Galatians 3:6
just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse highlights that Abraham's "righteousness" wasn't about his own perfect actions, but about God counting his faith as righteousness. It wasn't that his belief became righteousness, but that God chose to treat him as righteous because he believed God's promises.
Paul is arguing that salvation comes through faith, not by following the Law, and he uses Abraham, the father of their faith, as the ultimate example. He's building on the previous verse by showing that the Holy Spirit is given because people hear and believe the message of the gospel, just as Abraham was declared righteous not by any deed but by believing God's promise.
What does it really mean to 'believe God'? It’s more than just agreeing that God exists. For Abraham, it was a powerful act of trust in God's specific word.
Paul points to Abraham's faith as the ultimate example because it wasn't just intellectual assent. It was a deep-seated trust in God's promise, even when it seemed impossible.
Trusting the Unseen
This wasn't about Abraham being perfect or performing good deeds beforehand. It was about his complete reliance on God's character and His spoken word.
Paul uses Abraham's story to dismantle the idea that we earn God's favor. The incredible truth? God counts our faith as righteousness.
The phrase 'counted to him as righteousness' is key. It means God credited Abraham's faith to his account as righteousness. This is a theological concept called imputation.
A Divine Transaction
Understand the original words
pisteuō · Greek Verb
To trust in, rely upon, or cling to something or someone; in a biblical context, it is the act of placing one's complete confidence in God and His promises, especially regarding salvation through Christ.
logizomai · Greek Verb
A judicial term signifying that one has been declared righteous or acquitted of guilt before God; it is a gift of grace received through faith, not earned by human merit.
dikaiosynē · Greek Noun
The state of being right with God, conforming to His moral standards, or being declared righteous by Him; it is the status of the believer who stands justified before the divine judge.
Paul uses Abraham's pre-Law faith as a foundational example for the Galatians, showing that righteousness with God has always been a matter of belief, not adherence to legalistic rules.
c. 2000 BC
God's Call to Abraham
God calls Abraham from Ur to go to an unknown land, promising him descendants and blessings.
c. 1990 BC— this verse
Abraham's Faith Counted as Righteousness
Abraham believes God's promise of numerous descendants, and this faith is credited to him as righteousness. This occurs before the Mosaic Law and circumcision.
c. 1980 BC
Circumcision Instituted
God institutes circumcision as a sign of His covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Mosaic Law
God gives the Law, including the commandments and sacrificial system, to the Israelites through Moses at Mount Sinai.
This passage directly quotes and expands upon Abraham's faith being counted as righteousness, reinforcing its foundational importance for justification by faith.
Genesis 15:6This is the original Old Testament passage that Paul is quoting, establishing Abraham's faith as the basis for his righteousness long before the Law was given.
James 2:23James also references Abraham's faith being counted as righteousness, using it to demonstrate that true faith is always accompanied by works.
Romans 4:22This verse highlights that Abraham's faith was counted to him for righteousness, serving as a powerful example for all who believe in God's promises.
jfbGalatians 3:6: "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
- The answer to the question in Ga 3:5 is here taken for granted, It was by the hearing of faith: following this up, he says, "Even as Abraham believed," &c. (Ge 15:4-6; Ro 4:3). God supplies unto you the Spirit as the result of faith, not works, just as Abraham obtained justification by faith, not by works (Ga 3:6, 8, 16; Ga 4:22, 26, 28). Where justification is, there the Spirit is, so that if the f…
vincentGalatians 3:6: "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Even as (καθὼς)The answer to the question of Galatians 3:5 is so obvious that it is not given. Paul proceeds at once to the illustration - the argument for the righteousness of faith furnished in the justification of Abraham. The spiritual gifts come through the message of faith, even as Abraham believed, etc.Believed God (ἐπιστευσεν τῷ θεῷ)See on Romans 4:5. Believed God's promise that he should…
This verse highlights that Abraham's "righteousness" wasn't about his own perfect actions, but about God counting his faith as righteousness. It wasn't that his belief became righteousness, but that God chose to treat him as righteous because he believed God's promises.
Paul is arguing that salvation comes through faith, not by following the Law, and he uses Abraham, the father of their faith, as the ultimate example. He's building on the previous verse by showing that the Holy Spirit is given because people hear and believe the message of the gospel, just as Abraham was declared righteous not by any deed but by believing God's promise.
Paul is arguing that salvation comes through faith, not by following the Law, and he uses Abraham, the father of their faith, as the ultimate example. He's building on the previous verse by showing that the Holy Spirit is given because people hear and believe the message of the gospel, just as Abraham was declared righteous not by any deed but by believing God's promise.
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This fundamentally shifts our understanding from trying to be righteous to being declared righteous through faith in God's promise.
Why does Paul go all the way back to Abraham? Because this patriarch wasn't just important for his own time; his story is the foundation for everyone who believes.
Paul uses Abraham to show that the path to God's blessing hasn't changed. Whether Jew or Gentile, the principle remains the same: faith.
A Universal Blueprint
This makes Abraham's experience a timeless illustration of God's faithfulness and His consistent way of relating to humanity through faith.
"just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?" — This verse highlights that Abraham's "righteousness" wasn't about his own perfect actions, but about God counting his faith as righteousness. It wasn't that his belief became righteousness, but t…
