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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Romans 4:17–22. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Having observed when Abraham was justified by faith, and why, for the honour of Abraham and for example to us who call him father, the apostle here describes and commends the faith of Abraham, where observe,
I.Whom he believed:
God who quickeneth. It is God himself that faith fastens upon: other foundation can no man lay. Now observe what in God Abraham's faith had an eye t - o that, certainly, which would be most likely to confirm his faith concerning the things promised: - 1. God who quickeneth the dead. It was promised that he should be the father of many nations, when he and his wife were now as good as dead (Heb 11:11, Heb 11:12), and therefore he looks upon God as a God that could breathe life into dry bones. He that quickeneth the dead can do any thing, can give a child to Abraham when he is old, can bring the Gentiles, who are dead in trespasses and sins, to a divine and spiritual life, Eph 2:1. Compare Eph 1:19, Eph 1:20. 2. Who calleth things which are not as though they were; that is, creates all things by the word of his power, as in the beginning, Gen 1:3; Co2 4:6. The justification and salvation of sinners, the espousing of the Gentiles that had not been a people, were a gracious calling of things which are not as though they were, giving being to things that were not. This expresses the sovereignty of God and his absolute power and dominion, a mighty stay to faith when all other props sink and totter. It is the holy wisdom and policy of faith to fasten particularly on that in God which is accommodated to the difficulties wherewith it is to wrestle, and will most effectually answer the objections. It is faith indeed to build upon the all-sufficiency of God for the accomplishment of that which is impossible to anything but that all-sufficiency. Thus Abraham became the father of many nations before him whom he believed, that is, in the eye and account of God; or like him whom he believed; as God was a common Father, so was Abraham. It is by faith in God that we become accepted of him, and conformable to him.
II.How he believed.
He here greatly magnifies the strength of Abraham's faith, in several expressions.
1.Against hope, he believed in hope, Rom 4:18. There was a hope against him, a natural hope. All the arguments of sense, and reason, and experience, which in such cases usually beget and support hope, were against him; no second causes smiled upon him, nor in the least favoured his hope. But, against all those inducements to the contrary, he believed; for he had a hope for him: He believed in hope, which arose, as his faith did, from the consideration of God's all-sufficiency. That he might become the father of many nations. Therefore God, by his almighty grace, enabled him thus to believe against hope, that he might pass for a pattern of great and strong faith to all generations. It was fit that he who was to be the father of the faithful should have something more than ordinary in his faith - that in him faith should be set in its highest elevation, and so the endeavours of all succeeding believers be directed, raised, and quickened. Or this is mentioned as the matter of the promise that he believed; and he refers to Gen 15:5, So shall thy seed be, as the stars of heaven, so innumerable, so illustrious. This was that which he believed, when it was counted to him for righteousness, Rom 4:6. And it is observable that this particular instance of his faith was against hope, against the surmises and suggestions of his unbelief. He had just before been concluding hardly that he should go childless, that one born in his house was his heir (Rom 4:2, Rom 4:3); and this unbelief was a foil to his faith, and bespeaks it a believing against hope.
2.Being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body, Rom 4:19. Observe, His own body was now dead - become utterly unlikely to beget a child, though the new life and vigour that God gave him continued after Sarah was dead, witness his children by Keturah. When God intends some special blessing, some child of promise, for his people, he commonly puts a sentence of death upon the blessing itself, and upon all the ways that lead to it. Joseph must be enslaved and imprisoned before he be advanced. But Abraham did not consider this, su katenoēse - he did not dwell in his thoughts upon it. He said indeed, Shall a child be born to him that is a hundred years old? Gen 17:17. But that was the language of his admiration and his desire to be further satisfied, not of his doubting and distrust; his faith passed by that consideration, and thought of nothing but the faithfulness of the promise, with the contemplation whereof he was swallowed up, and this kept up his faith. Being not weak in faith, he considered not. It is mere weakness of faith that makes a man lie poring upon the difficulties and seeming impossibilities that lie in the way of a promise. Though it may seem to be the wisdom and policy of carnal reason, yet it is the weakness of faith, to look into the bottom of all the difficulties that arise against the promise.
3.He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief (Rom 4:20), and he therefore staggered not because he considered not the frowns and discouragements of second causes; su diekrithē - he disputed not; he did not hold any self-consultation about it, did not take time to consider whether he should close with it or no, did not hesitate nor stumble at it, but by a resolute and peremptory act of his soul, with a holy boldness, ventured all upon the promise. He took it not for a point that would admit of argument or debate, but presently determined it as a ruled case, did not at all hang in suspense about it: he staggered not through unbelief. Unbelief is at the bottom of all our staggerings at God's promises. It is not the promise that fails, but our faith that fails when we stagger.
