 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.
Οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἢ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν ⸀εἶναι κόσμου, ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως·
14For if those who live by the law are the heirs, then faith is empty and the promise is void.
εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου κληρονόμοι, κεκένωται ἡ πίστις καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία·
15For the law brings wrath; and where there is no law, there is no transgression either.
ὁ γὰρ νόμος ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται, οὗ ⸀δὲ οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος, οὐδὲ παράβασις.
16That is why the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all of Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who share Abraham's faith. He is the father of us all,
Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν, εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἀβραάμ (ὅς ἐστιν πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν,
17as it is written: "I have made you the 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.
καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε), κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσεν θεοῦ τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκροὺς καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα·
18Against all hope, Abraham hoped and believed, and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him: "So shall your offspring be."
ὃς παρʼ ἐλπίδα ἐπʼ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου·
19His faith did not weaken when he considered his own body, as good as dead—he was about a hundred years old—and the deadness of Sarah's womb.
καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ ⸀πίστει κατενόησεν τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ⸀σῶμα νενεκρωμένον, ἑκατονταετής που ὑπάρχων, καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας,
20He did not waver in unbelief concerning God's promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ ἀλλὰ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ θεῷ
21fully convinced that God had power to do what he had promised.
καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται δυνατός ἐστιν καὶ ποιῆσαι.
22That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
⸀διὸ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.
23Now the words "it was credited to him" were not written for his sake alone,
Οὐκ ἐγράφη δὲ διʼ αὐτὸν μόνον ὅτι ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ,
24but also for us, to whom it will be credited—us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
ἀλλὰ καὶ διʼ ἡμᾶς οἷς μέλλει λογίζεσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐγείραντα Ἰησοῦν τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν ἐκ νεκρῶν,
25He was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification.
ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν.