King James Bible
"Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."
Paul references Genesis 15:6, where Abraham trusted God's promise of countless descendants despite his childlessness. This example serves as the foundational model for how faith, not works, establishes one's relationship with God. God credited Abraham's faith as righteousness—a legal declaration of right standing before Him. This accounting principle demonstrates that righteousness comes through believing God's promises rather than through law-keeping or circumcision.