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The Book of Romans Chapter Four
Preface
In the previous chapter Paul persisted in his discourse regarding the condemnation of the Jews, but then continued the same theme with application to all mankind. Then in verse 21 through verse 26 he revealed God’s solution to man’s condemnation, which was the imputation of God’s righteousness in the person and sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
He further made it quite clear that this justification available to all mankind is (1) free—cannot be merited by any self-effort or “good works” or the observance of the Law, (2) made available through the instrument of God’s grace—His unmeritorious favor toward mankind, (3) based on the redemption that took place on the cross—the fact that Christ vicariously paid in full the penalty-price of mankind’s sin, (4) propitious—satisfies God’s holiness and His demand for punishment of sin, (5) acquired or obtained only by the instrument [a decision of the will] of faith [trust, reliance] in Christ alone, and (6) demonstrable of the righteousness of God—not only in its design and presentation, but specifically in the person of Christ. The chapter ends in Paul’s conclusion that “a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law,” that justification is available to both the Jews and the Gentiles, and that the acquisition of God’s righteousness through faith does not void the Law but only establishes (confirms and verifies) it.
In this chapter Paul continues the theme of “righteousness through faith.” He illustrates this in the life of the patriarch Abraham and King David, reinforcing that God’s righteousness is obtainable only by faith in accordance with God’s grace, which is apart from works, circumcision, and the Law.
The Jews held Abraham and David in higher esteem than any other two whose lives are recorded in the Old Testament. Abraham was designated by God as the founder of the Hebrew race, while David was their greatest king. Paul uses these two stalwarts of Judaism to illustrate and confirm the gospel of God’s grace, which may only be apprehended by faith. By employing these examples, Paul states unequivocally that even though the old and new covenants were diametrically opposed systems they were in total agreement as to how a person was imputed (credited) with God’s righteousness, i.e., by faith alone. As J. Vernon McGee puts it, “The Law was a pedagogue—it took the man under Law by the hand to lead him to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 4:1-8 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt. But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.”
In the previous chapter the apostle Paul had just finished explaining in detail that because man is totally corrupt in nature and practice and can not achieve justification before God through any self-means or by the keeping of the Law, God has provided the grace-gift of justification through the redemption and propitiation that His Son Jesus Christ achieved by His vicarious sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Paul becomes emphatic in his frequent affirmations that the righteousness of God is imputed (credited) to man and may only be apprehended or obtained by faith alone in Christ alone. Additionally, he asserts that such a demonstration of God’s gracious gift of righteousness excludes all boasting, that it only confirms the purpose of the Law. This argument regarding “boasting” that was introduced at the end of the previous chapter is taken up in regards to Abraham. Paul states that if Abraham could be justified by good works, he then could boast but not before God.
Paul clarifies to the Jewish mind that the “principle of faith,” which is the bedrock of the gospel of grace, is not contrary to the Old Testament. Indeed he shows that the Old Testament is in complete harmony with it, that justification from God has always been by faith. He does this with the illustration of the greatest figures in Israel’s history: Abraham and David. God had made highly significant covenants with both of these men, covenants that are yet (but soon) to be entirely fulfilled.
Paul introduced his illustration of Abraham with the first of six occurrences of the question, “What then shall we say?” (6:1; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14, 30). The question concerns what Abraham found to be true “in accordance with his own human experience.” Paul, in at least some translations (RSV, ASV), refers to Abraham as “forefather” or “first father”—without controversy Abraham was the original “father” of the Hebrew race. Paul was astute in selecting Abraham, since the Jews were proud to be called the “children of Abraham.” In fact, Abraham was the first person in God’s Word to be called the “friend of God” (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). And how he became God’s friend is what Paul counted on to prove his point, i.e., Abraham did not earn God’s friendship through keeping the Law or performing good deeds. He simply took God at his Word, believed His promises, and trusted God to carry them out. His trust is what pleased God, nothing else!
