Romans 4 - Introduction

Abraham's faith was imputed to him for righteousness before he was circumcised. By faith alone he and his seed received the promise. Abraham is the father of all that believe. Our faith also shall be imputed to us for righteousness.

Anno Domini 58.

THE Apostle having, in the preceding chapter, shewn the impossibility of man's being justified meritoriously by obedience to any law, moral or ceremonial, judged it necessary, for the sake of the Jews, to consider more particularly the merit and efficacy of ceremonial performances. For these having no foundation in the nature of things, the only motive from which they can be performed, must be a regard to the divine command. Hence they have always been considered as acts of piety highly pleasing in the sight of God. This was the case more especially with the Jews, who, because the rites of Moses were of divine appointment, thought the observance of them so meritorious, that they had not the least doubt of obtaining justification and salvation by them: and therefore theywere at all times more careful in observing the rites of the law, than in performing the moral righteousness which it enjoined.
To correct this, which is the error of the superstitious in all religions, the Apostle examined the justification of Abraham, the father of believers; and shewed from Moses's account, that his circumcision, though performed when he was ninety-nine years old, had notthe least influence in his justification; he having obtained the promise of justification by means of his faith, long before he was circumcised. To this example, the Apostle appealed with great propriety, both because circumcision was the most difficult of all the rites enjoined in the law, and because, Abraham being the father of believers, his justification is the pattern of theirs. Wherefore, if circumcision contributed nothing towards Abraham's justification, the Jews could not hope to be justified thereby, nor by the other rites of the law; and were much to blame in pressing these rites on the Gentiles, as necessary to their salvation, and in consigning all to damnation who were out of the pale of the Jewish church.

The Apostle begins his reasonings on this subject, with asking the Jews what it was that Abraham, the father of believers, obtained by those services pertaining to the flesh, which they so highly valued, Romans 4:1.—He did not obtain justification: for if Abraham were justified by the merit of any moral or ceremonial work, he might have boasted that his justification was no favour, but a debt due for what he had performed. Yet in this transaction with God, he had no such ground of boasting, Romans 4:2.—As is plain from God's counting his faith to him for righteousness; which implies, that in rewarding him as a righteous person, God did not discharge a debt, but bestow a favour, Romans 4:3.—For the person who works receives the reward, not as a favour, but as a debt, Romans 4:4.—But to one who is not said to have wrought, but to have believed what was promised by God, whose prerogative it is to justify sinners, his faith is counted for righteousness, by mere favour, Romans 4:5.—Wherefore, from Moses's account of the justification of Abraham, it appears that he was justified freely, without meriting it by any kind of work whatever; consequently that the Gospel method of justification is testified by the law itself, as the Apostle affirmed, chap. Romans 3:21.

The same thing is terrified by the prophets. For David nowhere represents men as justified before God, either by obeying the precepts of God's law perfectly, or by performing circumcision, or byoffering sacrifice, or by doing any of those rites which purify the flesh; but he describes the blessedness of the man to whom the Lord counteth righteousness without such works; saying, (Psalms 32:1.) Blessed, like Abraham, are they whose iniquities are forgiven, Romans 4:7.—And to whom the Lord will not count sin, Romans 4:8.—From this it appears, that the not counting of sin is the same with the counting of righteousness, as it obtains pardon for the sinner for all his transgressions.

In chap. 2: the Apostle, by arguments taken from the character and perfections of God, had proved that the heathens may be saved, though they never have enjoyed any external revelation, nor were members of God's visible church. But this doctrine, it seems, the Jews rejected, on pretence that it was contrary to their scriptures. Wherefore, to shew the falsehood of that pretence, the Apostle, after describing the justification of Abraham, introduced the subject of thesalvation of heathens anew, by asking, Cometh this blessedness of justification on the circumcision only, or on the uncircumcision also? and demonstrated the possibility of the salvation of the heathen, though no members of God's visible church, by observing thatAbraham had his faithcounted to him for righteousness, and received the promise of the inheritance in uncircumcision; that is, while he was no member of any visible church, neither performed any ritual service whatever, Romans 4:10.—For it happened full thirteen years before he and his family were made the visible church of God by circumcision

