What then shall we say {Some ancient authorities read of Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?}that Abraham, {Or, our forefather according to the flesh found?}our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified {Greek: out of Galatians 3:8.}by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
For what saith the scripture? {Genesis 15:6.}And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,
saying,
{Psalm 32:1 f.}Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.
Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them;
and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.
For not {Or, through law}through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.
For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
(as it is written, {Genesis 17:5}A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were.
Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, {Genesis 15:5}So shall thy seed be.
And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body {Many ancient authorities omit now.}now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's {Or, womb: yea &c.}womb;
yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him;
but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
Querverweise zu Römer 4,17 Röm 4,17
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be the father of a multitude of nations.
Or is God the God of Jews only? is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yea, of Gentiles also:
For if Abraham was justified {Greek: out of Galatians 3:8.}by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren:
Neither shall thy name any more be called {That is, exalted Father}Abram, but thy name shall be {That is, father of a multitude}Abraham; for the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies {Many ancient authorities read because of.}through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
And I will bless her, and moreover I will give thee a son of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be of her.
and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
{Hosea 1:10}And it shall be, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people,There shall they be called sons of the living God.
And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.
For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the end of the earth;
And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah.
And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim.
And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.
And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.
But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.
And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.
And Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years, and was gathered to his people.
And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre;
the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son: and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahairoi.
Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham:
and these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,
and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa,
Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah:
these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations.
And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years: and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people.
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: he {Or, settled Hebrew: fell.}abode over against all his brethren.
And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begat Isaac:
and Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the {Hebrew: Aramean.}Syrian of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the {Hebrew: Aramean.}Syrian, to be his wife.
And Isaac entreated Jehovah for his wife, because she was barren: and Jehovah was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, {Or, wherefore am I thus?}wherefore do I live? And she went to inquire of Jehovah.
And Jehovah said unto her,Two nations are in thy womb,And two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels:And the one people shall be stronger than the other people;And the elder shall serve the younger.
And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.
And the first came forth {Or, ruddy}red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.
And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called {That is, One that takes by the heel or supplants.}Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.
And the boys grew: and Esau was a skilful hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a {Or, harmless Hebrew: perfect.}quiet man, dwelling in tents.
Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: and Rebekah loved Jacob.
And Jacob boiled pottage: and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint:
and Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with {Hebrew: the red pottage, this red pottage.}that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called {That is, Red.}Edom.
And Jacob said, Sell me {Hebrew: to-day.}first thy birthright.
And Esau said, Behold, I am about to die: and what profit shall the birthright do to me?
And Jacob said, Swear to me {Hebrew: to-day.}first; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: so Esau despised his birthright.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that {Or, hearken}hear shall live.
{Or, And who, as I, can proclaim? let him declare it &c.}And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I established the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and that shall come to pass, let them {Or, declare unto them}declare.
And {Hebrew: El Shaddai.}God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a company of peoples;
It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life.
Lo, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim.
wherefore also there sprang of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of heaven in multitude, and as the sand, which is by the sea-shore, innumerable.
So also it is written, {Genesis 2:7.}The first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands.
And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins,
wherein ye once walked according to the {Greek: age.}course of this world, according to the prince of the {Greek: power.}powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience;
among whom we also all once lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the {Greek: thoughts.}mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest:—
but God, being rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together {Some ancient authorities read in Christ.}with Christ (by grace have ye been saved),
Saith the Lord, {Or, who doeth these things which were known & c.}who maketh these things known from of old.
I charge thee in the sight of God, who {Or, preserveth all things alive}giveth life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed the good confession;
and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea {Many ancient authorities omit and.}and the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are:
By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.