Part 4

003:019 But it cannot be denied that all that the Law says is addressed to those who are living under the Law, in order that every mouth may be stopped, and that the whole world may await sentence from God.

003:020 For on the ground of obedience to Law no man living will be declared righteous before Him. Law simply brings a sure knowledge of sin.

003:021 But now a righteousness coming from God has been brought to light apart from any Law, both Law and Prophets bearing witness to it--

003:022 a righteousness coming from God, which depends on faith in Jesus Christ and extends to all who believe. No distinction is made;

003:023 for all alike have sinned, and all consciously come short of the glory of God,

003:024 gaining acquittal from guilt by His free unpurchased grace through the deliverance which is found in Christ Jesus.

003:025 He it is whom God put forward as a Mercy-seat, rendered efficacious through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness--because of the passing over, in God's forbearance, of the sins previously committed--

003:026 with a view to demonstrating, at the present time, His righteousness, that He may be shown to be righteous Himself, and the giver of righteousness to those who believe in Jesus.

003:027 Where then is there room for your boasting? It is for ever shut out. On what principle? On the ground of merit? No, but on the ground of faith.

003:028 For we maintain that it is as the result of faith that a man is held to be righteous, apart from actions done in obedience to Law.

003:029 Is God simply the God of the Jews, and not of the Gentiles also? He is certainly the God of the Gentiles also,

003:030 unless you can deny that it is one and the same God who will pronounce the circumcised to be acquitted on the ground of faith, and the uncircumcised to be acquitted through the same faith.

003:031 Do we then by means of this faith abolish the Law? No, indeed; we give the Law a firmer footing.

004:001 What then shall we say that Abraham, our earthly forefather, has gained?

004:002 For if he was held to be righteous on the ground of his actions, he has something to boast of; but not in the presence of God.

004:003 For what says the Scripture? "And Abraham believed God, and this was placed to his credit as righteousness."

004:004 But in the case of a man who works, pay is not reckoned a favour but a debt;

004:005 whereas in the case of a man who pleads no actions of his own, but simply believes in Him who declares the ungodly free from guilt, his faith is placed to his credit as righteousness.

004:006 In this way David also tells of the blessedness of the man to whose credit God places righteousness, apart from his actions.

004:007 "Blessed," he says, "are those whose iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered over.

004:008 Blessed is the man of whose sin the Lord will not take account."

004:009 This declaration of blessedness, then, does it come simply to the circumcised, or to the uncircumcised as well? For Abraham's faith--so we affirm--was placed to his credit as righteousness.

004:010 What then were the circumstances under which this took place? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before?

004:011 Before, not after. And he received circumcision as a sign, a mark attesting the reality of the faith-righteousness which was his while still uncircumcised, that he might be the forefather of all those who believe even though they are uncircumcised-- in order that this righteousness might be placed to their credit;

004:012 and the forefather of the circumcised, namely of those who not merely are circumcised, but also walk in the steps of the faith which our forefather Abraham had while he was as yet uncircumcised.

004:013 Again, the promise that he should inherit the world did not come to Abraham or his posterity conditioned by Law, but by faith-righteousness.

004:014 For if it is the righteous through Law who are heirs, then faith is useless and the promise counts for nothing.

004:015 For the Law inflicts punishment; but where no Law exists, there can be no violation of Law.