Bible Commentaries
Romans 4

Verse 1

4:1 Rom 4:1. Paul's question is to introduce his remarks about the works of Abraham and what they meant to him. The Jews not only claimed that God chose them over the Gentiles because of their better qualities, but that they and their law were good enough to be continued in authority for the sake of righteousness before God. That was the reason the Judaizers in Rome (and elsewhere) were so persistent in disturbing the Gentile Christians with their notions. And in defence of their position, they referred to Abraham who was said to be righteous on the ground that he was justified by works (Jas 2:21), jumping from the works of the law to those practiced by Abraham centuries before the law.

Verse 2

4:2 Rom 4:2. Abraham did not have to rely on his works to have something of which to glory in God's sight. The Jews were boasting of Abraham's works, for his sake, but there was no need for the patriarch to boast on that ground.

Verse 3

4:3 Rom 4:3. God had already given Abraham the favor• of justification for being righteous, on the ground that he believed on Him (Gen 15:6). Why, then, should Abraham look to works for justification when God had already counted him righteous without them?

Verse 4

4:4 Rom 4:4. To him that worketh means the man who depends on the merits of his works for justification. In that case, if he receives that reward, it will be reckoned (considered) on the basis of debt, something actually delivered to him because he had earned it. But that would exclude any credit to the idea of grace or favor.

Verse 5

4:5 Rom 4:5. This is just the opposite to the preceding verse.

Verse 6

4:6 Rom 4:6. The principle of receiving favor from the Lord as a gift, and not on the basis of meritorious work, was even taught by David in old time. (Psa 32:1-2.)

Verse 7

4:7 Rom 4:7. If a man's debts are forgiven, that is not the same as actually paying them. (See Mat 18:27 Mat 18:32 Mat 18:34.) When God forgives a man of his sins, it is not because he has actually paid the debt with meritorious works, for that cannot be done. Instead, it is because the debt has been covered by the blood of Christ (chapter 3:. 26, 27).

Verse 8

4:8 Rom 4:8. Not impute sin means to forgive them. (See the preceding verse.)

Verse 9

4:9 Rom 4:9. This blessedness refers to the grace of God bestowed because of faith and not on the virtue of works. Paul asks if it was bestowed on the circumcision (Jews) only, or on the uncircumcision (Gentiles) also. He then cites the fact that such blessedness was given to Abraham. The Jew would reply that he had a point in that very case, for Abraham was the first man to be circumcised. The apostle expected that reply, and he met it in the next verse.

Verse 10

:10 Rom 4:10. Abraham was reckoned righteous while he was uncircumcised, hence the favor could not have been by virtue of circumcision as the Jews claimed.

Verse 11

:11 Rom 4:11. Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign or seal of the righteousness which he already had displayed. An inspector does not put his stamp of approval on an article of food to make it pure, but to indicate that it was already pure. Circumcision did not make Abraham righteous, but it was given to him because he was that kind of man previously. He had been declared righteous 24 years before the rite of circumcision was given him. (See Gen 12:4 Gen 15:6 Gen 17:24.) This fact has an important bearing on the world in general. By attributing the quality of righteousness to Abraham because of his faith before he even knew anything about circumcision, it would be made possible for others to become the spiritual descendants of the patriarch, even though they were the ones who did not have circumcision, namely, the Gentiles. This great argument of Paul was especially directed against the Jews in. Rome, who made more ado over cir cumcision than over the other requirements of the law.

Verse 12

:12 Rom 4:12. That would make Abraham the spiritual father (ancestor) of circumcision (spiritual, chapter 2:28, 29), to those who are not of the fleshly circumcision. That refers to the Gentiles who, though not circumcised fleshly, yet imitate the faith that. Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Verse 13

:13 Rom 4:13. To be an heir of anything means to receive that possession by allotment or gracious gift. Abraham and his seed which means his spiritual descendants by faith, became heirs or possessors of the grace of God's favor. That favor was connected with the promise of Christ who was to bless the world. But that favor was not bestowed on the merits of law (of works), but through the righteousness of faith.

Verse 14

:14 Rom 4:14. If the promise made to Abraham and his seed was to be fulfilled by the works of the law, then the faith (the Gospel) would be made of no avail.

Verse 15

:15 Rom 4:15. Transgression means going beyond a law, therefore where there is no law there could be no transgression, though there could be other forms of sin.

Verse 16

:16 Rom 4:16. The words it is are not in the original as separate words. The thought of the verse is that the favor of God is the most important subject and the thing that should be the most desired. That is why the divine plan was to bestow such a favor on the basis of grace to the faithful of all nations, not only to the adherents of the law.

Verse 17

:17 Rom 4:17. Such a grand scheme opened up the way for all to become the spiritual descendants of Abraham, who was set forth as a model of righteousness by faith long before there was any law of Moses. That also made it possible for him to have the promise of being the father of many nations, which would include both Gentiles and Jews. Things which be not as though they were refers to the apparent impossibility for Abraham to be a father at all when the promise was made.

Verse 18

:18 Rom 4:18. Against hope believed in hope means the same as the last clause in the preceding verse, concerning the improbability of Abraham's parenthood.

Verse 19

:19 Rom 4:19. This verse comes down to the time when the son of promise was soon to be born. Such a son had been promised a number of times, but the exact time of it had not been set. When Abraham was 99 years old God set the time for the birth of this son (Gen 17:1 Gen 17:21). Own body now dead is figurative as Abraham was of such advanced age. Deadness of Sarah's womb is literal as far as reproduction function is concerned. She was barren to begin with (Gen 11:30), and she also had passed the childbearing period (Gen 18:11). In spite of all these natural impediments, Abraham believed that God was able to give him and his wife a son who would be the joint offspring of their bodies, by overcoming the defects that nature had placed in the way.

Verse 20

:20 Rom 4:20. Staggered not denotes that he did not waver in the least in his faith concerning the promise of God, but he was firm and absolute in that faith.

Verse 21

:21 Rom 4:21. Such a faith not only means that God is able to perform what he had promised, but that He would not have promised it, had he not known he could do it.

Verse 22

:22 Rom 4:22. Imputed to him denotes that he was considered as a righteous man.

Verse 23

:23 Rom 4:23. Abraham would have rejoiced at the simple assurance that he was considered righteous, but the fact was written also for the sake of others besides himself.

Verse 24

:24 Rom 4:24. It was written as an encouragement for us (all people of our day, whether Jew or Gentile), to the intent that we believe on God who raised up his Son, the great Seed that was promised to Abraham.

Verse 25

:25 Rom 4:25. Was delivered refers to Jesus being turned over into the hands of his enemies, to be slain because of the offences of the world, that by his sacrifice they might be atoned for. Had Jesus not been raised from the dead, he could not have perfected that system of faith by which man could be justified before God.