The Sufficiency of Faith (Romans 4:1-25)

The Sufficiency of Faith ()

Romans 4:1–25 NKJV

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Romans 4:1–20 NKJV

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. 5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God,

NKJV

Key Words, Figurative Language and Terms

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, 6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” 9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, 12 and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. 13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, 24 but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Key Words, Figurative Language and Terms

a. Imputed, Imputation 歸咎, 入數

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Imputation

IMPUTATION The act of reckoning a legal debit or credit to an account. The term was used in Graeco-Roman legal language and was understood in secular commerce as “enter into the books” (Balz and Schneider, 355). The concept is also used in a religious sense in the Old and New Testament. Protestant Christians recognize imputation in three doctrinal areas: original sin, atonement, and justification.

The act of reckoning a legal debit or credit to an account. The term was used in Graeco-Roman legal language and was understood in secular commerce as “enter into the books” (Balz and Schneider, 355). The concept is also used in a religious sense in the Old and New Testament. Protestant Christians recognize imputation in three doctrinal areas: original sin, atonement, and justification.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4

This episode involving Abraham sets a precedent for the justification of both Jews and Gentiles. See note on Rom 1:17. The Greek word logizomai, translated “credited” or “reckoned,” was used in commercial contexts to refer to an objective calculation of value or debt. However, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT), the term is used in a subjective sense to describe personal opinion (Gen 31:15), perception (1 Sam 1:13), God’s plan (Jer 50:45), or judgment (Psa 106:31). In Romans, Paul uses logizomai in both secular and religious senses (compare Rom 4:3; 8:36).

b. To be counted as true (3, 5,6,8,9,10,11,22,23,24) [10]

Psalm 106:31 NKJV

And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore.

And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore ( NKJV)

4:5 ungodly In this context, “ungodly” also includes Abraham (v. 1), who was similar to the Gentiles in that he was uncircumcised and not under the law when God called him.

c. Ungodly

In this context, “ungodly” also includes Abraham (v. 1), who was similar to the Gentiles in that he was uncircumcised and not under the law when God called him.

Paul’s language may have shocked his audience, since many Jews held Abraham in high regard as a righteous man (see note on vv. 2; ; ). Here, Paul employs the context only of , not the wider context. Based on the context of , Abraham is uncircumcised and without works, placing him in the same position as Gentiles ().

d. To be righteous with God as to be in right relationship with God (3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 22) [8]

e. Blessing

f. Circumcision

g. Justified

‘justified’

The Greek word used here, edikaiōthē, can be translated “was justified” or “was declared righteous”; it refers to being put in right relation with someone else. Some Jewish contemporaries of Paul may have argued that Abraham was justified by works and reasoned that both Jews and Gentiles must be justified in the same way. Paul disproves their argument with a quotation from .

h. Credited

The Greek word logizomai, translated “credited” or “reckoned,” was used in commercial contexts to refer to an objective calculation of value or debt. However, in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the ot), the term is used in a subjective sense to describe personal opinion (), perception (), God’s plan (), or judgment (). In Romans, Paul uses logizomai in both secular and religious senses (compare ; ).

The Message

The Message

Background

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4

4:1–25 Paul continues his discussion of justification by faith alone with an appeal to Abraham, the founding father of Israel and traditional model of Jewish piety. Abraham serves as the perfect example for Paul’s argument, especially since Paul’s claims of justification by faith alone undermined the traditional Jewish understanding of Abraham. (The Jewish teachers in the Mishnah claimed that Abraham was faithful in keeping the whole law before the entire law was even officially given to Moses; see Mishnah, Qiddushin 4.14). Paul has established that no one can be justified by the law and that justification occurs only by faith (see 3:20, 28). To support this claim, Paul asserts that Abraham was justified by faith, not works.

Faithlife Study Bible Chapter 4

b. Justification Proved from Abraham, 4:1–25

4:1–25 Paul continues his discussion of justification by faith alone with an appeal to Abraham, the founding father of Israel and traditional model of Jewish piety. Abraham serves as the perfect example for Paul’s argument, especially since Paul’s claims of justification by faith alone undermined the traditional Jewish understanding of Abraham. (The Jewish teachers in the Mishnah claimed that Abraham was faithful in keeping the whole law before the entire law was even officially given to Moses; see Mishnah, Qiddushin 4.14). Paul has established that no one can be justified by the law and that justification occurs only by faith (see 3:20, 28). To support this claim, Paul asserts that Abraham was justified by faith, not works.

Justification Proved from Abraham,

4:1–25

It is central to Paul’s position that the way of salvation he has just been outlining, the way of salvation by God’s grace, is no innovation. He is not prepared to jettison the Old Testament or the Judaism in which he had been raised. He holds that the true understanding of the Old Testament is that which sees it as pointing forward to what God would do in Christ. The true Jew is not the one who conforms to the outward regulations of contemporary Judaism but the one who is a Jew inwardly (2:28–29). Such a Jew recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah and responds to what God is doing in Christ. Paul has made it clear that he sees God as saving by grace. Now he proceeds to show that this was true of Abraham, the great progenitor of the race. If God had acted in grace towards Abraham, if Abraham had been justified by faith, then Paul’s point is established; whereas if Abraham had been accepted on the ground of his works, Paul’s point that God had always acted in grace would not stand. Abraham is critically important.

This episode involving Abraham sets a precedent for the justification of both Jews and Gentiles. See note on .

Paul from the beginning of Romans was taking away each and every ‘advantage’ that Jews thought they had:

Abraham as father

Circumcision

The Law

The Covenant

The Scripture (oracle of God) (3:1)

and now even their father’s righteousness was put into perspective!