Romans — Chapter 4
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1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has discovered?
2If Abraham was indeed justified by works, he had something to boast about, but not before God.
3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4Now the wages of the worker are not credited as a gift, but as an obligation.
5However, to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7“Blessed are they whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.”
9Is this blessing only on the circumcised, or also on the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10In what context was it credited? Was it after his circumcision, or before? It was not after, but before.
11And he received the sign of circumcision as 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 are not circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12And 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.
13For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world was not given through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14For if those who live by the law are heirs, faith is useless and the promise is worthless,
15because the law brings wrath. And where there is no law, there is no transgression.
16Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may rest on 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.
17As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the presence of God, in whom he believed, the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being what does not yet exist.
18Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”
19Without weakening in his faith, he acknowledged the decrepitness of his body (since he was about a hundred years old) and the lifelessness of Sarah’s womb.
20Yet he did not waver through disbelief in the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God,
21being fully persuaded that God was able to do what He had promised.
22This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
23Now the words “it was credited to him” were written not only for Abraham,
24but also for us, to whom righteousness will be credited—for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification.
1What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11And 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:
12And 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.
13For 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.
14For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16Therefore 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.
18Who 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.
19And 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 Sarah’s womb:
20He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, hath found according to the flesh?
2For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.
3For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
4Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
6Even 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.
8Blessed is the man to whom, the Lord will not reckon sin.
9Is this blessing then pronounced upon the circumcision, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say, To Abraham his faith was reckoned for righteousness.
10How then was it reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
11and 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;
12and 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.
13For 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.
14For if they that are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect:
15for the law worketh wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there transgression.
16For 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.
18Who 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.
19And 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;
20yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God,
21and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.
23Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him;
24but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
25who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?
2For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.
3For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
4Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation.
5But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.
6So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
7“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8blessed is the one against whom the Lord will never count sin.”
9Is this blessedness then for the circumcision or also for the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.”
10How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised!
11And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, so that he would become the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, that they too could have righteousness credited to them.
12And he is also the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised.
13For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.
14For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified.
15For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression either.
16For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants—not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
17(as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). He is our father in the presence of God whom he believed—the God who makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do.
18Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your descendants be.”
19Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God.
21He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.
22So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness.
23But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake,
24but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
25He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.
1What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.
3For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
4Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed.
5But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
6Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works,
7“Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”
9Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.
10How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11He 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 those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.
12He is the father of circumcision to those 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.
13For the promise to Abraham and to his offspring that he should be heir of the world wasn’t through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of no effect.
15For the law produces wrath, for where there is no law, neither is there disobedience.
16For 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 offspring, 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.
17As it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations.” This is in the presence of him whom he believed: God, who gives life to the dead, and calls the things that are not, as though they were.
18Besides hope, Abraham in hope believed, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, “So will your offspring be.”
19Without being weakened in faith, he didn’t consider his own body, already having been worn out, (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
20Yet, looking to the promise of God, he didn’t waver through unbelief, but grew strong through faith, giving glory to God,
21and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
22Therefore it also was “credited to him for righteousness.”
23Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone,
24but for our sake also, to whom it will be accounted, who believe in him who raised Jesus, our Lord, from the dead,
25who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.
Summary
Paul asks what Abraham discovered about justification, and answers that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, not because he earned it through works (vv. 1-5). David likewise describes the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works, whose sins are forgiven and not counted against him (vv. 6-8). Paul stresses that this crediting happened while Abraham was still uncircumcised, making him the father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not, since the promise came through the righteousness of faith rather than the law (vv. 9-17). Though he was old and Sarah's womb was as good as dead, Abraham did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, fully persuaded God could do what he promised (vv. 18-22). Paul closes by applying this to believers today, who are likewise credited righteous through faith in the God who raised Jesus, delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification (vv. 23-25).
Authorship & Background
Deep Dive
Setting: Paul writes from Corinth in about AD 57, near the end of his third journey, to a church in Rome he has never visited, a mix of Jewish and Gentile believers. In 3:21–26 he announced the heart of the gospel: God's righteousness is given "through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe," and so all boasting is excluded (3:27). He then claimed that this does not overthrow the law but upholds it (3:31). Romans 4 is the proof. Paul goes back to Abraham, the founder of Israel and the most honored man in Jewish memory, and shows that even he was put right with God by faith and not by works. If that is true of Abraham, it is true of everyone.