Paul references Genesis 15:6 (And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.) to prove his point. The occasion of Abraham’s belief (trust, reliance) in God came when God had revealed Himself to Abraham and promised that he would have a numberless posterity. The patriarch believed God’s Word, and upon this transaction of faith God credited (imputed) righteousness to Abraham’s account. Works had nothing to do with this; they aren’t even mentioned. As a matter of fact, this transaction between God and Abraham occurred long before circumcision (Genesis 17:10) and long before the Law was given (Exodus 19-31); therefore, it was established that the “principle of faith” was the original and basic standard for the imputation of God’s righteousness (justification) to man.
What is even more significant and which one cannot see clearly from the brevity of the passage in the Old Testament is that God at this time had informed Abraham that his progeny would include the coming Messiah, as witnessed by the following New Testament scriptures:
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad. (John 8:56)
And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)
Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. (Galatians 3:16)
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. (Hebrews 11:13)
One other point is clear in Paul’s discussion of faith. Since it is upon man’s faith that righteousness is imputed (credited) to man, faith itself then is not righteousness. Faith is only the non-meritorious instrument or means whereby one may apprehend or obtain God’s righteousness.
In verse four Paul refers to the other side of the coin, so to speak. He addresses works as the means to secure favor and righteousness from God. He contrasts faith with works, noting that works yield wages that must be treated as an obligation (debt), whereas faith means that the one who exercises it receives a righteous standing before God simply as a “grace” (Gk: charis—“gift”). So grace is pitted against obligation and faith against works. Paul recounts this argument in Romans 11:6 (And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.).
How far grace goes beyond justice is seen in the statement that God “justifies the wicked” (or ungodly). Not only does God justify people apart from works but He does so contrary to what they deserve. OT law required a judge to condemn the wicked and to justify the righteous (Dt 25:1), but where God is both Judge and Savior, the wicked have an opportunity denied to them in human reckoning. The prophetic word anticipated this result through the work of the coming Servant of God (Isa 53:5-6, 11). (NIV Bible Commentary, Volume 2: New Testament; Hodder & Stoughton, 1994)
Paul then reinforces his argument that the “principle of faith” is the only instrument that achieves the imputation of God’s righteousness by illustrating that what was true for Abraham was also true for one of the most notable sinners of the Old Testament, King David. Paul brings forward the words of David himself by quoting Psalm 32:1, 2. It is fascinating that the Old Testament quote does not contain the terms “righteousness” or “work,” but does specifically mention the word that is common to both it and the present argument that Paul is making, that word being “impute” (credit). In fact, this word dominates the early part of the chapter, occurring in the following verses: 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11. Blessed was David, a person who committed significant sin, to whom God credited righteousness apart from works. His sins were forgiven and covered. Instead of David’s sin being credited to his account, God credited righteousness to him. And from the context surrounding this statement, one can only know that it was due to David’s faith apart from any works (for his works were evil) that this was accomplished.
Romans 4:9-12 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. How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised. 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, 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.
Paul then returns to the Jew’s premise of “special privilege,” that of being circumcised. He does this with another question in which he queries whether the blessedness that was afforded both Abraham and David was meant for only the circumcised (Jew) or for the uncircumcised (Gentile) also. He repeats the authoritative scriptural declaration that Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith. He then asked whether this declaration or imputation of righteousness was accomplished when Abraham was circumcised or uncircumcised, and immediately answers his own question: Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.