4.He was strong in faith, giving glory to God, enedunamōthē - he was strengthened in faith, his faith got ground by exercise - crescit eundo. Though weak faith shall not be rejected, the bruised reed not broken, the smoking flax not quenched, yet strong faith shall be commended and honoured. The strength of his faith appeared in the victory it won over his fears. And hereby he gave glory to God; for, as unbelief dishonours God by making him a liar (Jo1 5:10), so faith honours God by setting to its seal that he is true, Joh 3:33. Abraham's faith gave God the glory of his wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, and especially of his faithfulness, resting upon the word that he had spoken. Among men we say, "He that trusts another, gives him credit, and honours him by taking his word;" thus Abraham gave glory to God by trusting him. We never hear our Lord Jesus commending any thing so much as great faith (Mat 8:10 and Mat 15:28): therefore God gives honour to faith, great faith, because faith, great faith, gives honour to God.
5.He was fully persuaded that what God had promised he was able to perform, plērophorētheis - was carried on with the greatest confidence and assurance; it is a metaphor taken from ships that come into the harbour with full sail. Abraham saw the storms of doubts, and fears, and temptations likely to rise against the promise, upon which many a one would have shrunk back, and lain by for fairer days, and waited a smiling gale of sense and reason. But Abraham, having taken God for his pilot, and the promise for his card and compass, resolves to weather his point, and like a bold adventurer sets up all his sails, breaks through all the difficulties, regards neither winds nor clouds, but trusts to the strength of his bottom and the wisdom and faithfulness of his pilot, and bravely makes to the harbour, and comes home an unspeakable gainer. Such was his full persuasion, and it was built on the omnipotence of God: He was able. Our waverings rise mainly from our distrust of the divine power; and therefore to fix us it is requisite we believe not only that he is faithful, but that he is able, that hath promised. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness, Rom 4:22. Because with such a confidence he ventured his all in the divine promise, God graciously accepted him, and not only answered, but out-did, his expectation. This way of glorifying God by a firm reliance on his bare promise was so very agreeable to God's design, and so very conducive to his honour, that he graciously accepted it as a righteousness, and justified him, though there was not that in the thing itself which could merit such an acceptance. This shows why faith is chosen to be the prime condition of our justification, because it is a grace that of all others gives glory to God.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
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Abstaining then from curious questionings is glorifying God, as indulging in them is transgressing. But if by entering into curious questions, and searching out things below, we fail to glorify Him, much more if we be over curious in the matter of the Lord's generation, shall we suffer to the utmost for our insolence. For if the type of the resurrection is not to be searched into, much less those untterable and awestriking subjects. And he does not use the word "believed" merely, but, "being fully persuaded." For such a thing is faith, it is clearer than the demonstration by reasons, and persuades more fully. For it is not possible for another reasoning succeeding to it to shake it afterwards. He indeed that is persuaded with words may have his persuasion altered too by them. But he that stays himself upon faith, hath henceforward fortified his hearing against words that may do hurt to it.
Having said then, that he was justified by faith, he shows that he glorified God by that faith; which is a thing specially belonging to a good life. For, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Which is in heaven." But lo! this is shown also to belong to faith! Again, as works need power, so doth faith. For in their case the body often shareth the toil, but in the faith the well-doing belongeth to the soul alone. And so the labor is greater, since it has no one to share the struggles with it.
Abraham thanked God as if he had already received the gift.
God brings about the faith of the Gentiles, because he is able to perform what he has promised. If it is God who produces our faith, acting in a wondrous manner in our hearts so that we believe, surely we should not fear that he cannot do the entire work.
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Summary
Romans 4:21 encapsulates the unwavering nature of Abraham's faith, which was credited to him as righteousness. It highlights his profound and absolute conviction that God, who had made an extraordinary promise, possessed not only the will but also the omnipotent power to bring that promise to complete fulfillment, even when all natural circumstances seemed to contradict its possibility. This verse serves as a climactic statement of Abraham's exemplary trust in God's faithfulness and ability.
