Romans 4, Abraham as Example

An exercise -- imagine a God and Their created people.  Which ways could salvation be given?  (To everyone, including an Adolf Hitler, without requirements?  To no one?  To some -- on the basis of works and actions?  To some -- on the basis of trust?)  Paul is working through a Jewish version of this question.  He has been arguing that the Jew has no hope but to lean on God and His Messiah. Now he makes this point by going back to the first Jew, Abraham.

Romans 4: 1-3, The example of Abraham

What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter?  If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

The natural reaction of the Jew, to Paul's claim that works are useless, is to say, "Hey, wait a minute!  What about the book of Leviticus!  Look at all the rules we have to follow?  How can all of that be useless?"

So Paul turns to Abraham.   Does Abraham have something to boast about?  This question implies that salvation by works would put one on par with God -- one could stand up to God and say, "See, look at me.  You have to accept me now."  Instead, Abraham takes God's word, and is given righteousness as a credit, undeserved. (We leave, still unanswered, the role of all that stuff in Leviticus.)

Verse 3 quotes Genesis 15:6.  Paul repeats the quote in verse 22.

Romans 4: 4-8, David is also an example

Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.  David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:  "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.  Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."

Paul has argued, in chapters 2 & 3, that everyone fails God at some point.  Now we bring in another Old Testament hero, David.  The quote is from Psalm 32.  The assumption is that everyone fails God, but at some point God is willing to not "count [that] against him."

Verse 8 quotes Psalm 32:1,2 

Romans 4: 9-12, Abraham received righteousness before his circumcision

Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness.  Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before?

It was not after, but before!  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.

And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.

Maybe everyone needs some help from God, but are your works or religious membership required as a starter for this process?  Maybe it is a combination of works and faith?  But even Abraham is a counterexample here, for he was saved ("credited with righteousness") before his circumcision.  Before!  If Abraham can receive righteousness without circumcision (or other works) then why can't anyone else?

So, concludes verse 12, Abraham is indeed an example for all of us.  If you haven't been circumcised, then don’t worry -- neither had Abraham. (Again, we have no attempt to defend the "works" The Jew (or anyone else) might, naturally enough, say, "But then why did Abraham get circumcised?")

In our modern times we might be led to a tangential question -- what about the women?  How did salvation -- or at least Jewishness -- come to the women?  (What did happen to Greek women who wanted to be Jews?  Eg. the female version of Cornelius from Acts 10?)  Circumcision is, by definition, pretty sexist!

Romans 4: 13-15, Abraham is the example for all of us

It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.  For if those who live by law are heirs, faith has no value and the promise is worthless, because law brings wrath. And where there is no law there is no transgression.

Whatever role the Law played, Paul argues it did not provide salvation.

Romans 4: 16-22, Salvation is by faith, not by circumcision (again, see Abraham!)

Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring--not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all. 

As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed--the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness."

Paul, for the sake of argument, may give Abraham more honor than due him, for in Genesis Abraham does seem to waiver!

The Old Testament quotes in verses 17 and 18 are from Genesis 17:5 and Genesis 15:5.  Verse 22 quotes Genesis 15:6 (as did verse 3.)

Romans 4: 23-25, And this for all of us!

The words "it was credited to him" were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

Abraham is merely an example of a salvation process available to all Jews (through the Messiah.)