Sermon Tone Analysis

Wenstrom Bible Ministries

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday January 23, 2008

www.wenstrom.org

Romans: Romans 4:11b-Abraham is the Spiritual Father of Those Gentiles Who Trust in Jesus Christ as Savior

Lesson # 122

Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 4:1.

Last evening we began a study of Romans 4:11, in which Paul reveals the two-fold purpose of circumcision.

Last evening we studied Romans 4:11a, which teaches us that the Lord’s first purpose in commanding Abraham to be circumcised was so that circumcision would be the distinguishing mark that would serve as confirmation of the divine righteousness he received by means of faith in the Lord.

This evening, we will note Romans 4:11b, in which Paul teaches that the second purpose in the Lord commanding Abraham to circumcised himself was so that he might become the spiritual father of all the Gentiles who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

In Romans 4:11b, Paul teaches that since Abraham was declared righteous by God before he was circumcised, it follows that he is the spiritual father of the uncircumcised who believe in Jesus Christ.

Thus, Abraham is not only the spiritual father of those Jews who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior but also those Gentiles who trust in the Lord as well.

Romans 4:1, “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?”

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.”

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.”

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.”

“So that” is the preposition eis (ei)$) (ice), which is employed with the articular infinitive form of eimi, “might be” as a marker of purpose indicating the second purpose in the Lord commanding Abraham to circumcise himself.

Therefore, articular infinitive form of the verb eimi along with the preposition eis denote that another purpose for the Lord commanding Abraham to circumcise himself was that he might be the father of all those who place their absolute confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ for eternal salvation.

“The father” is the noun pater (pathVr), which denotes Abraham’s “spiritual fatherhood” of all those who like himself place their absolute confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to receive the imputation of divine righteousness and justification from God.

“Of all” is the adjective pas (pa~$), which is used as a noun without the article and in a distributive sense referring to “each and every” member of the human race without exception, both Jew and Gentile who place their confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ in order to be justified.

“Who believe” is the verb pisteuo (pisteuvw) (pist-yoo-o), which means to “trust, place complete confidence in” the Lord Jesus Christ in order to receive the imputation of divine righteousness and justification from God.

“That” is the preposition eis (ei)$) (ice), which is employed with the articular infinitive form of the verb logizomai as a marker of result indicating that divine righteousness is imputed to the uncircumcised person, the Gentile “as a result of” exercising faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

“Righteousness” is the noun dikaiosune (dikaiosuvnh), which refers to the righteousness of God in the sense of His perfect “virtue” and “integrity,” which is imputed or credited to the sinner the moment they exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

“Might be credited” refers to the imputation of divine righteousness to the sinner as a result of the sinner exercising faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

“To them” refers to those Gentiles who place their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior.

Therefore, in Romans 4:11, we can see that the second purpose in the Lord commanding Abraham to circumcised himself was so that he might become the spiritual father of all the Gentiles who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and like Abraham receive the imputation of divine righteousness through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Romans 4:11b, Paul teaches that since Abraham was declared righteous by God before he was circumcised, it follows that he is the spiritual father of the uncircumcised who believe in Jesus Christ.

Thus, Abraham is not only the spiritual father of those Jews who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior but also those Gentiles who trust in the Lord as well.

In His covenant promises to Abraham, the Lord emphasized to Abraham that he would not only be a progenitor biologically but also one spiritually.

Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father's house, to the land which I will show you.

And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing.

And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.

And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

The Abrahamic covenant contained three categories of promises: (1) Personal (2) National (3) Universal and Spiritual.

(1) Personal: “I will bless you and make your name great” (Gen.

12:2), which refers to the fact that the Lord would make Abraham a famous character with a great reputation among men and before God.

This fame and reputation is expressed in that Abraham is called a “father of a multitude” in Genesis 17:5, a prince of God in Genesis 23:6, the man in God’s confidence in Genesis 18:17-19, a prophet in Genesis 20:7, the servant of God in Psalm 105:6 and the friend of God in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and James 2:23.

(2) National: “I will make you into a great nation” (Gen.

12:2), which refers to the nation of Israel.

