Romans 4.16b-The Promise of Inheriting the World is Guaranteed to Both Jewish and Gentile Believers
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Tuesday February 12, 2008
Romans: Romans 4:16b-The Promise of Inheriting the World is Guaranteed to Both Jewish and Gentile Believers
Lesson # 129
Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 4:1.
Last Thursday, we studied Romans 4:16a, which teaches that the promise of inheriting the earth can only, be received by means of faith in order that it might be fulfilled in accordance with God’s grace policy.
This evening we will complete the verse by noting that the promise of inheriting the world is guaranteed to both Jewish and Gentile believers who are spiritual descendants of Abraham.
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.”
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.”
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 4:14-15, “For if those who are of the Law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise is nullified 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.”
“So that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants” indicates that as a result of God decreeing that the promise of the inheritance of the world can only be received by means of faith, the promise is guaranteed to all Abraham’s spiritual descendants.
“The promise” is the noun epangelia (e)paggeliva) (ep-ang-el-ee-ah), which means, “promise” and is a “collective singular” referring to all the promises contained in the Abrahamic covenant, which collectively imply that Abraham and his descendant, the Lord Jesus Christ will inherit earth.
This indicates that the promises of the Abrahamic covenant in a collective sense constitute the promise to Abraham and his spiritual descendants of being heirs of the world.
“Guaranteed” is the adjective bebaios (bevbaio$) (beb-ah-yos), which is used in relation to the promises of the Abrahamic covenant and is used in a legal technical sense describing “guaranteed security.”
The promises are legally guaranteed since their fulfillment rests entirely upon the integrity and faithfulness of God rather than upon sinful man’s efforts.
“To all” is the adjective pas (pa$), which refers 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.
The distributive use of this word is a reminder to Paul’s Jewish audience that the Gentiles are not excluded from salvation and therefore, the promise.
“The descendants” is the noun sperma (spevrma) (sper-mah), which refers to the spiritual descendants of Abraham, both Jew and Gentile, who exercised faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
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.”
“Not” is the emphatic negative adverb ou (ou)) (oo), which emphatically negates the idea that Abraham’s fatherhood is limited or relegated to being the spiritual father of the Jews who are identified by the phrase to ek tou nomou, “to those who are of the Law.”
The emphatic negative particle ou denies the alleged fact of Abraham being the spiritual progenitor of only those Jews who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
“Only” is the adverb monon (movnon), which is used to modify the expression to ek tou nomou, “to those who are of the Law” and is used to limit the extent of Abraham’s spiritual fatherhood.
“To those who are of the Law” refers to Jewish believers who are under the jurisdiction of the Law.
“Of the Law” is composed of the preposition ek (e)k) and the articular genitive masculine singular form of the noun nomos (novmo$) (nom-os).
The noun nomos refers to the Mosaic Law since in Romans 4:13-15, Paul is emphasizing with his Jewish audience that the promise to Abraham that he would inherit the earth preceded the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai.
In fact, Paul makes clear in Galatians 3:16-18 that the promises of the Abrahamic covenant preceded the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai by four hundred and thirty years.
The noun nomos contains a figure of speech called “metonymy” where the Law is put for those governed by the Law and under its jurisdiction.
The preposition ek marks the genealogical descent of those members of the human race who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior.
The noun nomos functions as a “genitive of source” indicating that these believers “originate with” or “descended from” those human beings that have received the Law from God in written form and were placed under its jurisdiction, namely, the Jews.
Paul uses nomos rather than peritome, “circumcision” to denote the Jews here since in context, he is teaching that one can never receive justification and the inheritance by observing the Law.
Romans 4:16, “For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.”
“To those who are of the faith of Abraham” refers to Gentile believers who like Abraham exercised faith in Jesus Christ while uncircumcised.
The fact that this prepositional phrase refers to Gentile believers is indicated by the book of Genesis and Romans 4:11-12, which states that Abraham exercised faith in the Lord when he was a Gentile.
“Of the faith” is composed of the preposition ek (e)k) and the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun pistis (pivsti$) (pis-tis).
The noun pistis, “faith” refers to Abraham’s non-meritorious decision “to place his absolute confidence in” the preincarnate Christ to deliver on His promise of a child and numerous progeny despite the fact that Abraham was childless when he received the promise.
The preposition ek marks the genealogical descent of those members of the human race who have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior.
The noun pistis functions as a “genitive of source” indicating that these believers “originate with” or “descended from” the Gentiles who like Abraham exercised faith in Jesus Christ while uncircumcised.
“The father” is the noun pater (pathVr), which denotes that Abraham is the spiritual “father” or “progenitor” of both Jews and Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The word denotes the fact that Abraham was the “spiritual prototype” of those Jews and Gentiles who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
“Of us all” indicates that Paul is identifying himself with both Jewish and Gentile believers in Jesus Christ.
In Genesis 17:1-8, the Lord promised Abraham that he would have many descendants and that he would also be the father of many nations, which has been fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.
The Lord’s promise to Abram to make him “the father of a multitude of nations” would be fulfilled in a two-fold sense: (1) Biological (2) Spiritual.
The promise to make Abraham a father or progenitor of many nations was fulfilled in a “biological” sense through Hagar where he is the progenitor of the Ishmaelites (Gen. 17:20; 21:13; 25:12-18).
It would be fulfilled through Keturah, the Midianites and others (Gen. 25:1-4); through Isaac and Rebekah, the Edomites (Gen. 25:23; 36:1-43).
This interpretation is substantiated by the genealogies of Keturah (Gen. 25:1-4), Ishmael (Gen. 25:12-18) and Edom (Gen. 36).
When the Lord promises Abraham that he will be the progenitor of many nations, it includes the nation of Israel since in Genesis 12:2, the Lord promised Abraham that He would make him a “great nation” (cf. Gen. 18:18).
Therefore, Abraham’s “biological” descendants through Isaac are the Jews, the nation of Israel whereas through Hagar and Keturah, it is the Arabs.
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. 3:26-28).
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.
In Romans, Paul teaches that God’s promise to make Abraham a father of many nations is fulfilled in the sense that they reproduce Abraham’s faith (Rom. 4:13-17).
Therefore, regardless of whether or not an individual is Jewish or Gentile biologically or racially, anyone who exercises faith alone in Christ alone becomes a “spiritual” descendant of Abraham.