THE WAY OF JUSTIFICATION THROUGH FAITH ILLUSTRATED IN ABRAHAM AND ANNOUNCED BY DAVID (4:1-8). Paul now demonstrates that Abraham's acceptability with God was by faith, not works, something which is then further confirmed by David. This thus confirms that Abraham was not justified by his works. This... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT PAUL HAS JUST DESCRIBED IS NOW SEEN TO BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH IDEAS RELATED TO ABRAHAM AND DAVID (4:1-25). No one was of more importance to the Jews than Abraham. It was to him that God had given promises concerning both the land and the people (Genesis 12:1). It was because they were ‘sons of... [ Continue Reading ]
‘What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?' Paul now relates what he has demonstrated, to the Scriptures concerning the life of Abraham. The unbelieving Jews (as opposed to the believing Jews who were Christians) saw Abraham's life as the perfect example... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if Abraham was reckoned as in the right by works, he has that in which to glory, but not towards God.' But Paul reacts strongly against the suggestion that Abraham was reckoned as righteous by God because of his works. He declares that if Abraham really was reckoned as in the right by works, a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For what does the scripture say? “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” ' Having in Romans 4:2 introduced the idea of God ‘reckoning' something (counting it as so even if it is not) Paul will now refer to two Scriptures in which the word is used. The first relate... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now to him who works, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt, but to him that who does not work, but believe on him who reckons as in the right the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.' Paul now brings out the significance of that Scripture in respect of the matter they... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom, The Lord will not in any way (ou me) reckon sin.' He then proceeds to amplify his... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcision, or on the uncircumcision also? For we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. How then was it reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision,' Paul now uses the life of... [ Continue Reading ]
2). HOW THEN DOES CIRCUMCISION AFFECT THE ISSUE AS ILLUSTRATED IN THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM? (4:9-12). Paul now brings up with respect to Abraham the point that he had made in Romans 3:30, where he had claimed that God ‘will justify the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision through faith.' Here h... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned to them,' What then was the purpose of circumc... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.' Nor is Abraham to be seen as the father of all who are circumcised. (As Jesus would point out to the Pharisees who claim... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith.' The ‘for' may refer back to walking in the steps of the faith of Abraham while he was uncircumcised (Romans 4:12), or to the whole previous narrative. Or... [ Continue Reading ]
3). ABRAHAM ILLUSTRATES THE FACT THAT GOD'S GREATEST GIFTS DO NOT COME TO US BECAUSE WE ‘OBEY THE LAW', BUT BECAUSE WE ‘BELIEVE IN THE LORD' (4:13-25). The importance of faith in the life of Abraham is now brought out. For Paul here stresses that he lived a life of faith from the moment he began to... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect. For the law works wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.' The promises were offered to Abraham for his ready acceptance through faith. Thus faith was the basis of his he... [ Continue Reading ]
‘For this reason it is of faith, that it may be according to grace, to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.' It is because the Law can only bring down on men the wra... [ Continue Reading ]
‘(As it is written, ‘A father of many nations have I made you') before him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.' The Scriptural evidence is now given. ‘A father of many nations have I made you'. These words are found in Genes... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to what had been spoken, “So shall your seed be.” ' Paul now makes the application to what followed in the life of Abraham, something which also resulted from his faith. For as a consequence of G... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb,' For even though he had to recognise that he was a hundred years old, and that Sarah's womb was dead (incapable of giving birth), he still reso... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Yet, looking to the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.' He looked to God's promise, not wavering through unbelief, and grew strong in faith, giving glo... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.' And this faith was reckoned to him for righteousness. God saw him as right in His sight because he believed God (Genesis 15:6). This is the theme of the whole chapter up to this point (see especially Romans 4:3; Romans 4:9 which both cite G... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned to him, but for our sake also, unto whom it will be reckoned, who believe on him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,' And this is now true also for all his spiritual sons. That faith was reckoned for righteousness was not just wr... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our being accounted as in the right (justification).' For this was why Christ died. He was delivered up for our trespasses, for all the ways in which we come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), and He was raised again so that we might... [ Continue Reading ]