Romans Chapter 4 Romans 4:1-3 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS." After the logical, systematic, doctrinal lesson of justification by faith apart from works of law, Paul then provides Biblical proof. He provides the proof primarily with the account of Abraham. In fact, the chapter can be titled What Abraham Discovered. Paul takes various passages of scripture and adds commentary. This commentary is inspired by the Holy Spirit (God-breathed). This section begins with a question. Actually, it begins with οὖν oun. We previously spent time on this inferential particle, but for now we can say that this is therefore. This means that Paul is continuing the argument he made in the previous section. The immediate point is that the doctrines that are taught in this letter are not contrary to law. Actually this doctrine stands firm with law. This means that the doctrines will be congruent with the teachings in the Hebrew Scriptures. The question concerns what Abraham has found. The word found is εὑρίσκω heuriskō (hue-rhihs-khoh). Literally, the word is used for to find. In the mental use, just like in English, it indicates a discovery, or something attained. Since this is referring to the Hebrew Scriptures, we should look at the Hebrew word, mātsāʾ (maw-tsaw ), the word that has the same meaning. Genesis 6:5-8 Noah found grace. The word for grace, chfin (hkhayne), is first used here in Genesis. The word grace is used 14 times in Genesis and 13 of those times the verb mātsāʾ is used (Genesis 18:3). Now they are not all used of God s grace upon man, but this points out that the grace was not earned. It doesn t say it is being provided, but rather Noah and Abraham discover grace; they realize that grace is provided. Now the question is what did Abraham discover according to the flesh. According to is κατά kata and, in this usage, it indicates a relationship. There is a relationship to what Abraham discovered and the fact that it was in accordance with the flesh. We know that Abraham found grace, but if we were to evaluate his life, what would we say Abraham has discovered according to his flesh? Abraham was not only the father of faith, but he is the example of righteous behavior. One may review his life and see some of his horrendous mistakes. But what one has to realize is how he also acted more righteous than anyone. We could review his life from Genesis 12-25 or we can look at Abraham s reputation. Hebrews 11:8-12 There are two main works seen in this passage that are to be admired he left home without knowing where he was going and he lived as an alien.
The Jews obviously held Abraham in high regard calling, but how is he portrayed in the New Testament? Matthew 8:10-11 Abraham was the first mentioned as being at the table of the kingdom Luke 16:22-31 Abraham s bosom, Abraham responding to the rich man Acts 7:1-5 Stephen starts with Abraham and gives a testimony of the promise James 2:23 Abraham s works coupled with his faith earned him the reputation of being the friend of God (2 nd Chronicles 20:5-7; Isaiah 41:8) The formal name for God in the Old Testament was Jehovah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the ancestor of Israel, conqueror of kings, priest, prophet, and is obedient to the point of sacrificing his own son. The Bible never refers to the sin of Abraham (although his sin is recorded), instead it points to the faith and obedience of Abraham. Abraham s reputation is unquestioned in the realm of goodness, but by whose standards was Abraham was justified by works (James 2:21-23)? In Verse 2, there is a conditional clause, If Abraham was justified by works, he has boasting rights. This is first class conditional assumed to be true for sake of argument. Remember that boasting in the Bible is not bragging, rather it is who has the right to get the glory. Was justified is δικαιόω dikaioō (dih-kai-ah -oh) and means to deem just. This is a judicial word of being declared right by a judge or jury. In our text, being justified by works is not before God but before man. So in the judgment of man Abraham was completely justified. Then ἀλλά, a strong contrast to make the point. Not before God ou pros theos. πρός pros (prahs) is a preposition that indicates position and movement. Most of the time this is translated unto or to. It indicates that something is in front of and facing the object. This is then translated before in most of the major translations but can be translated toward. This is the main point, Abraham s discovery involves one major point of how to be justified. Abraham discovered that all the effort, all the good works, all the obedience by faith gains nothing before God. If works were the standard, Abraham had it. If justification were determined by man, then he is the most worthy man ever. But he is not justified by works before God. Verse 3 invokes the Scripture For what does the Scripture say? Here Paul turn to the authority, the only answer. This is the first and only place we should seek answers to questions of this nature (Romans 10:11; 11:1-5; Galatians 4:28-31; 1 st Timothy 5:18). Paul quotes Genesis 15:6 Abraham believed God and it was credited him as righteousness. In Greek the first word is not Abraham, it is the verb. πιστεύω pisteuō (pih-stoo -oh), this verb is in the aorist active indicative. This indicates a past tense single action.
