What then shall we say that Abraham our fore-father according to flesh hath found?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath matter whereof to boast, but not before God.
For what doth the scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.”
Now to him that worketh the reward is not reckoned according to grace, but according to debt;
but to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
Just as David also describeth the blessedness of the man to whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works.
“Blessed they whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;
blessed [the] man to whom the Lord will in no way reckon sin.”
This blessedness then [cometh it] upon the circumcision or also upon the uncircumcision? For we say that to Abraham 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 as seal of the righteousness of the faith that [he had] in uncircumcision, in order to his being father of all that believe in a state of uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them also,
and father of circumcision not only to those circumcised but also to those that walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham while in uncircumcision.
For not by law was [the] promise to Abraham or to his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but by righteousness of faith.
For if those that are of law [be] heirs, faith is made vain and the promise is annulled.
For the law worketh out wrath; but where no law is, [there is] no transgression.
On this account [it is] of faith that [it might be] according to grace, in order to the promise being sure to all the seed, not only to that which [is] of the law, but also to that which [is] of Abraham’s faith, who is father of us all
(even as it is written, “A father of many nations I have made thee”) before God whom he believed, that quickeneth the dead and calleth the things that be not as being;
who against hope believed in hope, in order to his becoming father of many nations according to that which was spoken, “So shall be thy seed.”
And not being weak in faith, he considered [not] his own body now dead, being about a hundred years old, and the deadening of Sarah’s womb,
yet as to the promise of God wavered not through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,
and fully persuaded that what he hath promised he is also able to perform.
Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written on his account alone that it was reckoned to him,
but on our account also, to whom it shall be reckoned, to us that believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord out of [the] dead,
who was given up on account of our offences and was raised on account of our justification.