Roma 4:2

Filipino Cebuano Bible

2 Kay kon si Abraham nahimo pang matarung tungod sa iyang mga binuhatan, nan, aduna siyay ikapasigarbo, apan dili sa atubangan sa Dios.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Abraham: Romans 3:20-28, Philippians 3:9

he hath: Romans 3:27, Romans 15:17, Ezekiel 8:9, Jeremiah 9:23, Jeremiah 9:24, 1 Corinthians 9:16, 2 Corinthians 5:12, 2 Corinthians 11:12, 2 Corinthians 11:30, 2 Corinthians 12:1-9, Galatians 6:13, Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 2:9

but: Genesis 12:12, Genesis 12:13, Genesis 12:18, Genesis 12:20, Genesis 20:9-13, Joshua 24:2, 1 Corinthians 1:29, 1 Corinthians 4:7, Galatians 3:22

Reciprocal: Luke 10:29 - willing Romans 2:13 - justified Romans 4:17 - who quickeneth 1 Corinthians 4:4 - yet Galatians 2:16 - that

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For if Abraham were justified by works,.... That Abraham was not, and could not be justified by works, is clear from hence, that if this was his case,

he hath whereof to glory; which will be allowed him before men, on account of his pious life and conversation:

but not before God; who saw all the iniquity of his heart, and was privy to all his failings and infirmities: besides, glorying before God in a man's own works, is contrary to the scheme and method of God's grace; is excluded by the doctrine of faith; nor is there any place for glorying before God but in Christ, and his righteousness: if therefore Abraham had not that of which he could glory before God, he could not be justified by works in his sight: but does not the Apostle James say that he was justified by works, James 2:21? To this it may be replied, that the two apostles, Paul and James, are not speaking of the same thing: Paul speaks of justification before God, James of justification before men; Paul speaks of the justification of the person, James of the justification of a man's cause, as the truth of his faith, or the uprightness of his conduct; Paul speaks of works, as the causes of justification, James of them as the effects and evidences of faith; Paul had to do with the self-righteous, who trusted in their own works for justification, James with Gnostics, who slighted and neglected the performance of them. These things considered, they will be found to agree.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For if Abraham ... - This is the answer of the apostle. If Abraham was justified on the ground of his own merits, he would have reason to boast, or to claim praise. He might regard himself as the author of it, and take the praise to himself; see Romans 4:4. The inquiry, therefore, was, whether in the account of the justification of Abraham, there was to be found any such statement of a reason for self-confidence and boasting.

But not before God - In the sight of God. That is, in his recorded judgment, he had no ground of boasting on account of works. To show this, the apostle appeals at once to the Scriptures, to show that there was no such record as that Abraham could boast that he was justified by his works. As God judges right in all cases, so it follows that Abraham had no just ground of boasting, and of course that he was not justified by his own works. The sense of this verse is well expressed by Calvin. “If Abraham was justified by his works, he might boast of his own merits. But he has no ground of boasting before God. Therefore he was not justified by works.”

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Romans 4:2. For if Abraham were justified by works — The JEW proceeds: - I conclude, therefore, that Abraham was justified by works, or by his obedience to this law of circumcision; and, consequently, he has cause for glorying, καυχημα, to exult in something which he has done to entitle him to these blessings. Now, it is evident that he has this glorying, and consequently that he was justified by works.

APOSTLE. But not before God — These seem to be the apostle's words, and contain the beginning of his answer to the arguments of the Jew, as if he had said: - Allowing that Abraham might glory in being called from heathenish darkness into such marvellous light, and exult in the privileges which God had granted to him; yet this glorying was not before God as a reason why those privileges should be granted; the glorying itself being a consequence of these very privileges.