(3) Spiritual and Universal: “And all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Gen.

12:3) refers to the fact that through Jesus Christ, Abraham would be a blessing to all mankind (Deut.

28:8-14; Is. 60:3-5, 11, 16) since it is only through Jesus Christ that one becomes Abraham’s seed and heirs of the promise (Gal.

3:29; Eph.

2:13, 19).

The phrase “and you shall be a blessing” is “not” a promise since the verb hayah, “you shall be” is in the “imperative” mood expressing a command and literally means, “so become a blessing” indicating that Abraham had a responsibility to walk by faith, which is expressed by obedience to the Lord’s commands.

The promises “I will bless them that bless you and the one who curses you I will curse” refers to the fact that the Lord is identifying Himself with the cause of Abraham and guaranteeing protection for Abraham and his descendants.

In Genesis 17:1-8, the Lord enlarges again upon the covenant He made with Abraham not only promising him that he would have many descendants but he would also be the father of many nations, which has been fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.

Genesis 17:1-5, “Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless.’

I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly.’

Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, ‘As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you will be the father of a multitude of nations.

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; For I will make you the father of a multitude of nations.’”

The promise to make Abraham a father of many nations was fulfilled in a “biological” sense through Hagar and the Ishmaelites (Gen.

17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18); through Keturah and the Midianites and others (Gen.

25:1-4); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites (Gen.

25:23; 36:1-43); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Israelites (Gen.

12:2; 18:18).

The Lord’s promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled in a “spiritual” sense through those individuals who exercised faith alone in Christ alone (John 3:1-7; 1 Cor.

12:13; Gal.

3:15-29).

This is how the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in him “all the families of the earth would be blessed” would be accomplished.

The “Seed” God covenanted with Abraham found its fulfillment uniquely in the Lord Jesus Christ (see Galatians 3:16).

Genesis 17:6-8, “I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings will come forth from you.

I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you.

I will give to you and to your descendants after you, the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.”

In Genesis 22:15-18, the Lord reconfirms the promises of this covenant and then enlarges upon them.

Genesis 22:15-17, “Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son.

Indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies.”

The Lord blessed Abraham in the sense that the Lord multiplied his descendants so that his posterity was great in number both, racially and spiritually.

The phrase “I will bless you” was fulfilled “temporally” according to Genesis 13:14-18; 15:18-21; 24:34-35 and it has been fulfilled “spiritually” according to Genesis 15:6 and John 8:56.

Therefore, the Scriptures teach that the “seed” of Abraham is four-fold: (1) Abraham’s biological or racial descendants, which would include: (a) The Ishmaelites through Hagar (Gen.

17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18) (b) The Midianites and others through Keturah (Gen.

25:1-4) (c) The Edomites through Isaac and Rebekah (Gen.

25:23; 36:1-43).

(2) Abraham’s biological or racial descendants the Israelites of Jews through Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob (Genesis 12:2, 7; 18:18; Rom.

9:6-9).

(3) Abraham’s spiritual descendants, which would include those individuals, both Jew and Gentile racially, who exercised faith alone in Christ alone (Gal.

3:6-29).

(4) The Lord Jesus Christ (Gal.

3:16).

The comparative clause “as the stars of the heavens” echoes the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5 and is used to compare the Lord’s promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants with the number of the stars of the universe.

The promise of Genesis 15:4-5 not only pertains to Abram’s “natural” progeny (cf.

Deut.

1:10; 10:22; Heb.

11:12) but according to Romans 4 it refers to his “spiritual” progeny (cf.

Gal.

3:29).

Genesis 22:18, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

The Lord statement that “in your seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth will be blessed” echoes the Lord’s promise in Genesis 18:18 and is an enlargement upon the Lord’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 that in Abraham “all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

Galatians 3:8-14 reveals that the promise in Genesis 18:18 that “in (Abraham) all the nations of the earth will be blessed” and the promise in Genesis 22:19 that “in your Seed (Christ) all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” are references to the fact that Abraham’s descendent, Jesus Christ, would bring salvation to the Gentile nations through faith in Him.