Romans 4:1

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

The Illustration of Justification What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?

Additional Resources

Referenced Verses

  • Isa 51:2 : 2 Look at Abraham, your father, and Sarah, who gave you birth. When I summoned him, he was a lone individual, but I blessed him and gave him numerous descendants.
  • Rom 4:16 : 16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants– not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
  • Rom 7:7 : 7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! Certainly, I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said,“Do not covet.”
  • Rom 8:31 : 31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
  • 2 Cor 11:22 : 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I.
  • Matt 3:9 : 9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves,‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
  • Luke 3:8 : 8 Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves,‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
  • Luke 16:24-25 : 24 So he called out,‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in anguish in this fire.’ 25 But Abraham said,‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.
  • Luke 16:29-31 : 29 But Abraham said,‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to them.’ 30 Then the rich man said,‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ 31 He replied to him,‘If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
  • John 8:33 : 33 “We are descendants of Abraham,” they replied,“and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say,‘You will become free’?”
  • John 8:37-41 : 37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. But you want to kill me, because my teaching makes no progress among you. 38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the Father; as for you, practice the things you have heard from the Father!” 39 They answered him,“Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied,“If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham. 40 But now you are trying to kill me, a man who has told you the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 41 You people are doing the deeds of your father.”Then they said to Jesus,“We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself.”
  • John 8:53 : 53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?”
  • John 8:56 : 56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.”
  • Acts 13:26 : 26 Brothers, descendants of Abraham’s family, and those Gentiles among you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been sent to us.
  • Heb 12:9 : 9 Besides, we have experienced discipline from our earthly fathers and we respected them; shall we not submit ourselves all the more to the Father of spirits and receive life?
  • Rom 6:1 : 1 The Believer’s Freedom from Sin’s Domination What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?

Similar Verses (AI)

These verses are found using AI-powered semantic similarity based on meaning and context. Results may occasionally include unexpected connections.

  • Rom 4:2-6
    5 verses
    83%

    2For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has something to boast about– but not before God.

    3For what does the scripture say?“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

    4Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.

    5But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.

    6So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:

  • Rom 4:9-13
    5 verses
    78%

    9Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say,“faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”

    10How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!

    11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them.

    12And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.

    13For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

  • Rom 4:16-18
    3 verses
    78%

    16For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants– not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

    17(as it is written,“I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed– the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.

    18Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement,“so will your descendants be.”

  • Jas 2:21
    78%

    21Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?

  • Gal 3:6-9
    4 verses
    75%

    6Just as Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,

    7so then, understand that those who believe are the sons of Abraham.

    8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, proclaimed the gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying,“All the nations will be blessed in you.”

    9So then those who believe are blessed along with Abraham the believer.

  • Gal 4:22-23
    2 verses
    73%

    22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by the slave woman and the other by the free woman.

    23But one, the son by the slave woman, was born by natural descent, while the other, the son by the free woman, was born through the promise.

  • Gal 4:28
    72%

    28But you, brothers and sisters, are children of the promise like Isaac.

  • Rom 9:30
    72%

    30Israel’s Rejection Culpable What shall we say then?– that the Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness obtained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith,

  • John 8:39
    71%

    39They answered him,“Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied,“If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham.

  • Heb 11:17-18
    2 verses
    71%

    17By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, yet he was ready to offer up his only son.

    18God had told him,“Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,”

  • Rom 9:5
    71%

    5To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

  • Rom 9:10
    71%

    10Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac–

  • Gal 3:14-15
    2 verses
    71%

    14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

    15Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.

  • Matt 1:1
    70%

    1¶ The Genealogy of Jesus Christ This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

  • Gal 3:29
    70%

    29And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

  • Jas 2:23
    70%

    23And the scripture was fulfilled that says,“Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.

  • Rom 3:1
    70%

    1Therefore what advantage does the Jew have, or what is the value of circumcision?

  • Rom 4:22
    70%

    22So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness.

  • Gen 17:4
    70%

    4“As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of a multitude of nations.

  • Matt 3:9
    70%

    9and don’t think you can say to yourselves,‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

  • Rom 9:14
    70%

    14What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not!

  • Gal 3:18
    69%

    18For if the inheritance is based on the law, it is no longer based on the promise, but God graciously gave it to Abraham through the promise.

  • Luke 3:8
    69%

    8Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t begin to say to yourselves,‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!

  • Rom 6:1
    69%

    1The Believer’s Freedom from Sin’s Domination What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase?

  • 1 Chr 1:27
    69%

    27Abram(that is, Abraham).

  • Rom 8:31
    69%

    31What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

  • Luke 1:73
    69%

    73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham. This oath grants

  • Gal 2:16
    69%

    16yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

  • Acts 7:2
    69%

    2So he replied,“Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

  • Rom 3:28
    69%

    28For we consider that a person is declared righteous by faith apart from the works of the law.

  • Rom 4:24
    69%

    24but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

  • Gal 4:31
    69%

    31Therefore, brothers and sisters, we are not children of the slave woman but of the free woman.

  • Heb 7:6
    69%

    6But Melchizedek who does not share their ancestry collected a tithe from Abraham and blessed the one who possessed the promise.

  • Rom 9:8
    68%

    8This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.