Romans 4
1 Abraham is the [revered] ancestor of us [Jews]. So think about what we can conclude [from what happened to Abraham about how God can erase the record of our sins]. [RHQ]
WHAT then shall we say that Abraham our father hath obtained by the flesh?
2 If it was because of Abraham’s doing [good] things that the record of his sins was erased {that [God] erased the record of his sins}, Abraham could then have been able to boast [about that to people], but he would not have [had any basis to] boast to God [about it].
For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath cause for glorying; though not before God.
3 [Remember that] in the Scriptures it is written {someone wrote} [PRS] that Abraham believed what God [promised] [RHQ], and as a result the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
For what doth the scripture say? Abraham truly believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness.
4 If we receive wages for work that we do, those wages are not considered to be a gift. Instead, they [are considered] to be what we have earned. [Similarly, if God erases the record of our sins because we did things to earn God’s favor], we would not consider that [God’s erasing the record of our sin] was [a gift. Instead, we would consider it as what we had earned].
Now to him that worketh, the reward is not brought to account as a favour, but as a debt.
5 But suppose that we do not do things [to gain God’s acceptance]. Suppose that we instead trust [in God], who erases the record of sins of wicked people. Then the erasing of the record of our sins because of our trusting [in Christ] is considered to be a gift to us, [not something that we earned].
But to him who doth not work, but believeth in him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned in account for righteousness.
6 Similarly, it is as David wrote [in the Psalms] about people being happy whose record of sins God has erased even though they have not done things [to earn it. David wrote]:
As David also describeth the blessedness of that man, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 [God] is pleased with people whose sins have been {whose sins [he] has} forgiven, and whose sins he [has decided] to forget [DOU].
“Blessed are they whose unrighteousnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered up.
8 [God] causes to be happy the people whose sins he no longer keeps a record of.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will in nowise impute sin.”
9 As for our being happy [because God has erased the record of our sins], (it is not something that [only] we Jews [can experience]./is it [MTY] something that [only] we Jews [can experience]?) [RHQ] [No, it is] also something that non-Jews [can experience] [MTY]. [What is written in the Scriptures], that it was because Abraham trusted [in God] that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}, [also shows that this is true].
This blessedness then, is it for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousness.
10 ([Think about] when [God erased the record of Abraham’s sins]./When did [God erase the record of Abraham’s sins]?) [RHQ] (Consider whether [it happened] after someone circumcised [Abraham to mark him as one who belonged to God], or before someone circumcised him./[Did it happen] after [Abraham was] circumcised [to be marked as one who belonged to God], or before he was circumcised?) [RHQ] It happened before he was circumcised, not after he was circumcised.
How then was it imputed to him? when circumcised, or while uncircumcised? Not when circumcised, but whilst uncircumcised.
11 [Many years later, God commanded that] Abraham [be] circumcised. Abraham’s accepting that ritual simply showed [that he knew that God had accepted him]. [He knew that God] had [erased the record of his sins] because he trusted [in God] while he was still, [in effect, a non-Jew because] he had not been circumcised. [So we can understand that] Abraham became (a spiritual ancestor/like an ancestor) to [all] of us whose record of sins has been erased {whose sins [God] has erased the record of} because we believe [in God’s promise, even though some of us] are not circumcised.
And he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had when uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all those who believe, though uncircumcised; that to them also the righteousness might be imputed:
12 Likewise, Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all us Jews who are not merely circumcised but who, more importantly, [believe in God’s promise] as our ancestor Abraham did, even before he was circumcised.
and the father of circumcision, not to those who are of the circumcision merely, but who also tread in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham, which he exercised while uncircumcised.
13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that they would receive [the blessings that he promised to give to the people in] the world. But when he promised that, it was not because Abraham [obeyed] the laws [that God later gave to Moses]. Instead, it was because Abraham believed [that God would do what he promised that he would do]. As a result, God erased the record of his sins.
For not by the law came the promise to Abraham and his seed, that he should be heir of the world, but by the righteousness of faith.
14 If [we think that] it is those who [obey God’s] laws who will receive [what he has promised], it is useless [for us to trust in him. And what he] promised is worthless. [Remember that] it is [stated] in God’s law [PRS] [that] he will punish [people who do not perfectly obey them], and remember that wherever [MTY] laws exist, [people] disobey them [LIT].
For if they who are of the law are heirs, faith becomes vain, and the promise is useless:
for the law causeth wrath: for where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16 So it is because [we] trust [in God that we will receive the things that he has promised]. [It is not because we perfectly obey God’s laws. He wants] (to [erase the record of our sins/to declare us no longer guilty]) without our earning it. As a result, what God now promises, he guarantees to give to all people who are [Abraham’s spiritual] descendants. [He promises to do that not only for us Jewish believers], who [have] God’s laws [and trust in him as Abraham did], but also for those [non-Jews who do not have God’s laws but] who trust [in him] as Abraham did. Abraham is the [spiritual] ancestor of all of us [believers].
Therefore it is by faith, that it might be of grace; in order that the promise might be secured to all the seed; not only to that which is of the law, but to that which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 What is written {What [Moses] wrote} [in the Scriptures about what God promised Abraham shows that this is true]. [God said to him], “It is in order that you [(sg)] may be the ancestor of many ethnic groups that I have chosen you.” Romans 4:17b-22 God [guaranteed that he would give Abraham many descendants]. Abraham confidently believed that God [would do that],
(as it is written “that I have constituted thee father of many nations,”) before God, in whom he trusted, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth things that are not as if existing.
18 even though there was no physical reason for him to hope [that he would have descendants, because he and his wife were too old to bear children]. But God is the one who causes dead people to live again, and who talks about things that do not yet exist as already existing. [God said to Abraham], “You will have so many descendants that they will be [as impossible to count as the stars].” And Abraham believed that, and he believed that he would become the ancestor of many ethnic groups.
Who contrary to hope, in hope believed, that he should be the father of many nations, according to what was said, “So shall thy seed be.”
19 He did not doubt [that God would do what he promised], even though he knew that his body was already [as incapable of begetting children as if he were] dead [MET] because he was about 100 years old. And [even though he realized that] Sarah had never been able to become pregnant [IDM],
And not being weak in faith, he regarded not his own body now deadened, being about an hundred years old, nor the deadness of Sarah’s womb:
20 he did not doubt at all that God [would do what he had] promised. Instead, he trusted [in God] more/very strongly, and he thanked God [for what God was going to do].
for he disputed not against the promise of God with unbelief; but was mighty in faith, giving glory to God;
21 He was also convinced {very sure} that the thing that God promised, God was able to do.
and enjoyed the fullest assurance, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And that is the reason that the record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins}.
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 The words [in the Scriptures], “The record of his sins was erased {[God] erased the record of his sins},” are not only about Abraham.
Now it was not written for his sake only, that it was imputed to him;
24 They were also written {[They] also wrote that} for us whose record of sins would be erased {[God] would erase}. They were written {[They] wrote it} for us who believe [God], the one who caused our Lord Jesus to become alive again after he died.
but also for our sakes, to whom it will be imputed, if we believe in him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Jesus allowed [men] to execute [MTY] him so that [God could forgive] our evil deeds. And [God] caused Jesus to live again because [God wanted to show that because of the death of Jesus he was able to] erase the record of our sins.
who was delivered up for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
