Introduction and Overview of Romans 4
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday December 12, 2007
Romans: Introduction and Overview of Romans 4
Lesson # 111
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 3:19.
This evening we will continue with our study of the third major section in the book of Romans, which appears in Romans 3:21-5:21.
This section is divided into four parts: (1) Divine righteousness is imputed through faith in Christ (Romans 3:21-26). (2) Divine righteousness is available to both Jew and Gentile (Romans 3:27-31). (3) Justification by Faith: The Example of Abraham (Romans 4:1-23). (4) The Results of Faith (Romans 5:1-21).
Last evening we completed a study of the second part.
This evening we will begin a study of the third, which presents Abraham as an example of a person in the Old Testament who was justified by means of faith in the Lord rather than by actions produced by obedience to the Law.
In this chapter, Paul attempts to demonstrate to his Jewish audience that the message of his gospel, that justification by means of faith, is not a new method of salvation since God has always declared men justified by means of faith in Him.
He attempts to answer possible objections, which might be offered by his Jewish audience as a result of his teaching in Romans chapter three.
Thus far, the first three chapters of the book of Romans reads like a court room trial with many legal terms from the ancient world being employed by Paul.
Arguments often follow legal precedents and are in logical order.
In Romans 1:18-3:8, Paul presents the evidence against both Jew and Gentile.
In Romans 3:9, he arraigns the entire human race in the court room of heaven.
In Romans 3:10-17, he indicts them and in Romans 3:18, he presents the motive behind the human race’s crimes against a holy God.
In Romans 3:19-20, he presents the guilty verdict, declaring that every member of the human race without exception is worthy of eternal condemnation, having absolutely no merit with God.
In Romans 3:21-31, Paul argues that Jesus Christ received the death penalty on behalf of the entire human race with His spiritual death satisfying the demands of God’s holiness, which required that human sin be judged.
In this passage, Paul teaches that the sinner is declared justified by God by means of faith in Jesus Christ apart from observing the Law, which would exclude human boasting meaning that no human being has merit with God except for Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:19, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God.”
Romans 3:20, “Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.”
Romans 3:21, “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.”
Romans 3:22, “Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe for there is no distinction.”
Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Romans 3:24, “Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 3:25, “Whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed.”
Romans 3:26, “For the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Romans 3:27, “Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith.”
Romans 3:28, “For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.”
Romans 3:29, “Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.”
Romans 3:30, “since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.”
Romans 3:31, “Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law.”
Then, in Romans 4:1-8, Paul calls two witnesses to the stand to testify to the fact that the justification of the sinner is by means of faith apart from observing the Law.
According to Jewish jurisprudence, a question was settled by two or three witnesses.
Deuteronomy 19:15, “A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.”
Therefore, Paul calls two witnesses from the Old Testament to testify that justification is by means of faith apart from observing the Law, namely “the Law and the Prophets,” which he mentions in Romans 3:21.
In Romans 4:1-5, Paul presents Abraham as an example from the Mosaic Law whose story is recorded in the first book of the Law, Genesis.
Paul quotes Genesis 15:6, which emphasizes that Abraham was declared justified by means of his faith in the Lord.
Then, in Romans 4:6-8, he presents David as an example from the Prophets.
On the day of Pentecost, Peter attested to the fact that David was not only a king but also a prophet from God (See Acts 2:29-30).
Thus, in Romans chapter four, Paul presents incontrovertible evidence from the Old Testament Scriptures that justification by means of faith has always been the method by which God saves the sinner.
Therefore, in Romans 4, we can see the apostle Paul skillfully continuing to build his case that the justification of the sinner is by means of faith apart from observing the Law, thus excluding human boasting.
Therefore, his gospel message of faith in Jesus Christ is not a new method of salvation but the same method that was used in Old Testament dispensations (Compare Romans 1:2 with Romans 3:21).
As was the case in Romans chapter two and in Romans 3:1-8, Paul continues his use of the literary style called “diatribe,” which was commonly used in ancient philosophical schools and involved the writer attempting to get his point across by engaging in an imaginary debate with a student, or opponent.
This style involves posing frequent rhetorical questions to one’s opponent as well as emphatic rejections of possible objections to a line of argument and the direct address of one’s conversation partner or opponent.
At times, the “dialogue” is one-sided, and rhetorical questions are only posed by the writer while at other times there is a true dialogue.
In Romans 4, Paul presents an imaginary dialogue with his Jewish audience, anticipating their objections to his teaching in chapter three that justification by means of faith apart from observing the Law was a doctrine not found in the Old Testament.
Romans chapter four is divided into seven sections:
(1) Romans 4:1: The introduction of the subject of Abraham as an example from the Law that justification is by means of faith.
Romans 4:1, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”
(2) Romans 4:2-5: Genesis 15:6 confirms that Abraham was justified by means of faith in the Lord’s promise rather than by the works of the Law.
Romans 4:2, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.”
Romans 4:3, “For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”
Romans 4:4, “Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due.”
Romans 4:5, “But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.”
(3) Romans 4:6-8: The example from the prophets where David was justified by faith and apart from observing the Law.
Romans 4:6, “just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works.”
Romans 4:7, “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.”
Romans 4:8, “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
(4) Romans 4:9-12: Abraham was justified by faith before he received the rite of circumcision.
Romans 4:9, “Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”
Romans 4:10, “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.”
Romans 4:11, “and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them.”
Romans 4:12, “and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”
(5) Romans 4:13-17: The Lord’s promises to Abraham that he would be heir of the world preceded the giving of the Law.
Romans 4:13, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”
Romans 4:14, “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified.”
Romans 4:15, “for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”
Romans 4:16, “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, 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.”
Romans 4:17, “(as it is written, ‘A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist.”
(6) Romans 4:18-22: Abraham became the father of many nations as a result of his faith in the Lord.
Romans 4:18, “In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”
Romans 4:19, “Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah's womb.”
Romans 4:20, “yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God.”
Romans 4:21, “and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.”
Romans 4:22, “Therefore IT WAS ALSO CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
(7) Romans 4:23-25: The fact that Abraham was justified by faith rather than circumcision or keeping the Law has relevance for Paul’s Christian readers and serves as a pattern of their own faith.
Romans 4:23, “Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him.”
Romans 4:24, “but for our sake also, to whom it will be credited, as those who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.”
Romans 4:25, “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”