Justification by Faith

Lesson 16 - Romans 4:9-

Sunday, April 14, 2019

5:07 PM

Review: Paul has in verses 1-7 been showing that Abraham did not earn his righteousness. It was all by faith. He is going to go one step further and show that Abraham was counted righteous by faith, before and not because of circumcision.

Abraham was justified apart from circumcision (4:9-12)

The question (4:9) He begins this part of his argument by asking the question: Was this blessedness (verse 8 sin not counted against him) reckoned while Abraham was circumsiced or before??? He will answer this with an explanation in the next two verses.

Before we deal with that I want to talk a little about the importance of this circumsicion. Verse 11 gives us a little glimpse as to the importance of this ritual of Jewish living. A few things to note about circumcision

Circumcision of male infants was a sign of Abrahams covenant (Gen 17:11; Acts 7.8; Jub. 12.26-28; m. Ned. and commanded for Israelites (Lev 12:3). Circumcision was also regarded as the rite of entry for Gentiles into the covenant (Jdt 14.10; Esth 8:17; Acts 15:1; m. $ab. 19.3). Circumcision was thought to have a host of benefits

like saving ones life (see Exod 4:24-26), avoiding destruction {Jteb. 15-26), deliverance from wrath (Jub. 15.33), warding away evil spirits (CO 16.4-6), purifying the soul (Philo, Somn 2.25), bringing perfection (m. Ned 3.11 u for eliminating sinful desires (Philo, Migration Spec. laws 1.9-10), and even having improved hygiene and virility (Philo, Spec. Laws 1.2-8). Circumcision was emblematic to Jews for covenant fidelity, circumcising Gentiles was indicative of the triumph of Judaism over paganism (see 1 Sam 18:25-27; Gal 6:13). The ritual of circumcision denoted a whole theological galaxy of meanings related to covenant and conquest, promise and proselytes, blessings and. warnings, heritage and hope, purity and prosperity, faithfulness and favor. (Bird BST)

The Chronology (4:10-11a) - Paul is showing us in these verses that chronology is important when it comes to the circumcision of Abraham.

How was Abraham's blessing (verse 8) Justification by faith reckoned? Paul's response is masterful. It should constantly be borne in mind that he is writing by inspiration. He proves that Abraham's faith—meaning "the righteousness of Christ appropriated by faith"—was reckoned or imputed to Abraham for righteousness

not after he had been circumcised but while he was still uncircumcised! It was then already that Abraham was declared righteous in God's sight.

This very significant chronological observation becomes clear from a study of the following references:

a. Abraham was ninety-nine years of age when he was circumcised (Gen. 17:24).

b. On that same day Ishmael was also circumcised (Gen. 17:25).

c. Ishmael was then thirteen years of age (Gen. 17:25).

d. When God made his covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:18), and "Abraham believed the Lord, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6), Ishmael had not yet been conceived (Gen. 15:2, 3; 16:4).

Conclusion: between the moment when the blessing of Gen. 15:6 was pronounced upon Abraham and the day he was circumcised there must have been an interval of at least about fourteen years. An even longer interval is possible. According to Jewish chronology the gap was one of twenty-nine years (S.BK. III, p. 203). A considerably shorter period than fourteen years is impossible.

William Hendriksen, Baker New Testament Commentary – Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1980), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 150.

So going back to Paul's question and answer: when was it reckoned - before he was circumcised -

The Purpose (4:11b-12) The reason this is so important

11b:This is where the idea of "Father Abraham has many sons" comes from

Abraham received God's promise through faith (4:13-25)

The promise came apart from the law (4:13-15) The Promise came through faith (4:16-25)

Paul says three things about faith in 4:13–22 that go a long way toward filling out for us its meaning.

(1) Faith is distinct from the law (4:13–14).

(2) Faith has power not in itself but because of the one in whom we place our faith.

One of the most famous lines in all sports history is Al Michaels’s rhetorical question toward the end of the 1980 Olympic hockey match between the United States and the USSR: “Do you believe in miracles?” Believing in miracles has become a common way of speaking. Its popularity owes much to the current fad in religion: a belief in some kind of supernatural power that has a positive influence in people’s lives. Preoccupation with angels, as witnessed by at least one popular television program, is another indicator of this fad.

But the Bible does not talk about belief in miracles; it talks about belief in the God who works miracles.

This is just the way Paul speaks about God in the midst of describing Abraham’s faith in 4:17–21.

Abraham recognized in God the One who can give life to things that are dead and can speak about things that do not exist as if they did. These points had specific application to Abraham’s own situation. He needed to believe that God could bring life, a son, out of the deadness of Sarah’s womb and his own impotence. He had to believe that the things God promised him were so sure that God could address them as if they already existed. God’s character and person guides our faith and channels its expectations.

(3) Faith is based on God’s Word, not on the evidence of our senses.

Abraham fully confronted the physical impossibility that he and Sarah would ever have children, but this did not keep him from believing God would do exactly as he promised. Even when a son had been born to him and he had been ordered to kill the child, Abraham did not doubt God would fulfill his promise to create for him a great people through that child. For, Hebrews tells us, Abraham believed that “God could raise the dead” (Heb. 11:19).

Paul also says that Abraham believed “in hope.” By this he means that Abraham’s faith was based on the hope that God had given him through a specific promise. In order to highlight the fact that faith often goes against the evidence of our senses, some theologians have called faith “a leap in the dark.” But this is not accurate. Abraham did not arbitrarily and without any basis put his faith in the God of Israel or think that he would have a son with Sarah. God had spoken to him, and his word was the basis of Abraham’s faith. Similarly, we must also realize that our faith is based on the solid reality of God’s written Word to us in the Scripture and of his living Word, Jesus Christ, active to capture our hearts for himself. We must carefully read Scripture and seek to understand the working of God’s Spirit in the world so that our faith is not misdirected.

Douglas J. Moo. Romans (Kindle Locations 3178-3184). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

The explanation (4:16-25) The illustration (4:18-22) The application (4:23-25)