What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?

What then shall we say was gained by ▼

▼Some manuscripts  say about

Abraham, ^bour forefather according to the flesh?

Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν ▼

▼ εὑρηκέναι = Treg NA/NIV: || [omit] = WH RP

εὑρηκέναι Ἀβραὰμ τὸν ▼

▼ προπάτορα = WH Treg NA/NIV: || πατέρα = RP

προπάτορα ▼

▼ ἡμῶν = WH Treg NA/NIV: || ἡμῶν εὑρηκέναι = RP

ἡμῶν κατὰ σάρκα;

If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about – but not before God.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but ^fnot before God.

εἰ γὰρ Ἀβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα· ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ▼

▼ πρὸς = WH Treg NA/NIV: || πρὸς τὸν = RP

πρὸς θεόν,

What does Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.’ ▼

▼Gen. 15:6; also in verse 22

For what does the Scripture say? ⁱ“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; Ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation.

Now ^jto the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.

τῷ δὲ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα·

However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.

And to the one who does not work but ^kbelieves in ▼

▼Or  but trusts; compare verse 24

him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,

τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην,

David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works:

καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ᾧ ὁ θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων·

‘Blessed are those
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

^m“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
and whose sins are covered;

Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι,

Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord will never count against them.’ ▼

▼Psalm 32:1,2

blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not ^ocount his sin.”

μακάριος ἀνὴρ ▼

▼ οὗ = WH Treg NA/NIV: || ᾧ = RP

οὗ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.

Is this blessing then only for ^qthe circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? ^rFor we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness.

Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν; λέγομεν ▼

▼ γάρ = WH Treg NA/NIV: || γάρ ὅτι = RP

γάρ· Ἐλογίσθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!

How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised.

πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ·

And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

^tHe received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was ^uto make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted 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 δι᾽ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ ▼

▼ λογισθῆναι = WH Treg NIV: || λογισθῆναι καὶ = RP NA

λογισθῆναι αὐτοῖς τὴν δικαιοσύνην,

And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

and to make him the father of the circumcised 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 = WH Treg NA/NIV: || πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ = RP

ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ πίστεως ⸃ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ.