Romans 4:9-10

“ Is this beatification then for the circumcision, or for the uncircumcision also? for we say:Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in a state of circumcision, or of uncircumcision? Not in a state of circumcision, but of uncircumcision. ”

The then serves merely to resume the discussion: “I ask then if this celebration of the blessedness of the justified applies only to the circumcised, or also to the uncircumcised.” On this everything really depended. For, on the first alternative, the Gentiles had no way left of admission to the privilege of justification by faith except that of becoming Jews; and there was an end of Paul's gospel. M. Reuss regards all this as an example “of the scholasticism of the Jewish schools of the day,” and of a “theological science” which could supply the apostle only with “extremely doubtful modes of argument.” We shall see if it is really so.

The second part of the verse: for we say...is intended to bring back the mind of the reader from David to Abraham: “For, in fine, we were affirming that Abraham was justified by faith. How is it then with this personage, whose example forms the rule? How was he justified by faith? as uncircumcised or as circumcised?” Such is the very simple meaning of Romans 4:10. The then which connects it with Romans 4:9 is thus explained: “To answer the question which I have just put (9a), let us then examine how the justification of Abraham took place.”

The answer was not difficult; it was furnished by Genesis, and it was peremptory. It is in chap. 15 that we find Abraham justified by faith; and it is in chap. 17, about fourteen years after, that he receives the ordinance of circumcision. The apostle can therefore answer with assurance: “not as circumcised, but as uncircumcised.” There was a time in Abraham's life when by his uncircumcision he represented the Gentiles, as later after his circumcision he became the representative of Israel. Now, it was in the first of these two periods of his life, that is to say, in his Gentilehood, that he was justified by faith...the conclusion was obvious at a glance. Paul makes full use of it against his adversaries. He expounds it with decisive consequences in the sequel.