Romans 4:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?

NIV: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?

NASB: What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

CSB: What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found?

NLT: Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What did he discover about being made right with God?

KJV: What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

NKJV: What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?

At the end of Romans chapter 3, Paul revealed that human beings can be justified by God apart from the law. In fact, he made clear that the only way to be justified—to have our sins paid for, so we can be seen as righteous before God—is through faith in Christ. Without that, each of us will be judged for our own goodness and be found sinful and deserving of God's angry judgment. Paul insisted that this was true of both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 3:21–26).

Now Paul begins to answer an obvious question: what, then, was the point of God's special relationship with Abraham and Israel? Was the law pointless? Paul ended Romans 3 by reassuring his readers that his teaching about faith in Christ upholds the law. He does not mean to do away with Israel's history. He restates the question in this verse. What was gained by Abraham? Paul includes himself with the Jewish people in describing Abraham as their ancestor "according to the flesh." In other words, all Jewish people, including Paul, were descended from "Father Abraham."

Paul will show in Romans chapter 4 that both Abraham's and David's relationships with God were by faith, and that their examples point to faith in Christ as the way to become right before God.

Romans 4:1–12 focuses on the faith of Abraham, referenced by Paul to further his case about faith. God only declares people righteous based on their faith in Him. David, as well, describes those against whom God will not count their sin as ''blessed.'' Paul insists that this blessing of being declared righteous by God is available to both the circumcised and the uncircumcised. After all, God declared Abraham righteous long before he was circumcised. In that way, he became the spiritual father of both the believing Gentiles and the believing Jews.

Romans 4 is all about the faith of Abraham. God declared Abraham righteous because of his faith, not because of his works. A declaration of righteousness was God's gift, not a payment. This righteousness is available to everyone, circumcised or not. God declared Abraham righteous many years before he was circumcised, making him the spiritual father of all who believe, whether circumcised or not, whether Jew or Gentile. God's promises to Abraham and his offspring can't be received by keeping the law, only by faith. Abraham's faith in God's promise of a son with Sarah did not waver even as he grew older. God will declare us righteous, as well, if by faith we believe in the God who delivered Jesus to die for our sins and raised Him back to life for our justification.

So far, this letter has established that every single person is guilty of sin and does not deserve God's forgiveness. Whether we know God's law explicitly, or not, we still fail to obey. Only faith in Christ can rescue us from the penalty we deserve for that sin. Romans 4 explores the example of Abraham, and God's amazing gift of declaring Abraham righteous solely on the basis of his faith. This declaration was given many years before Abraham was circumcised, causing Abraham to become the father of all who believe God by faith. Abraham's continued faith in God is a model for us. Romans will continue by exploring how Christ brings us peace with God.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.