Read Amplified Bible, 2015 Romans 4 Bible Online

Romans 4 - Amplified Bible, 2015 bible

Romans 4

¹What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather[1] humanly speaking, has found? [Has he obtained a favored standing?]

²For if Abraham was justified [that is, acquitted from the guilt of his sins] by works [those things he did that were good], he has something to boast about, but not before God.

³For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed in (trusted, relied on) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living, right standing with God)."

⁴Now to a laborer, his wages are not credited as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation [something owed to him].

⁵But to the one who does not work [that is, the one who does not try to earn his salvation by doing good], but believes and completely trusts in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is[2] credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

⁶And in this same way David speaks of the blessing on the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

⁷"Blessed and happy and favored are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered up and completely buried.

⁸"Blessed and happy and favored is the man whose sin the Lord will not take into account nor charge against him."

⁹Is this blessing only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say, "Faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness."

¹⁰How then was it credited [to him]? Was it after he had been circumcised, or before? Not after, but while [he was] uncircumcised.

¹¹He received the sign of circumcision, a seal or confirmation of the righteousness which he had by faith while [he was still] uncircumcised—this was so that he would be the [spiritual] father of all who believe without being circumcised—so that righteousness would be credited to them,

¹²and [that he would be] the [spiritual] father of those circumcised who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had before he was circumcised.

¹³For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through [observing the requirements of] the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.

¹⁴If those who are [followers] of the Law are [the true] heirs [of Abraham], then faith [leading to salvation] is of no effect and void, and the promise [of God] is nullified.

¹⁵For the Law results in [God's] wrath [against sin], but where there is no law, there is no violation [of it either].

¹⁶Therefore, [inheriting] the promise depends entirely on faith [that is, confident trust in the unseen God], in order that it may be given as an act of grace [His unmerited favor and mercy], so that the promise will be [legally] guaranteed to all the descendants [of Abraham]—not only for those [Jewish believers] who keep the Law, but also for those [Gentile believers] who share the faith of Abraham, who is the [spiritual] father of us all—

¹⁷(as it is written [in Scripture], "I have made you a father of many nations") in the sight of Him in whom he believed, that is, God[3] who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.

¹⁸In hope against hope Abraham believed that he would become a father of many nations, as he had been promised [by God]: "So [numberless] shall your descendants be."

¹⁹Without becoming weak in faith he considered his own body, now as good as dead [for producing children] since he was about a hundred years old, and [he considered] the deadness of Sarah's womb.

²⁰But he did not doubt or waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and empowered by faith, giving glory to God,

²¹being fully convinced that God had the power to do what He had promised.

²²Therefore his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

²³Now not for his sake alone was it written that it was credited to him,

²⁴but for our sake also—to whom righteousness will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead—

²⁵who was betrayed and crucified because of our sins, and was raised [from the dead] because of our justification [our acquittal—absolving us of all sin before God].