English · ASV

Romans 4

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Abraham Justified by Faith, Not Works 1–8

1
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh? ​
2
For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
3
For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ​
4
Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness. ​
6
Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,
7
saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered. ​
8
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.

Faith Precedes Circumcision 9–12

9
Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness. ​
10
How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision: ​
11
and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might be reckoned unto them; ​
12
and the father of circumcision to them who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had in uncircumcision.

The Promise Is Through Faith, Not Law 13–17

13
For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed that he should be heir of the world, but through the righteousness of faith. ​
14
For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
15
for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. ​
16
For this cause it is of faith, that it may be according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all ​
17
(as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, even God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. ​

The Example of Abraham's Faith 18–22

18
Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. ​
19
And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb;
20
yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
21
and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22
Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. ​

Application to All Believers 23–25

23
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; ​
24
but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, ​
25
who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Romans 4

Verse 1

Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh — The Jew's claim to Abraham rested on descent, 'the flesh' (sarx). Paul asks what Abraham himself 'hath found', and answers in v.2: 'if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.' He will then be father by faith of the uncircumcised too (v.11).

Verse 3

it was counted unto him for righteousness — Paul cites Gen 15:6, where the LORD's promise 'So shall thy seed be' (Gen 15:5) comes first. The verb logizomai is an accounting word, 'to reckon to one's account'; the KJV renders it counted, reckoned or imputed in eleven verses of this chapter. James quotes the same line (Jas 2:23).

Verse 5

justifieth the ungodly — Asebes is the one without reverence toward God. The Law said, 'I will not justify the wicked' (Ex 23:7), and Prov 17:15 calls the justifying of the wicked an abomination to the LORD. Paul's answer is that God does so through the redemption in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24) and the death 'for the ungodly' (Rom 5:6).

Verse 7

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven — Paul quotes David, Ps 32:1–2, whose 'imputeth not' (v.2) is the same reckoning as the 'counted' of Gen 15:6 (vv.6, 8). 'Are covered' (epikalypto) occurs only here in the New Testament. Sin is covered and not charged; righteousness is credited without works.

Verse 9

Cometh this blessedness — Makarismos, the pronouncing of a person blessed, appears only here, in v.6, and in Gal 4:15. Having set David's words (vv.7–8) beside Gen 15:6, Paul asks whether the blessing of the forgiven belongs to the circumcision only, and takes the answer from when Abraham was reckoned righteous.

Verse 10

Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision — Gen 15:6 stands before Ishmael is born (Gen 16), and Abraham was 'ninety years old and nine' when he was circumcised (Gen 17:24). The reckoning came first, many years before the rite; so the rite could not have been what earned it.

Verse 11

a seal of the righteousness of the faith — Gen 17:11 calls circumcision 'a token of the covenant'. Paul names it a sign (semeion) and a seal (sphragis), the mark that confirms a thing already settled. It followed the faith Abraham had 'yet being uncircumcised', making him father of believers who are not circumcised.

Verse 13

heir of the world — The promises to Abraham are that in him 'shall all families of the earth be blessed' (Gen 12:3) and in his seed 'all the nations of the earth' (Gen 22:18). Paul states their reach as the kosmos. The Law came four hundred and thirty years after the covenant and cannot disannul it (Gal 3:17).

Verse 15

the law worketh wrath — Orge is wrath. 'Transgression' is parabasis, a stepping across a line; where no commandment draws the line, none is crossed. Rom 5:13 says the same: 'sin is not imputed when there is no law.' So the Law shows sin up, and cannot be the ground of the promise.

Verse 16

of faith, that it might be by grace — The promise rests on faith so that it may rest on charis, free favour, and so be 'sure' (bebaios, firm) 'to all the seed': those of the law and those of Abraham's faith. Gal 3:29 draws the same line: 'if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.'

Verse 17

calleth those things which be not as though they were — 'A father of many nations have I made thee' (Gen 17:5; Paul gives it as in v.17) was said while Abraham had no child by Sarah. Zoopoieo, 'quickeneth', is to make alive. Heb 11:19 adds that Abraham was 'accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead'.

Verse 18

against hope believed in hope — The Greek puts 'hope' twice: against the hope that circumstances allowed, Abraham believed upon the hope God gave. The word spoken was Gen 15:5, 'So shall thy seed be', said of the stars. Rom 4:19 gives the circumstance: his own body 'now dead', and the deadness of Sara's womb.

Verse 22

it was imputed to him for righteousness — The same verb logizomai as in vv.3, 9 and 24, and the third use of Gen 15:6 in the chapter. 'Therefore' (dio) rests on vv.20–21: he 'staggered not at the promise of God', 'being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.'

Verse 23

not written for his sake alone — The account in Genesis stands written, as Rom 15:4 says of all earlier Scripture: 'whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning.' The counting of faith for righteousness was recorded in Abraham's case so that it could be seen in theirs.

Verse 24

him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead — Abraham believed the God 'who quickeneth the dead' (v.17); the believer now believes on the same God, named by the raising of Jesus (egeiro). Rom 10:9 states the confession: 'believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead'. 'Shall be imputed' is mello, about to be reckoned.

Verse 25

delivered for our offences… raised again for our justification — 'Delivered' (paradidomi) is the verb of Rom 8:32, 'delivered him up for us all'; Isa 53:5 has 'wounded for our transgressions'. 'Offences' is paraptoma, a falling aside. 'Justification' (dikaiosis) occurs only here and in Rom 5:18. The same word dia, 'for', is used for both halves.