Letters to the Churches

Is this happiness, then, upon the circumcision, or also upon the uncircumcision--for we say that the faith was reckoned to Abraham--to righteousness?

how then was it reckoned? he being in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision;

and a sign he did receive of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith in the uncircumcision, for his being father of all those believing through uncircumcision, for the righteousness also being reckoned to them,

and father of circumcision to those not of circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of the faith, that is in the uncircumcision of our father Abraham.

For not through law is the promise to Abraham, or to his seed, of his being heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith;

for if they who are of law are heirs, the faith hath been made void, and the promise hath been made useless;

for the law doth work wrath; for where law is not, neither is transgression.

Because of this it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, for the promise being sure to all the seed, not to that which is of the law only, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham,

who is father of us all (according as it hath been written--`A father of many nations I have set thee,') before Him whom he did believe--God, who is quickening the dead, and is calling the things that be not as being.

Who, against hope in hope did believe, for his becoming father of many nations according to that spoken: `So shall thy seed be;'

and not having been weak in the faith, he did not consider his own body, already become dead, (being about a hundred years old,) and the deadness of Sarah's womb,

and at the promise of God did not stagger in unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, having given glory to God,

and having been fully persuaded that what He hath promised He is able also to do:

wherefore also it was reckoned to him to righteousness.

And it was not written on his account alone, that it was reckoned to him,

but also on ours, to whom it is about to be reckoned--to us believing on Him who did raise up Jesus our Lord out of the dead,

who was delivered up because of our offences, and was raised up because of our being declared righteous.

Having been declared righteous, then, by faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom also we have the access by the faith into this grace in which we have stood, and we boast on the hope of the glory of God.

And not only so , but we also boast in the tribulations, knowing that the tribulation doth work endurance;

and the endurance, experience; and the experience, hope;

and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been given to us.

For in our being still ailing, Christ in due time did die for the impious;

for scarcely for a righteous man will any one die, for for the good man perhaps some one also doth dare to die;

and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us;