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Romans 4

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Abraham Justified by Faith, Not Works 1–8

1
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? ​
2
For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. ​
4
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5
But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. ​
6
Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without 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 impute sin.

Faith Precedes Circumcision 9–12

9
Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. ​
10
How was it then 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 yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: ​
12
And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

The Promise Is Through Faith, Not Law 13–17

13
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. ​
14
For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15
Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. ​
16
Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might 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, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. ​

The Example of Abraham's Faith 18–22

18
Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. ​
19
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb:
20
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21
And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. ​

Application to All Believers 23–25

23
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ​
24
But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; ​
25
Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · 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.