The Example of Abraham
1 Well then, what can we say about our ancestor Abraham? 2 If he became acceptable to God because of what he did, then he would have something to brag about. But he would never be able to brag about it to God. 3 The Scriptures say, “God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him.”
4 Money paid to workers isn't a gift. It is something they earn by working. 5 But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him. 6 In the Scriptures David talks about the blessings that come to people who are acceptable to God, even though they don't do anything to deserve these blessings. David says,
7-8 “What a blessing
when God forgives our sins
and our evil deeds.
What a blessing
when the Lord erases our sins
from his book.”
9 Are these blessings meant for circumcised people or for those who are not circumcised? Well, the Scriptures say that God accepted Abraham because Abraham had faith in him. 10 But when did this happen? Was it before or after Abraham was circumcised? Of course, it was before.
11 Abraham let himself be circumcised to show he had been accepted because of his faith even before he was circumcised. This makes Abraham the father of all who are acceptable to God because of their faith, even though they are not circumcised. 12 This also makes Abraham the father of everyone who is circumcised and has faith in God, as Abraham did before he was circumcised.
The Promise Is for All Who Have Faith
13 God promised Abraham and his descendants that he would give them the world. This promise wasn't made because Abraham had obeyed a law, but because his faith in God made him acceptable. 14 If Abraham and his descendants were given this promise because they had obeyed a law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless.
15 God becomes angry when his Law is broken. But where there isn't a law, it cannot be broken. 16 Everything depends on having faith in God, so that God's promise is assured by his gift of undeserved grace. This promise isn't only for Abraham's descendants who have the Law. It is for all who are Abraham's descendants because they have faith, just as he did. Abraham is the ancestor of us all. 17 The Scriptures say that Abraham would become the ancestor of many nations. This promise was made to Abraham because he had faith in God, who raises the dead to life and creates new things.
18 God promised Abraham a lot of descendants. And when it all seemed hopeless, Abraham still had faith in God and became the ancestor of many nations. 19 Abraham's faith never became weak, not even when he was nearly 100 years old. He knew he was almost dead and that his wife Sarah could not have children. 20 But Abraham never doubted or questioned God's promise. His faith made him strong, and he gave all the credit to God.
21 Abraham was certain that God could do what he had promised. 22 So God accepted him, 23 just as we read in the Scriptures. But these words were not written only for Abraham. 24 They were written for us, since we will also be accepted because of our faith in God, who raised our Lord Jesus to life. 25 God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and he raised him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God.
إيمان إبراهيم
1 وماذا نَقولُ في إبراهيمَ أبـينا في الجَسَدِ وما جرى لَه؟ 2 فلَو أنّ اللهَ برّرَهُ لأعمالِهِ لَحَقّ لَه أنْ يَفتَخِرَ، ولكِنْ لا عِندَ اللهِ. 3 فالكِتابُ يَقولُ: «آمَنَ إبراهيمُ بِكلامِ اللهِ، فَبرّرَهُ لإيمانهِ».
4 مَنْ قامَ بِعَمَلٍ، فأُجرتُهُ حقّ لا هِبَةٌ. 5 أمّا مَنْ لا يَقومُ بِعَمَلٍ، بَلْ يُؤمِنُ باللهِ الذي يُـبَرّرُ الخاطئِ، فاللهُ يُبرّرُهُ لإيمانِه. 6 وهكذا يَتَرنّمُ داودُ مادِحًا سَعادَةَ الإنسانِ الذي يُـبرّرُهُ اللهُ بِغيرِ الأعمالِ:
7 «هنيئًا لِلذينَ غُفِرتْ ذُنوبُهُم
وسُتِرَتْ خَطاياهُم!
8 هنيئًا لِمَنْ خَطاياهُ
لا يُحاسِبُهُ بِها الرّبّ!»
