Abraham Justified by Faith
(Hebrews 11:8–19)

1How then can we assert, "that Abraham our father obtained this from circumcision?" 2for if Abraham was justified by works, he had matter of pretension, whereas he had no such claim from God. 3for what saith the scripture? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." 4the reward is not counted as a favour to him that has done good actions, but as a debt: 5whereas he that trusts in God to be made righteous, tho' he has not done such actions, shall find his faith accounted as righteousness. 6even as David also speaks of the happiness of the man whom God accounted righteous independently of his works,

7" happy are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

8happy is the man to whom the Lord will not account sin."

9Is this happiness then for the circumcised only, or for the uncircumcised also? for we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10how was it then accounted? whilst he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? he was not then circumcised, but uncircumcised: 11and he received the sign of circumcision, as a seal of the justification by that faith, which the uncircumcised have: that he might be the father of all those who believe, tho' they are uncircumcised, that it might be accounted to them also for righteousness: 12and the father of the circumcised, that is of those who are not barely circumcised, but who imitate that faith which our father Abraham had, being yet uncircumcised.

Abraham Receives the Promise

13Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith. 14for if they only who are of the law have right of possession, faith is made useless, and the promise becomes of no effect. 15because the effect of the law is punishment: for if there had been no law, there could have been no transgression.

16therefore the inheritance is of faith, that it might be meerly of favour, to the end the promise might be assured to all his posterity, not to that part only who have the law, but to that also who have the faith of Abraham, the father of us all, as it is written, 17" I have made thee a father of many nations," then existing in the sight of God, whom he believed, who gives life to the dead, and calls forth things that are not, as if they were: 18he it was who against hope believed in hope, that he should become the father of many nations, according to what was told him, "so shall thy posterity be:" 19far from being weak in faith, unconcern'd at his own bodily decay, being then about an hundred years old, and at Sarah's incapacity of child-bearing, 20he was not incredulously diffident of the divine promise; but was strong in faith, and did honour to God, 21by the full persuasion he had, that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22and therefore it was accounted to him for righteousness. 23now this saying, "that it was accounted to him," was not written for his sake alone, 24but for us also, to whom it shall be accounted, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.