Context
Literary Context
Romans 4 is Paul's foundational argument for justification by faith, using Abraham as the prime Old Testament example. Paul meticulously demonstrates that Abraham's righteousness was reckoned to him not by works of the law or by circumcision, but solely through his faith (as stated in Genesis 15:6). Prior to Romans 4:21, verses Romans 4:19-20 detail the humanly impossible circumstances Abraham faced: his own body was "as good as dead" (being about a hundred years old) and Sarah's womb was barren. Despite these overwhelming physical realities, Abraham "did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God." Verse 21 then climactically states the nature of this unshakeable faith – it was rooted in the absolute certainty of God's ability to perform what He had promised.
Historical & Cultural Context
Abraham lived in a pre-Mosaic covenant era, long before the Law was given at Sinai. His faith, therefore, could not be based on adherence to a legal code. The promise given to him by God was extraordinary: that he, an old man, and his barren wife, Sarah, would have countless descendants, becoming the father of many nations (Genesis 17:5-6). In the ancient Near East, lineage and progeny were paramount, and barrenness was often seen as a curse or a sign of divine disfavor. For a couple well past childbearing age to be promised a biological heir was not merely improbable; it was naturally impossible. Abraham's cultural context would have reinforced the futility of such a promise from a human perspective. His faith, therefore, was a radical departure from conventional wisdom, relying entirely on the supernatural power and faithfulness of a God who creates out of nothing and gives life to the dead (Romans 4:17).
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes in Romans and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it underscores the theme of Faith in God's Promises, demonstrating that genuine faith is not a vague hope but a firm conviction in the specific, often seemingly impossible, promises of God. Abraham's faith was not in his own ability or favorable circumstances, but entirely in God's word. Secondly, it highlights God's Omnipotence and Faithfulness. Abraham's persuasion rested on the character of God – that He is both willing and supremely able to perform what He says. This speaks to God's absolute power over creation and natural laws. Thirdly, the phrase "fully persuaded" emphasizes Full Assurance as a hallmark of saving faith. It implies a complete lack of doubt, a deep-seated certainty that leaves no room for wavering, which is crucial for understanding the nature of the faith that justifies. Finally, this verse reinforces the theme of Justification by Faith, as this very quality of faith – believing in God's power to fulfill His word – is the basis upon which God "credited it to him as righteousness" (Romans 4:3).
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
(πληροφορέω), meaning "to carry out fully (in evidence), i.e. completely assure (or convince), entirely accomplish." This word signifies a complete and utter conviction, a deep-seated certainty that leaves no room for doubt or wavering. It's not merely intellectual assent but a profound inner assurance, a faith that has been "filled up" to its maximum capacity. In Abraham's case, it means his belief in God's promise was total, despite the overwhelming physical evidence to the contrary.
(ἐπαγγέλλω), meaning "to announce upon (reflexively), i.e. (by implication) to engage to do something, to assert something respecting oneself." This term refers to a solemn declaration or a binding commitment made by God. It emphasizes that God's word is not a mere suggestion or possibility, but a divine pledge, a covenantal oath that He Himself is bound to uphold. Abraham's faith was directed precisely to this divine, self-attesting promise.
(δυνατός), meaning "powerful or capable (literally or figuratively); neuter possible." This word speaks directly to God's inherent power and capability. Abraham's conviction was not just that God would fulfill the promise, but that God possessed the necessary power to overcome all obstacles, including the laws of nature and human limitations, to bring it to pass. It highlights God's omnipotence as the bedrock of Abraham's faith.
Verse Breakdown
"And being fully persuaded that"
This introductory phrase immediately establishes the profound depth of Abraham's conviction. The Greek "plērophoréō" (fully persuaded) denotes a state of complete assurance, a faith that has been brought to full measure and leaves no room for doubt. It implies a settled and unwavering certainty in the mind and heart of Abraham, despite the seemingly impossible circumstances of his old age and Sarah's barrenness.
"what he had promised"
This clause refers specifically to God's covenantal promise to Abraham regarding his numerous descendants and becoming the father of many nations. It underscores that Abraham's faith was not a vague spirituality but was anchored to the concrete, specific declarations of God. The divine promise is presented as the object of his unwavering persuasion, highlighting God's initiative and faithfulness in making the commitment.
"he was able also to perform"
This is the crucial theological core of the verse. Abraham's full persuasion rested not merely on the fact that God had promised, but on the absolute conviction that God possessed the power and capability to bring that promise to fruition. The word "able" (dynatós) emphasizes God's omnipotence. It means that Abraham believed God was not limited by human frailty, biological impossibility, or the passage of time. His faith was a testament to God's sovereign power to act supernaturally and fulfill His word, regardless of any natural impediment.