Then in this single act of believing God, righteousness was credited to him. The word credited is λογίζομαι logizomai (lah-ghid-zah-my). The first aspect of this word is that this is not a financial word, this is not a legal term, rather this is a thinking word. Believing was considered righteousness to Abraham by God. Righteousness is δικαιοσύνη dikaiosunē (dih-kai-ah-sue -nay) which is the same root for justified in verse 2. In Genesis 15:6, it is ʾāman be yehwāh chāshav le tsedhāqāh ἐπίστευσεν Αβραμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην transliterated pisteuō Abram ho theos kai logizomai auto eis dikaiosunē ʾāman is the Hebrew word for believe, to be convinced that something is true. It is in the Hiphil (causative) stem (Genesis 42:20; 45:26). This is also in perfect tense. In Hebrew this is a simple completed action in the past prior to the point of reference. Some have determined that this should be translated for Abraham, having believed. The preposition be is next. In Hebrew it is actually a part of the noun yehwāh. Some have chosen to emphasize this preposition as there is a difference between believing God and believing in God. Here is why I do not think this is something to emphasize nor to draw distinction (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; James 2:23). In Greek, all the New Testament passages do not include a preposition; there is no preposition in the LXX. theos is in the dative case, but this does not indicate an in, rather what the verb is concerning. chāshav means to regard, to think. This is in the Qal stem and is a simple act. It is also in the imperfect tense. The imperfect indicates a continuous customary action. This can also indicate expression of contingency. For Abraham, having believed in God, the result is that He (God) considers it le is a preposition of to or toward (pros). The word is with a prenominal suffix 3 rd person masculine singular. tsedhāqāh and all its cognates have the same sense as the Greek word dike. This is right, righteousness, just, good, determined to be good. It is the value as determined by God. Many think that there is an unknown moral quality that is naturally true and God meets up with that standard. Rather whatever God does, whoever He is, whatever He says is right. God is the standard and good is absolute there is no scale. It is either good or it is not. For God to consider someone as righteous, he must either have the same acts as God or he must have been thought of as right. Abraham was not evaluated as right; God considers Abraham as right. Also God views Abraham as right, God did not make Abraham right.
Genesis 15:6 is the basis scripturally for how a person was to obtain righteousness. It does not mean that this is the first time this occurred, it is the scriptural evidence for how it occurs. Why is this important? In the Hebrew Scriptures, there are other passages that speak to the same thing. But why is this the prime example? 1. First recorded 2. 430 years prior to the Law 3. Prior to Abraham offering up Isaac 4. Became the father (forefather) of all who believe Romans 4:4-5 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness. Paul, after appealing to the Scriptures, provides additional logical, systematic commentary. This information should be the logical conclusion based on the information provided in 4:1-3. The first clause is Now to the one who works. Works is ἐργάζομαι ergazomai (ehr-gahd -zah-my) and is the participial form. This also has an article. The one who works is a present participle and identifies a person or class of people the one who is a worker. This is the distinguishing statement between the saved and the unsaved. Are you a worker or are you a non-worker? Wage is μισθός misthos (mihs-thahs) and means payment for services. The main translation of this word is reward, recompense, or repayment (1 st Corinthians 3:8, 14; 1 st Timothy 5:17-18). This is never used in regards to a gift but to someone who labors. This indicates that a worker will receive a just wage, a just reward. There is a negative particle in front of the verb credited. Once again this is λογίζομαι logizomai (lah-ghid - zah-my), which as we saw is thought or reckoned. The reward is not considered according to grace. If we were to put this in English order, we would read it this way Now, the reward is not reckoned according to grace to the one who works, but according to debt. Matthew 20:1-16 each laborer was given a job with an expected payment. The job was not according to grace even if, by human standards, the wage is not evenly distributed. What is due is ὀφείλημα opheilēma (ah-fih-lay -mah) and means debt, literally monetarily. Throughout Scripture, the Bible never uses this word or its cognates for God owing. This is always used as an example. It is interesting because God will provide a wage or a reward, but not out of debt. He will provide us with reward according to works, but not according to debt. Finally, Romans 4:5 Just as verse 4 began with Now to the one who works, verse 5 begins with the exact same words and structure only there is a negative particle. Works is still in the present participle, the exact
same grammatical structure as verse 4 with an article. Therefore, this is the one who is not a worker, to the non-working one but is a believing one. The same grammatical structure for work is transferred over to believe. With the understanding of the present participle in mind, this is Now to the one not working but to the believing one (one who believes). Then a prepositional phrase is next with the verb, δικαιόω dikaioō (dih-kai-ah-oh), being also in a participle form upon the One who justifies (the justifying One). Then a truly remarkable distinction is stated. The justifying One has a direct object the ungodly. ἀσεβής asebēs (ah-say-bays ) in Classical Greek, this word refers to acts that were rebellious towards orders upheld by the state (contempt, unbelief). The word in the New Testament indicates a person with no respect for God, in rebellion against God, and thereby acted outside of the will of God (1 st Timothy 1:9; 2 nd Timothy 2:16; 2 nd Peter 2:4-6; 3:7). Romans 5:6 This is who Christ died for us and we are all apart of the ungodly. God reckons just, rightness, His righteousness to the ungodly. Faith is considered (λογίζομαι) as righteousness. In human terms, this does not make sense. But when considering the righteousness of God, it is the only thing that makes sense. Ephesians 2:1-5 And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).