Romans 4:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone,

NIV: The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone,

NASB: Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him,

CSB: Now it was credited to him was not written for Abraham alone,

NLT: And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded

KJV: Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;

NKJV: Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,

Paul has just quoted Genesis 15:6 once more. After describing Abraham's amazing faith in God in spite of the overwhelming unlikeliness of the promise being kept in human terms, Paul declared that this was why his faith was "counted to him" as righteousness. Now Paul writes that this benefit was not just for Abraham alone. He is not the only one in human history who can become righteous in God's eyes by faith. The path is available to everyone who will believe in what God has done for us through Jesus.

This is central to Paul's main contention in this passage: that salvation is offered only to those who truly believe (John 3:16–18), and only on the basis of that belief. Good deeds cannot and will not grant us salvation.

Romans 4:13–25 continues to focus on the faith of Abraham. God made promises to Abraham and his descendants, promises which Abraham believed. Those promises can't be received by keeping the law, but only by faith. God promised Abraham a son with Sarah, and Abraham continued to believe that promise would be kept even as it became less and less likely in human terms. We, too, can be counted as righteous by faith in Jesus' death for our sins and God's resurrection of Him for our justification.

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 4:04:54 PM