Romans4

Romans 4 establishes that Abraham was justified by faith, not by works, a principle affirmed by scripture. His faith was counted for righteousness before he was circumcised, making him the father of all who believe, whether circumcised or uncircumcised. The chapter concludes by linking this imputation of righteousness to believers in God who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead for our justification.

Abraham Justified by Faith, Not Works

1
Then what should we say Avraham, our forefather, obtained by his own efforts? ​
2
For if Avraham came to be considered righteous by God because of legalistic observances, then he has something to boast about. But this is not how it is before God!
3
For what does the Tanakh say? “Avraham put his trust in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.” ​
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Now the account of someone who is working is credited not on the ground of grace but on the ground of what is owed him.
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However, in the case of one who is not working but rather is trusting in him who makes ungodly people righteous, his trust is credited to him as righteousness. ​
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In the same way, the blessing which David pronounces is on those whom God credits with righteousness apart from legalistic observances:
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“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered over; ​
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Blessed is the man whose sin Adonai will not reckon against his account.”

Faith Precedes Circumcision

9
Now is this blessing for the circumcised only? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say that Avraham’s trust was credited to his account as righteousness; ​
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but what state was he in when it was so credited — circumcision or uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision! ​
11
In fact, he received circumcision as a sign, as a seal of the righteousness he had been credited with on the ground of the trust he had while he was still uncircumcised. This happened so that he could be the father of every uncircumcised person who trusts and thus has righteousness credited to him, ​
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and at the same time be the father of every circumcised person who not only has had a b’rit-milah, but also follows in the footsteps of the trust which Avraham avinu had when he was still uncircumcised.

The Promise Is Through Faith, Not Law

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For the promise to Avraham and his seed that he would inherit the world did not come through legalism but through the righteousness that trust produces. ​
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For if the heirs are produced by legalism, then trust is pointless and the promise worthless.
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For what law brings is punishment. But where there is no law, there is also no violation. ​
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The reason the promise is based on trusting is so that it may come as God’s free gift, a promise that can be relied on by all the seed, not only those who live within the framework of the Torah, but also those with the kind of trust Avraham had — Avraham avinu for all of us. ​
17
This accords with the Tanakh, where it says, “I have appointed you to be a father to many nations.” Avraham is our father in God’s sight because he trusted God as the one who gives life to the dead and calls nonexistent things into existence. ​

The Example of Abraham's Faith

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For he was past hope, yet in hope he trusted that he would indeed become a father to many nations, in keeping with what he had been told, “So many will your seed be.” ​
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His trust did not waver when he considered his own body — which was as good as dead, since he was about a hundred years old — or when he considered that Sarah’s womb was dead too.
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He did not by lack of trust decide against God’s promises. On the contrary, by trust he was given power as he gave glory to God,
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for he was fully convinced that what God had promised he could also accomplish.
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This is why it was credited to his account as righteousness. ​

Application to All Believers

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But the words, “it was credited to his account . . . ,” were not written for him only. ​
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They were written also for us, who will certainly have our account credited too, because we have trusted in him who raised Yeshua our Lord from the dead — ​
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Yeshua, who was delivered over to death because of our offences and raised to life in order to make us righteous. ​

Study Notes for Romans 4

Verse 1

Paul anticipates the objection that Abraham earned his status, immediately refuting the idea that works could justify him before God.

Verse 3

This citation from Genesis 15:6 is the linchpin of Paul’s argument: belief/faith (trusting God’s promise) is the sole mechanism for receiving righteousness.

Verse 5

Righteousness is given to the 'ungodly' (those incapable of fulfilling the law), demonstrating that justification is a gift of grace, not a deserved wage or debt.

Verse 7

Paul uses Psalm 32 to show that David also understood blessedness as involving the removal (forgiveness and covering) of sin, independent of meritorious works.

Verse 9

Paul addresses the Jewish claim that righteousness belongs only to the circumcised, using Abraham's timeline to refute this restriction.

Verse 10

This chronological detail is crucial: Abraham was declared righteous in Genesis 15 (uncircumcised) and received circumcision in Genesis 17. Faith came first.

Verse 11

Circumcision served as a 'seal'—an outward sign confirming the prior, inward reality of righteousness received through faith, making Abraham the father of all believers (Jew and Gentile).

Verse 13

The promise that Abraham would inherit the world refers to the universal scope of the gospel and demonstrates that the covenant was based on faith, existing centuries before the Mosaic Law.

Verse 15

The Law defines transgression, meaning it exposes sin and leads to condemnation ('wrath'). Since the Law cannot eliminate sin, it cannot provide a path to righteousness.

Verse 16

God established the promise on faith so that it would be guaranteed by grace, extending securely to all who share Abraham’s faith, regardless of ethnicity or legal status.

Verse 17

Paul emphasizes that Abraham’s faith was directed toward God, who possesses the power of resurrection ('quickeneth the dead') and creation ex nihilo ('calling things which be not').

Verse 18

Abraham’s faith was characterized by 'hope against hope,' demonstrating a profound trust in God’s promise even when natural circumstances made fulfillment humanly impossible.

Verse 22

This verse repeats the conclusion of Genesis 15:6, summarizing the principle that faith, not merit, resulted in God imputing righteousness.

Verse 23

Paul asserts that the Abrahamic account was preserved not merely as history but as a pattern for how God justifies all people.

Verse 24

The object of our justifying faith is defined: belief in the sovereign God who demonstrated his saving power by raising Jesus our Lord from the dead.

Verse 25

This verse succinctly summarizes the theological purpose of Christ's work: His death deals with our guilt ('offences'), and His resurrection validates and secures our status of righteousness ('justification').

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