Romans 4:1

CHAPTER IV.

Abraham was justified by faith, and not by the works of the

law; for his faith was imputed to him for righteousness, 1-5.

David also bears testimony to the same doctrine, 6-8.

Abraham, the father of the Jewish race, was justified by faith,

even before he was circumcised; therefore salvation must be of

the Gentiles as well as the Jews, 9-12.

And the promise that all the nations of the earth should be

blessed tn him, was made to him while he was in an uncircumcised

state; and, therefore, if salvation were of the Jews alone, the

law, that was given after the promise, would make the promise

of no effect, 13-17.

Description of Abraham's faith, and its effects, 18-92.

This account is left on record for our salvation, that we might

believe on Christ, who was delivered for our offences, and

raised again for our justification, 23-25.

NOTES ON CHAP. IV.

The apostle, having proved in the foregoing chapter that neither Jews nor Gentiles have a right to the blessing of God's peculiar kingdom, otherwise than by grace, which is as free for the one as the other, in this chapter advances a new argument to convince the Jew, and to show the believing Gentile, in a clear light, the high value and strong security of the mercies freely bestowed on them in the Gospel; and, at the same time, to display the scheme of Divine providence, as laid in the counsel and will of God. His argument is taken from Abraham's case: Abraham was the father and head of the Jewish nation; he had been a heathen, but God pardoned him, and took him and his posterity into his special covenant, and bestowed upon them many extraordinary blessings above the rest of mankind; and it is evident that Abraham was not justified by any obedience to law, or rule of right action, but, in the only way in which a sinner can be justified, by prerogative or the mercy of the lawgiver. Now, this is the very same way in which the Gospel saves the believing Gentiles, and gives them a part in the blessings of God's covenant. Why then should the Jews oppose the Gentiles? especially as the Gentiles were actually included in the covenant made with Abraham for the promise, Genesis 17:4, stated that he should be the father of many nations: consequently, the covenant being made with Abraham, as the head or father of many nations, all in any nation who stood on the same religious principle with him, were his seed and with him interested in the same covenant. But Abraham stood by faith in the mercy of God pardoning his idolatry; and upon this footing the believing Gentiles stand in the Gospel; and, therefore, they are the seed of Abraham, and included in the covenant and promise made to him.

To all this the apostle knew well it would be objected, that it was not faith alone, that gave Abraham a right to the blessings of the covenant, but his obedience to the law of circumcision; and this, being peculiar to the Jewish nation, gave them an interest in the Abrahamic covenant; and that, consequently, whoever among the Gentiles would be interested in that covenant, ought to embrace Judaism, become circumcised, and thus come under obligation to the whole law. With this very objection the apostle very dexterously introduces his argument, Romans 4:1; Romans 4:2; shows that, according to the Scripture account, Abraham was justified by faith, Romans 4:3; explains the nature of that justification, by a quotation out of the Psalms, Romans 4:6; proves that Abraham was justified long before he was circumcised, Romans 4:9; that the believing Gentiles are his seed to whom the promise belongs, as well as the believing Jews, Romans 4:12; and he describes Abraham's faith, in order to explain the faith of the Gospel, Romans 4:17. See Dr. Taylor's notes. We may still suppose that the dialogue is carried on between the apostle and the Jew, and it will make the subject still more clear to assign to each his respective part. The Jew asks a single question, which is contained in the first and part of the second verses. And the apostle's answer takes up the rest of the chapter.

Verse Romans 4:1. JEW. What shall we then say that Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?] The κατα σαρκα, pertaining to the flesh, must here refer to the sign in Abraham's flesh, viz. his circumcision; on which the Jew would found his right to peculiar blessings. That this is the meaning of κατα σαρκα, according to the flesh, Dr. Taylor has proved by a collation of several parallel scriptures, which it is not necessary to produce here. We may, therefore, suppose the Jew arguing thus: But you set your argument on a wrong footing, viz. the corrupt state of our nation; whereas we hold our prerogative above the rest of mankind from Abraham, who is our father; and we have a right to the blessings of God's peculiar kingdom, in virtue of the promise made to him; his justification is the ground of ours. Now what shall we make of his case, on your principles? Of what use was his obedience to the law of circumcision, if it did not give him a right to the blessing of God? And if, by his obedience to that law, he obtained a grant of extraordinary blessings, then, according to your own concession, Romans 3:27, he might ascribe his justification to something in himself; and, consequently, so may we too, in his right; and if so, this will exclude all those who are not circumcised as we are.