9 فهَلْ تَقتَصِرُ هذِهِ السّعادةُ على أهلِ الخِتانِ أمْ تَشمَلُ غَيرَهُم مِنَ البشَرِ؟ نَحنُ نَقولُ: إنّ اللهَ بَرّرَ إبراهيمَ لإيمانِهِ. 10 ولكِنْ متى تَمّ لَه ذلِكَ؟ أقَبلَ الخِتانِ أم بَعدَه؟ قَبلَ الخِتانِ لا بَعدَهُ. 11 ثُمّ نالَ الخِتانَ علامةً وبُرهانًا على أنّ اللهَ بَرّرَهُ لإيمانِهِ قَبلَ خِتانِهِ، فصارَ إبراهيمُ أبًا لِجميعِ الذينَ يُبرّرُهمُ اللهُ لإيمانِهِم مِنْ غَيرِ المَختونينَ، 12 وأبًا لِلمَختونينَ الذينَ لا يكتَفونَ بالخِتانِ، بَلْ يَقتَدونَ بأبـينا إبراهيمَ في إيمانِهِ قَبلَ أن يَنالَ الخِتانَ.
الإيمان والوعد
13 فالوَعْدُ الذي وعَدَهُ اللهُ لإبراهيمَ ونَسلَهُ بأنْ يَرِثَ العالَمَ لا يَعودُ إلى الشريعةِ، بَلْ إلى إيمانِهِ الذي بَرّرَهُ. 14 فلَوِ اَقتَصَرَ الميراثُ على أهلِ الشريعةِ، لكانَ الإيمانُ عبَـثًا والوعدُ باطِلاً، 15 لأنّ الشريعةَ تُسَبّبُ غضَبَ اللهِ، وحَيثُ لا تكونُ الشريعةُ لا تكونُ مَعصيةٌ.
16 فالميراثُ قائِمٌ على الإيمانِ حتى يكونَ هِبَةً مِنَ اللهِ ويَبقى الوَعدُ جاريًا على نَسلِ إبراهيمَ كُلّهِ، لا على أهلِ الشريعةِ وحدَهُم، بَلْ على المُؤمنينَ إيمانَ إبراهيمَ أيضًا. وهوَ أبٌ لنا جميعًا، 17 كما يَقولُ الكِتابُ: «جَعَلتُكَ أبًا لأُممٍ كثيرةٍ». وهوَ أبٌ لَنا عِندَ الذي آمَنَ بِه إبراهيمُ، عِندَ اللهِ الذي يُحيــي الأمواتَ ويَدعو غَيرَ الموجودِ إلى الوُجودِ. 18 وآمَنَ إبراهيمُ راجِيًا حيثُ لا رجاءَ، فَصارَ أبًا لأُممٍ كثيرةٍ على ما قالَ الكِتابُ: «هكذا يكونُ نَسلُكَ». 19 وكانَ إبراهيمُ في نحوِ المئةِ مِنَ العُمرِ، فَما ضَعُفَ إيمانُهُ حينَ رأى أنّ بدَنَهُ ماتَ وأنّ رَحِمَ اَمرَأتِهِ سارَةَ ماتَ أيضًا. 20 وما شَكّ في وَعْدِ اللهِ، بَلْ قَوّاهُ إيمانُهُ فمَجّدَ اللهَ 21 واثِقًا بأنّ اللهَ قادِرٌ على أنْ يَفِـيَ بِوَعْدِهِ. 22 فلِهذا الإيمانِ بَـرّرَهُ اللهُ. 23 وما قَولُ الكِتابِ: «بَرّرَهُ اللهُ» مِنْ أجلِهِ وحدَهُ، 24 بَلْ مِنْ أجلِنا أيضًا، نَحنُ الذينَ نتَبَرّرُ بإيمانِنا باللهِ الذي أقامَ ربّنا يَسوعَ مِنْ بَينِ الأمواتِ، 25 وكانَ أسلَمَهُ إلى الموتِ لِلتكْفيرِ عَنْ زَلاّتِنا وأقامَهُ مِنْ أجلِ تَبريرِنا.