Abraham Justified by Faith (vv1–12)
- "What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?" (v1). Paul writes as a Jew to Jews ("our forefather"). In his day many Jewish writings praised Abraham as a model of law-keeping. Sirach says he "kept the law of the Most High," and some writings even describe him as sinless. If anyone could have earned God's approval, it was Abraham. "According to the flesh" also sets up the turn later in the chapter: he is father by birth to Jews, but father by faith to "us all" (v16). One important early manuscript (Codex Vaticanus) lacks the word "gained," so the question would simply be "What shall we say about Abraham?" The sense is the same either way.
- "He has something to boast about, but not before God" (v2). Paul takes up "boasting" again from 3:27. Abraham may have looked impressive to people, but before God no one has a claim. Paul uses the word "justified" (dikaioō) in its courtroom sense: declared to be in the right.
- "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" (v3). This is Genesis 15:6, the key text of the chapter. God had just taken Abram outside and told him to count the stars: "So shall your offspring be" (Gen 15:5). He was old and childless, and he took God at his word. Paul's whole argument turns on the question "what does the Scripture say?" rather than on tradition.
- "Counted" (vv3–11, 22–24). The Greek logizomai is a bookkeeping word: to count, reckon, credit to someone's account. It appears eleven times in this chapter (ESV "counted"). It translates the Hebrew chashab in Genesis 15:6, which also means to reckon or regard. Righteousness was not something Abraham produced and God then noticed. God credited it to him. The same word for God not counting sin (v8) is used in 2 Corinthians 5:19: "not counting their trespasses against them."
- Wages and gifts (vv4–5). A worker's pay is not a favor. It is owed. Paul's unstated point is that God never owes his creatures anything. So whatever he gives is a gift. The person who "does not work but believes" is not lazy. He has stopped trying to make God his debtor and simply trusts him.
- "Him who justifies the ungodly" (v5). This is the most startling phrase in the chapter. The law told Israel's judges never to "acquit the wicked" (Exod 23:7; Prov 17:15). Yet God does exactly that, and Paul has already explained how he can do it and still be just: through the sacrifice of Christ (3:25–26). The word "ungodly" (asebēs) fits Abraham too. Joshua 24:2 says his family "served other gods" beyond the Euphrates. God called him out of idolatry, not out of moral achievement.
- David's witness (vv6–8). Paul adds a second witness, as the law required two (Deut 19:15). Abraham is from the law (Genesis), David from the writings (Psalm 32:1–2). Jewish teachers often linked passages by a shared key word, and the link here is "count": Genesis says righteousness was counted, and the psalm says sin is not counted. David knew what he was talking about. Psalm 32 is traditionally read in light of his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, sins for which the law offered no sacrifice. His only hope was forgiveness freely given.
- "Forgiven… covered… will not count" (vv7–8). Three pictures of one mercy. Sins are lifted off and carried away, covered from God's sight, and never entered on the record. Notice what David calls "blessed." It is not the man who never sinned, but the man whose sin God has dealt with.
- Before or after circumcision? (vv9–10). Some Jewish readers might reply that this blessing still belongs only to the circumcised. Paul answers from the order of events in Genesis. Abraham is counted righteous in Genesis 15. He is circumcised in Genesis 17, when he was ninety-nine (Gen 17:24). Ishmael was born in between, when Abraham was eighty-six (Gen 16:16), so at least thirteen or fourteen years separate the two. God accepted Abraham while he was, in Jewish terms, a Gentile.
- "A sign… a seal" (v11). Genesis calls circumcision "a sign of the covenant" (Gen 17:11). Paul adds "seal" (sphragis), the stamp pressed into wax to certify a document as genuine. A seal does not create what it certifies. It confirms what is already true. Circumcision confirmed a righteousness Abraham already had by faith.
- Father of two families (vv11–12). The purpose was to make Abraham father of uncircumcised believers (Gentiles who trust God) and also of circumcised believers who "walk in the footsteps" of his faith. The phrase pictures walking in a line behind someone, stepping where he stepped. Physical descent alone does not make someone Abraham's child (compare John 8:39; Gal 3:7).