Abraham’s age when he was declared righteous (Gen. 15:6) is not stated. But later when Hagar bore him Ishmael, he was 86 (Gen. 16:16). After that, God instructed Abraham to perform the rite of circumcision on all his male descendants as a sign of God’s covenant with him; this was done when Abraham was 99 (Gen. 17:24). Therefore the circumcision of Abraham followed his justification by faith by more than 13 years. (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, Cook Communications Ministries, 2004)
But significant in this passage is that Paul further defines the meaning of the rite of circumcision. In addition to it being a sign of God’s covenant with him, it was also “a seal of the righteousness of the faith” that Abraham displayed years before his circumcision. Therefore in addition to being the instrumental cause of Abraham’s justification, it was an outward “sign” in his flesh that he had been justified by faith. Basically, circumcision was the external token of the covenant between God and the people of Israel; but here its meaning is expanded to indicate the righteousness that God imputed to Abraham through faith. The purpose for this, according to Paul, was so “that he might be the father of all those who believe,” and this meant the Gentiles in addition to the Jews. So when it comes to the spiritual realm, it may be said that Abraham is the father of all who place their faith in Jesus Christ no matter their ethnicity or background.
It [circumcision] was a testimony to his justifying “faith” and was not something in which to take any pride (cf. 2:25-29). Circumcision was relayed to teach the future believing Gentiles that they too can claim Abraham as their father. It could even be said that Gentiles have first claim on the patriarch, who was just like them when justified. Jews stand rebuffed for their pride and exclusiveness (cf. Ac 15:11; Gal 2:16). (NIV Bible Commentary, Volume 2: New Testament, Hodder & Stoughton, 1994)
When it says that Abraham is the “father” of believing Gentiles, there is no thought of physical descent, of course. It simply means that these believers are his children because they imitate his faith. They are not his children by birth but by following him as their pattern and example. Neither does the passage teach that believing Gentiles become the Israel of God. The Israel of God is composed of those “Jews” who accept Jesus, the Messiah, as their Lord and Savior. . . . There is a difference between being Abraham’s descendants and Abraham’s children. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “I know that you are Abraham’s descendants” (John 8:37). But then He went on to say, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham” (John 8:39). So here Paul insists that physical circumcision is not what counts. There must be “faith” in the living God. Those “of the circumcision” who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are the true Israel of God. (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)
It is therefore obvious that the rite of circumcision, which many Jews rely on for salvation, contributes in no way to one’s status before God. It gives no special standing before God, because no one is justified before Him except by faith alone in Christ alone.
Romans 4:13-15 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. For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.
Paul now deals with the commonly accepted Jewish position that blessing came through the Law and that therefore the Gentiles who did not know the Law were cursed (cf. John 7:49). When the promise of heirship was given to Abraham, God did not make it conditional on adherence to any legal code. The Law itself was not given until 430 years later:
And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. (Galatians 3:17)
The promise of God to Abraham was of grace and unconditional in character, to be received solely by the principle of faith—the same principle that governs the acquisition of God’s righteousness today.
The expression “heir of the world” means that he would be the father of believing Gentiles as well as of Jews (4:11, 12), that he would be the father of many nations (4:17, 18) and not just of the Jewish nation. In its fullest sense the promise will be fulfilled when the Lord Jesus, Abraham’s Seed, takes the scepter of universal empire and reigns as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)
Paul in essence is saying that faith, as a principle, is completely opposite to law. If righteousness could be obtained on the basis of law-keeping then “faith is made void and the promise made of no effect.” Faith is a matter of believing (trusting, reliance), while law is a matter of doing. If the promise is obtained on the basis of law then it would be worthless because it would be based on conditions that no one would be able to meet.
Paul reiterates that the Law only brings God’s wrath, because man in no way under his own power is in the least bit able to keep all of God’s Law. And when God’s Law is broken its natural consequence is the appropriate judgment of God’s wrath.
Paul next says, “for where there is no law there is no transgression.” Transgression is the violation of a known law. He doesn’t say that where there is no law there is no sin. An act can be inherently wrong even if the law that governs it has not been made known. In actuality sin is a transgression of God’s Law that is known to God even if unknown to man (1 John 3:4). But once the law is known, the sin then becomes a transgression fully known to the one committing the sin (Romans 3:20; 7:10, 11; 1 Corinthians 15:56). The Jews thought they inherited blessing through the Law, but all they inherited was an instructor to reveal their actions as transgressions against God’s holy Law. The Law only made certain that sin could be seen in all its sinfulness.