Literary Devices
The verse employs several literary devices to convey its profound theological truth. Emphasis is achieved through the strong phrasing "fully persuaded," highlighting the completeness and unwavering nature of Abraham's faith. This isn't a hesitant belief but a settled conviction. There's an implicit Antithesis at play, contrasting human inability and natural impossibility (Abraham's old age, Sarah's barrenness, as mentioned in Romans 4:19) with divine omnipotence and faithfulness. The verse asserts that God's ability transcends all human limitations. Furthermore, the simplicity and directness of the statement contribute to its Clarity and Impact, delivering a powerful theological truth about the nature of God and the faith that pleases Him.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Romans 4:21 profoundly illustrates the nature of saving faith, which is not a mere intellectual assent or a vague hope, but a deep, unwavering conviction in God's character and His power to fulfill His promises. Abraham's faith served as a paradigm for all who would be justified by faith, demonstrating that true righteousness comes from trusting in God's ability to do what seems impossible from a human perspective. This conviction in God's omnipotence and faithfulness is foundational to the Christian life, assuring believers that God is not only willing but also fully capable of accomplishing His redemptive purposes, both in the grand sweep of salvation history and in the personal lives of His people. It underscores that our hope is not in our own strength or circumstances, but in the unchangeable power and integrity of God.
Reflection and Application
Abraham's "fully persuaded" faith in Romans 4:21 offers a profound challenge and encouragement for believers today. In a world often characterized by doubt, anxiety, and a reliance on human capability, Abraham's example calls us to fix our gaze on God's unchanging character and infinite power. Just as he faced seemingly insurmountable odds regarding the promise of a son, we too encounter circumstances that appear impossible – whether it's a desperate personal situation, a seemingly unanswerable prayer, or a daunting call to obedience. This verse reminds us that the quality of our faith is not measured by the absence of obstacles, but by our unwavering conviction in God's ability to transcend them. Our spiritual growth is often directly proportional to our trust in God's power to perform what He has promised in His Word, including His promises for salvation, sanctification, provision, and ultimate glorification. To be "fully persuaded" means to rest in the certainty that God is faithful to His word and mighty to act, allowing His promises to shape our perspective more than our problems.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "fully persuaded" truly mean in the context of Abraham's faith?
"Fully persuaded" (Greek: plērophoréō) means Abraham had an absolute, complete, and unwavering conviction in God's promise and ability. It implies a deep-seated certainty that left no room for doubt or hesitation, even when all natural circumstances (his old age and Sarah's barrenness, as described in Romans 4:19) made the promise seem impossible from a human perspective. His faith was not a fragile hope, but a robust and settled assurance in God's faithfulness and omnipotence.
How does Abraham's faith in Romans 4:21 relate to our faith as Christians today?
Abraham's faith serves as the quintessential model for Christian faith. Just as Abraham was justified by believing in God's promise and power, so too are believers today justified by faith in God's ultimate promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:24-25). His "fully persuaded" conviction in God's ability to bring life out of death (in his body and Sarah's womb) foreshadows our faith in God's ability to raise Jesus from the dead and to grant spiritual life to those who are spiritually dead in sin. It teaches us that true faith looks beyond human limitations to God's infinite power.
Is this verse implying that human effort is irrelevant if God is "able to perform"?
This verse strongly emphasizes God's ability and faithfulness, not human effort. Paul's entire argument in Romans 4 is to establish that righteousness comes by faith, not by works of the law. Abraham's faith was credited to him because he believed God was able to perform, not because of anything he did to earn it. While faith is an active response, its object is God's power and promise, not human merit. It highlights that salvation is entirely a work of God's grace, received through a trusting reliance on His omnipotence.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Romans 4:21, with its emphasis on Abraham's unwavering conviction in God's ability to perform His promises, finds its ultimate and most glorious fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The "promise" to Abraham was ultimately a promise of a seed through whom all nations would be blessed (Genesis 12:3). This seed is Christ, and the blessing is salvation. Abraham believed God could bring life from a "dead" body and a barren womb; this foreshadows God's ultimate act of bringing life from death through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The very power that raised Christ from the dead (Romans 8:11) is the power that Abraham trusted and the power that justifies believers today. Our faith, like Abraham's, is credited as righteousness because we believe in God "who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead" (Romans 4:24-25). Christ is the embodiment of God's performed promise, the ultimate demonstration that God is indeed "able also to perform" all that He has declared, from the promise of a spiritual lineage to the final redemption of all creation (Ephesians 3:20-21). In Christ, every divine promise finds its "Yes" and "Amen" (2 Corinthians 1:20), confirming God's absolute faithfulness and limitless power.