Romans 4

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Romans 4

1What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν Ἁβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν εὑρηκέναι κατὰ σάρκα;

2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has grounds for boasting, but not before God.Εἰ γὰρ Ἁβραὰμ ἐξ ἔργων ἐδικαιώθη, ἔχει καύχημα, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.

3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”Τί γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ λέγει; Ἐπίστευσε δὲ Ἁβραὰμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

4Now to him who works, his wage is not credited as a gift, but as his due.Τῷ δὲ ἐργαζομένῳ ὁ μισθὸς οὐ λογίζεται κατὰ χάριν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ὀφείλημα.

5But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness,Τῷ δὲ μὴ ἐργαζομένῳ, πιστεύοντι δὲ ἐπὶ τὸν δικαιοῦντα τὸν ἀσεβῆ, λογίζεται ἡ πίστις αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

6just as David also speaks of the blessing of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:Καθάπερ καὶ Δαυὶδ λέγει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς λογίζεται δικαιοσύνην χωρὶς ἔργων,

7“Blessed are they whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;Μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι, καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι.

8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall by no means impute sin.”Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ᾧ οὐ μὴ λογίσηται Κύριος ἁμαρτίαν.

9Does this blessing then come upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.Ὁ μακαρισμὸς οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομήν, ἢ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν; Λέγομεν γὰρ ὅτι Ἐλογίσθη τῷ Ἁβραὰμ ἡ πίστις εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

10How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.Πῶς οὖν ἐλογίσθη; Ἐν περιτομῇ ὄντι, ἢ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ; Οὐκ ἐν περιτομῇ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀκροβυστίᾳ·

11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while in uncircumcision, so that he should be the father of all those that believe, although uncircumcised, so that righteousness should also be credited to them,καὶ σημεῖον ἔλαβε περιτομῆς, σφραγῖδα τῆς δικαιοσύνης τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ· εἰς τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν πατέρα πάντων τῶν πιστευόντων δι᾽ ἀκροβυστίας, εἰς τὸ λογισθῆναι καὶ αὐτοῖς τὴν δικαιοσύνην·

12and the father of circumcision to those not only of circumcision, but also to those following in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while in uncircumcision.καὶ πατέρα περιτομῆς τοῖς οὐκ ἐκ περιτομῆς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς στοιχοῦσι τοῖς ἴχνεσι τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐν τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἁβραάμ.

13For the promise that he should be heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.Οὐ γὰρ διὰ νόμου ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῷ Ἁβραὰμ ἢ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, τὸ κληρονόμον αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου, ἀλλὰ διὰ δικαιοσύνης πίστεως.

14For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,Εἰ γὰρ οἱ ἐκ νόμου κληρονόμοι, κεκένωται ἡ πίστις, καὶ κατήργηται ἡ ἐπαγγελία·

15because the law produces wrath; for where there is no law neither is there transgression.ὁ γὰρ νόμος ὀργὴν κατεργάζεται· οὗ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι νόμος, οὐδὲ παράβασις.

16Therefore it is of faith that it may be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those of the law, but also to those of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,Διὰ τοῦτο ἐκ πίστεως, ἵνα κατὰ χάριν, εἰς τὸ εἶναι βεβαίαν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν παντὶ τῷ σπέρματι, οὐ τῷ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ ἐκ πίστεως Ἁβραάμ, ὅς ἐστι πατὴρ πάντων ἡμῶν—

17(just as it is written, “I have appointed you a father of many nations”) before God, whom he believed, the One who gives life to the dead and calls those things which are not as though they were;καθὼς γέγραπται ὅτι Πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν τέθεικά σε—κατέναντι οὗ ἐπίστευσε Θεοῦ, τοῦ ζῳοποιοῦντος τοὺς νεκρούς, καὶ καλοῦντος τὰ μὴ ὄντα ὡς ὄντα.

18who, contrary to hope, on hope believed, so that he should become a father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”Ὃς παρ᾽ ἐλπίδα ἐπ᾽ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν, εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν πατέρα πολλῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, Οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου.

19And not weakening in faith, he did not consider his own body, already having been worn out (being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb,Καὶ μὴ ἀσθενήσας τῇ πίστει, οὐ κατενόησε τὸ ἑαυτοῦ σῶμα ἤδη νενεκρωμένον—ἑκατονταέτης που ὑπάρχων—καὶ τὴν νέκρωσιν τῆς μήτρας Σάρρας·

20he did not waver at the promise of God in unbelief, but was empowered by faith, giving glory to God,εἰς δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ,

21and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to do.καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς ὅτι ὃ ἐπήγγελται, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι.

22And therefore “it was credited to him as righteousness.”Διὸ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην.

23Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was credited to him,Οὐκ ἐγράφη δὲ δι᾽ αὐτὸν μόνον, ὅτι ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ·

24but for us also, to whom it was going to be credited, those believing on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,ἀλλὰ καὶ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς, οἷς μέλλει λογίζεσθαι, τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν ἐγείραντα Ἰησοῦν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν ἐκ νεκρῶν,

25who was delivered up for our transgressions, and was raised for our justification.ὃς παρεδόθη διὰ τὰ παραπτώματα ἡμῶν, καὶ ἠγέρθη διὰ τὴν δικαίωσιν ἡμῶν.

The Fathers on Romans 4

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Romans 4:1–2

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 391 AD · Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans

“What shall we then say that Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.”

Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans →

On Romans 4:23

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 391 AD · Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans

“Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him for righteousness; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead.”

Read Homilies on the Epistle to the Romans →