Romans 4:16-21 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 (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; 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.” 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. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
In this passage Paul immediately covers four distinct aspects of God’s plan of justification for man, as follow:
Paul supports his deductions with scriptural authority, quoting God’s covenant-promise from Genesis 17:5. The fact that believers in the Church Age are identified with Abraham and God’s covenant with him does not mean that the physical and temporal promises to Abraham and his physical descendants are spiritualized or abrogated. It means that God’s covenant and Abraham’s response of faith to it has a spiritual dimension as well. To be clear, the Church has not replaced Israel in God’s plan for this or the coming age.
Yet Paul recites how Abraham had unwavering faith in God and His promise that he and Sarah would give birth to a son even though he was about 100 and Sara 90 years of age (Genesis 17:17, 19; 18:10; 21:5)—a time when her womb were essentially “dead” to the process of physical procreation.
The apparent impossibility that the promise would ever be fulfilled didn’t stagger him. God had “said” it; Abraham “believed” it; that “settled” it. As far as the patriarch was concerned there was only one impossibility, and that was for God to lie. Abraham’s faith was strong and vibrant. He gave “glory to God,” honoring Him as the One who could be depended on to fulfill His promise in defiance of all the laws of chance or probability.
Abraham did not know “how” God would fulfill His word, but that was incidental. He knew God and had every confidence that God was fully “able” to do what He had promised. In one way it was wonderful faith, but in another way it was the most reasonable thing to do, because God’s Word is the surest thing in the universe, and for Abraham there was no risk in believing it! (Believer’s Bible Commentary, William MacDonald, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)
Romans 4:22-25 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our offenses, and was raised for our justification.
Paul “therefore” concludes that Abraham’s faith alone in the promise of God was “accounted [imputed—credited] to him for righteousness.” But Paul goes on to say that God’s dealing with Abraham as recorded in Holy Writ was not for Abraham’s sake alone. It was also meant to convey to all who came after him that the principle of faith is the only instrumental means of acquiring God’s righteousness. Just as there are many historical accounts within the Old Testament that were meant to serve as examples and types for both Christians and non-Christians today, this was one of the first and most fundamental of them.
The end of this chapter reiterates God’s plan of (spirit—as opposed to soul or body) salvation with the words: “It [God’s righteousness] shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our offenses, and was raised for our justification.”
The chief difficulty for interpretation lies in the preposition “for” that is common to both clauses. In itself our word “for” is ambiguous. It can mean “because of” or “with a view to.” In this case, however, “delivered over to death for our sins” is best seen to mean “because our sins were committed” and that on account of them Christ had to die if salvation were to be procured. Similarly, “raised to life for our justification” means that Jesus was raised because our justification was accomplished in His death (cf. “justified by His blood,” 5:9). It may be helpful to recognize that justification, considered objectively and from the standpoint of God’s provision, was indeed accomplished in the death of Christ (5:9) and therefore did not require the resurrection to complete it. Subjectively, however, the resurrection of Christ was essential for the exercise of faith, since His continuance under the power of death would create serious doubts about the efficacy of His sacrifice on the cross. To believe in a Christ who died for our sins is only half the Gospel (cf. 6:3-4). Furthermore, justification is not simply a forensic transaction, important as that aspect is, but involves also a living relationship with God through the living Jesus Christ (5:18). (NIV Bible Commentary, Volume 2: New Testament, Hodder & Stoughton, 1994)
The resurrection of Christ verified (was absolute proof that) the person of Christ (as the incarnate Son of God, i.e., deity), His sacrifice on the cross (as vicarious, atoning, and efficacious), and His message (of salvation by faith alone in Him) were true and completely acceptable to God the Father for the salvation of all mankind.
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