- Paul and James. James also quotes Genesis 15:6 and says Abraham was "justified by works" when he offered Isaac (Jas 2:21–23). Most Protestant readers see no contradiction: Paul is asking how a sinner is accepted by God, and James is asking what real faith looks like, so James points to Genesis 22 as faith shown to be living. Roman Catholic teaching reads justification as including inner renewal as well as a declared verdict, and so holds faith and works together differently. Some recent scholars (the "New Perspective") stress that Paul's "works of the law" refers especially to markers like circumcision that separated Jew from Gentile, though most still see a wider point about earning. All agree Paul's main claim here: Abraham was accepted by trusting God's promise, before anything he did.
- Commentators: Guzik draws on the banking image for logizomai: righteousness is deposited to Abraham's account, as money is credited to a depositor. The lexicon supports the image: the word's basic sense is to count or reckon. He presses that justifying the ungodly is not a legal fiction but a real verdict made possible by the cross. Henry hears David's psalm and sums it up: "Pardoned people are the only blessed people." He calls sacraments "signs to represent and instruct, seals to ratify and confirm," and says Abraham's true children are "not those that sit in their chairs, and bear their names, but those that tread in their steps." JFB describes the person who "worketh not" as one who, "despairing of acceptance with God by 'working' for it," casts himself on God's mercy. JFB treats vv9–12 as one block, with no separate comment on verses 10–12.
The Promise Realized Through Faith (vv13–25)
- "Heir of the world" (v13). Genesis promised Abraham a land (Gen 12:7; 15:18), countless offspring, and blessing for "all the families of the earth" (Gen 12:3). By Paul's day Jewish writers already spoke of Abraham inheriting the whole world. Paul agrees, and sees the promise widened in Christ: the meek "shall inherit the earth" (Matt 5:5), and God's people will share the renewed creation (Rom 8:17–21). The point here is the source of the promise: it came "through the righteousness of faith," not through the law, which was given some 430 years later (Gal 3:17).
- "Faith is null and the promise is void" (v14). If the inheritance depended on keeping the law, faith would be emptied of meaning and the promise would be cancelled, because no one keeps the law well enough to claim it.
- "The law brings wrath" (v15). The law is good (7:12), but it cannot give life to people who break it. It can only define the offence and announce the penalty. "Transgression" (parabasis) means stepping over a clearly marked line. Sin existed before Moses (5:13), but the law turned it into deliberate, conscious law-breaking.
- "That is why it depends on faith… rest on grace and be guaranteed" (v16). Faith and grace belong together. If the promise rested on human performance, it would be as shaky as the people trying to keep it. Because it rests on grace, it is "guaranteed" (bebaios, firm, secure) to all Abraham's offspring, Jew and Gentile alike. "The father of us all" is said to a mostly Gentile church in Rome.
- "I have made you the father of many nations" (v17). From Genesis 17:5, where God changed Abram ("exalted father") to Abraham ("father of a multitude"). Note the tense: "I have made you," said when he had one son who was not the heir and none by Sarah. God speaks of it as already done.
- "Who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist" (v17). Abraham's faith rested on what God is like. This is the God of creation, who speaks things into being (Gen 1; Ps 33:9), and the God of resurrection. Jewish prayers of the time praised God as the one who "gives life to the dead." Both descriptions fit Abraham's case exactly: Sarah's womb was dead, and the nations of believers did not yet exist.
- "In hope he believed against hope" (v18). Every natural ground for hope was gone, so he hoped in God instead. He held on to one sentence: "So shall your offspring be" (Gen 15:5).
- "His own body, which was as good as dead" (v19). The word is nenekrōmenon, "having been made dead," and Sarah's barrenness is literally her womb's "deadness" (nekrōsis). Paul is preparing for v24, where God raises Jesus from the dead. Abraham was "about a hundred years old" (Gen 17:17).
- "Considered" or "did not consider"? (v19). The earliest manuscripts read that Abraham "considered" his body, and modern translations follow them. Later manuscripts add "not," which is where the KJV gets "he considered not his own body." Both make sense. The older reading is the stronger picture: Abraham looked the facts full in the face and still trusted God. His faith was not denial of reality.
- Abraham's faith, honestly told. Paul says "no unbelief made him waver" (v20), yet Genesis records Abraham laughing at the promise (Gen 17:17), trying to secure an heir through Hagar (Gen 16), and twice passing Sarah off as his sister (Gen 12; 20). Paul is not claiming Abraham never struggled. He is describing the settled direction of his trust in God's promise. Faith that saves is not flawless faith. It is faith in a faithful God.
