Parallel Bible results for "romans 4"

Romans 4

Common English Bible CEB

1 So what are we going to say? Are we going to find that Abraham is our ancestor on the basis of genealogy?

2 Because if Abraham was made righteous because of his actions, he would have had a reason to brag, but not in front of God.

3 What does the scripture say? Abraham had faith in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

4 Workers' salaries aren't credited to them on the basis of an employer's grace but rather on the basis of what they deserve.

5 But faith is credited as righteousness to those who don't work, because they have faith in God who makes the ungodly righteous.

6 In the same way, David also pronounces a blessing on the person to whom God credits righteousness apart from actions:

7 Happy are those whose actions outside the Law are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8 Happy are those whose sin isn't counted against them by the Lord.

9 Is this state of happiness only for the circumcised or is it also for those who aren't circumcised? We say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

10 So how was it credited? When he was circumcised, or when he wasn't circumcised? In fact, it was credited while he still wasn't circumcised, not after he was circumcised.

11 He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that comes from the faith he had while he still wasn't circumcised. It happened this way so that Abraham could be the ancestor of all those people who aren't circumcised, who have faith in God, and so are counted as righteous.

12 He could also be the ancestor of those circumcised people, who aren't only circumcised but who also walk in the path of faith, like our ancestor Abraham did while he wasn't circumcised.

13 The promise to Abraham and to his descendants, that he would inherit the world, didn't come through the Law but through the righteousness that comes from faith.

14 If they inherit because of the Law, then faith has no effect and the promise has been canceled.

15 The Law brings about wrath. But when there isn't any law, there isn't any violation of the law.

16 That's why the inheritance comes through faith, so that it will be on the basis of God's grace. In that way, the promise is secure for all of Abraham's descendants, not just for those who are related by Law but also for those who are related by the faith of Abraham, who is the father of all of us.

17 As it is written: I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. So Abraham is our father in the eyes of God in whom he had faith, the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that don't exist into existence.

18 When it was beyond hope, he had faith in the hope that he would become the father of many nations, in keeping with the promise God spoke to him: That's how many descendants you will have.

19 Without losing faith, Abraham, who was nearly 100 years old, took into account his own body, which was as good as dead, and Sarah's womb, which was dead.

20 He didn't hesitate with a lack of faith in God's promise, but he grew strong in faith and gave glory to God.

21 He was fully convinced that God was able to do what he promised.

22 Therefore, it was credited to him as righteousness.

23 But the scripture that says it was credited to him wasn't written only for Abraham's sake.

24 It was written also for our sake, because it is going to be credited to us too. It will be credited to those of us who have faith in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

25 He was handed over because of our mistakes, and he was raised to meet the requirements of righteousness for us.

GOD'S WORD Translation GW

1 What can we say that we have discovered about our ancestor Abraham?

2 If Abraham had God's approval because of something he did, he would have had a reason to brag. But he could not brag to God about it.

3 What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and that faith was regarded by God to be his approval of Abraham."

4 When people work, their pay is not regarded as a gift but something they have earned.

5 However, when people don't work but believe God, the one who approves ungodly people, their faith is regarded as God's approval.

6 David says the same thing about those who are blessed: God approves of people without their earning it. David said,

7 "Blessed are those whose disobedience is forgiven and whose sins are pardoned.

8 Blessed is the person whom the Lord no longer considers sinful."

9 Are only the circumcised people blessed, or are uncircumcised people blessed as well? We say, "Abraham's faith was regarded as God's approval of him."

10 How was his faith regarded as God's approval? Was he circumcised or was he uncircumcised at that time? He had not been circumcised.

11 Abraham's faith was regarded as God's approval while he was still uncircumcised. The mark of circumcision is the seal of that approval. Therefore, he is the father of every believer who is not circumcised, and their faith, too, is regarded as God's approval of them.

12 He is also the father of those who not only are circumcised but also are following in the footsteps of his faith. Our father Abraham had that faith before he was circumcised.

13 So it was not by obeying Moses' Teachings that Abraham or his descendants received the promise that he would inherit the world. Rather, it was through God's approval of his faith.

14 If those who obey Moses' Teachings are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless.

15 The laws in Moses' Teachings bring about anger. But where laws don't exist, they can't be broken.

16 Therefore, the promise is based on faith so that it can be a gift. Consequently, the promise is guaranteed for every descendant, not only for those who are descendants by obeying Moses' Teachings but also for those who are descendants by believing as Abraham did. He is the father of all of us,

17 as Scripture says: "I have made you a father of many nations." Abraham believed when he stood in the presence of the God who gives life to dead people and calls into existence things that don't even exist.

18 When there was nothing left to hope for, Abraham still hoped and believed. As a result, he became a father of many nations, as he had been told: "That is how many descendants you will have."

19 Abraham didn't weaken. Through faith he regarded the facts: His body was already as good as dead now that he was about a hundred years old, and Sarah was unable to have children.

20 He didn't doubt God's promise out of a lack of faith. Instead, giving honor to God [for the promise], he became strong because of faith

21 and was absolutely confident that God would do what he promised.

22 That is why his faith was regarded as God's approval of him.

23 But the words "his faith was regarded as God's approval of him" were written not only for him

24 but also for us. Our faith will be regarded as God's approval of us who believe in the one who brought Jesus, our Lord, back to life.

25 Jesus, our Lord, was handed over to death because of our failures and was brought back to life so that we could receive God's approval.