But because the Jews might ask, if Abraham obtained the promise of justification before he was circumcised, why was that rite enjoined to him? The Apostle told them, it was enjoined merely as aseal, or confirmation on God's part, of his counting to him for righteousness that faith which Abraham had exercised in uncircumcision, and of his having made him the father or federal head of all the faithful who are out of God's visible church, to assure us, that their faith, like his, shall be counted to them for righteousness, and rewarded with the inheritance of the heavenly country, of which Canaan was the type, though they be no members of any visible church of God, Romans 4:11.—a seal also or proof of his being the father of all who believe in the visible church, to give them the same assurance concerning their faith, provided that, to their outward profession of faith, they join such an obedience to God, as Abraham exercised while he was out of the visible church, Romans 4:12.—Thus, as in the second chapter the Apostle had established the doctrine of the salvation of the heathens by faith, without arguments drawn from revelation, so in this chapter he establishes the same doctrine by arguments taken from revelation. And by both he has expressly condemned the bigotry of all, who, like the Jews, confine salvation to their own church, or mode of faith; and has beautifully illustrated the righteousness and impartiality of God's moral government of the world.

Farther, To shew that the whole body of the ritual services enjoined by Moses, taken together, had no influence to procure salvation for the Jews, the Apostle told them, that the promise to Abraham and to his seed, that they should be heirs of Canaan, and of the heavenly country typified by Canaan, was not given them by a righteousness of law; that is, by an immaculate obedience to any law, whether moral or ceremonial, but by a righteousness of faith, Romans 4:13.—For if they who are righteous by an immaculate obedience to law, are heirs either of the earthly or of the heavenly country, their faith is of no use in obtaining it; and the promise by which the inheritance is bestowed on them as a free gift, has no influence at all in the matter, contrary to the express declaration of Scripture, Romans 4:14.—Besides, in the nature of the thing, no one who has ever transgressed law, can obtain the inheritance through law. For law, instead of rewarding, worketh wrath to every transgressor, and among the rest to the heirs, not excepting Abraham himself, who by receiving the inheritance as a free gift, was shewn to be, not an innocent person, but a transgressor of some law or other, namely, of the law written on his heart. For where no law is, there is no transgression, nor treatment of persons as transgressors, Romans 4:15.—To these things add, that the promise was bestowed on Abraham and his seed, not by an immaculate obedience to any law, either natural or revealed, butby faith, that the inheritance promised might be a free gift, and be made sure to all persevering believers: not to those only, who enjoy an external revelation, but to those also who, like Abraham, believe out of God's visible church: for the inheritance was promised to them in the person of Abraham, who in uncircumcision was made the father or federal head of such believers, for the purpose of receiving that promise on their behalf, Romans 4:16.—according to what God said to him, A father of many nations I have constituted thee, Romans 4:17.—This great honour was done to Abraham on account of the excellency of his faith; Romans 4:18.—For which reason it was counted to him for righteousness, and he received the promise of the inheritance, Romans 4:22.—Now God directed Moses to record this, not for Abraham's sake alone, but for ours also, if we believe in Him who raised Jesus from the dead, Romans 4:23.—who was delivered to death to make atonement for our offences, and was raised again for our justification, Romans 4:25.

Thus it appears that the method of justifying sinners, by accepting their faith in place of immaculate obedience which law requires, and by rewarding it as if it were a perfect righteousness flowing from perfect innocence, is no new way of salvation. It was appointed at the fall for Adam and all his posterity, and was then obscurely revealed in the promise that the Seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent: afterwards it was more explicitly declared in the covenant with Abraham, wherein God promised to give to him and to his seed by faith, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, the land of Canaan for an everlasting inheritance, as the reward of their faith. Wherefore, when the Jews in generaldenied salvation to the believing Gentiles, unless they entered into their church by receiving circumcision, they shewed great ignorance of the method of salvation which was established at the fall, and which was made known to themselvesin the covenant with Abraham. And when they refused to be united with the believing Gentiles, into one body, or church, they rebelled against God, and for their disobedience were justly cast off: while a few of their brethren, more obedient to God, continued his people; and the Gentiles, who believed the Gospel, were incorporated with them, as joint members of the covenant with Abraham; and both together formed that great community called the Israel of God, and the church of the first-born. Wherefore, in the article of man's justification, the Mosaic and Christian revelations perfectly agree.