- "No unbelief made him waver" (v20). "Waver" (diakrinō) here means to be divided in one's mind, to hesitate between two options. Jesus uses the same word for doubt in prayer (Mark 11:23), and James for the double-minded (Jas 1:6). Abraham did not keep reopening the question.
- "He grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God" (v20). Trusting God's word honors him, and giving him that honor strengthened Abraham's trust. This is the opposite of 1:21, where humanity "did not honor him as God or give thanks to him." Abraham's story reverses the fall.
- "Fully convinced that God was able" (v21). Plērophoreō means fully assured, carried along to full persuasion. Paul uses it again of a person "fully convinced in his own mind" (14:5). The question was never whether Abraham was able, but whether God was.
- "Not written for his sake alone, but for ours also" (vv23–24). Genesis 15:6 was recorded as a pattern. The God Abraham trusted to bring life from a dead womb is the God who "raised from the dead Jesus our Lord." The object of faith is the same God, now known by his greatest act. Paul expects all Scripture to work this way (15:4; 1 Cor 10:11).
- "Delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification" (v25). This verse may be an early Christian confession. "Delivered up" (paradidōmi) is the word for handing someone over to judgment, used of Judas, of Pilate, and of the Father "who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (8:32). It echoes Isaiah 53, where the servant is "pierced for our transgressions" and, in the Greek Old Testament, "delivered up for our sins" (Isa 53:5; 53:12). The two halves are balanced. The Greek preposition dia in both can mean "because of" or "for the sake of." Most read it as: he died to deal with our sins, and was raised to bring about our justification. The resurrection is God's public declaration that the payment was accepted.
- Commentators: Guzik sees the God who "gives life to the dead" as also describing believers, who were dead in sin (Eph 2:1). He notes that Abraham's faith was not passive: he and Sarah acted in reliance on the promise. He favors the "did not consider" reading at v19, which the earliest manuscripts do not support, though his point about faith resting on God's power stands either way. He calls v25 a summary of the whole gospel. Henry, on why we doubt: "Our waverings rise mainly from our distrust of the divine power." On v25 he uses a debtor's image: "By the merit of his death he paid our debt, in his resurrection he took out our acquittance," meaning the receipt that he was set free. JFB, working from the KJV, says Abraham "paid no attention to those physical obstacles, both in himself and in Sarah." On v15 it adds, "It is just the law that makes transgression," and on v25 it takes both uses of "for" as "on account of," the second meaning "in order to." JFB gives verses 16 and 23 no separate comment.
Pointing to Christ
Abraham believed that God could bring life out of a body as good as dead, and he was counted righteous. Christians believe the same God did something greater: he brought his Son back from the dead after handing him over for our sins. Abraham looked forward to a promised offspring. Paul later names that offspring plainly: "who is Christ" (Gal 3:16). The faith is the same faith, and the righteousness counted to Abraham is counted to everyone who trusts the God "who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord."
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik examines Abraham as the model of justification by faith, the timing of his faith (before circumcision), David's testimony, and the nature of Abraham's faith.
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- Crossway: crossway.org On the whole letter: why Romans has carried the weight it has in church history.
- Crossway: crossway.org Why Paul's own story of being overtaken by grace is the right way into the letter.
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Romans -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
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Reflection
- Faith Counted as Righteousness (v.3) — Paul points to Abraham's belief, not his obedience or moral record, as what God credited to him as righteousness. What are you actually leaning on for your standing before God — faith in Christ, or your own track record?
- God Justifies the Ungodly (v.5) — Paul makes the surprising point that God's justification is for the one who stops working to earn it and simply believes. Do you come to God as you are, or do you feel you need to clean yourself up first?
- Justified Before Any Ritual (v.10) — Paul notes that Abraham's righteousness came before his circumcision, proving it wasn't tied to any external religious act. Are you trusting in spiritual routines and rituals, or in Christ Himself?
- Believing Against All Human Hope (v.18) — Paul describes Abraham believing God's promise when every visible circumstance argued against it. Where in your life do you need to trust God's promise even though the situation looks impossible?
- Fully Persuaded God Is Able (v.21) — Abraham looked honestly at the impossibility of his situation and chose to trust God's power over it anyway. What promise of God do you need to be more fully persuaded of today?
- Delivered and Raised for Us (v.25) — Paul closes by tying Christ's death to the removal of our sin and His resurrection to the guarantee of our righteous standing. Do you live with the confidence of someone who has actually been justified?