Romans chapter 4: Children of Abraham. Back in chapter 2, Paul had made the momentous declaration:" For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit. Romans chapter 2 verses 28 and 29. In the subject chapter, Paul now explains how a Gentile can become a spiritual Jew without being circumcised or keeping the works of the law.
Paul goes back to Abraham, to whom the Jews looked as the father of their nation. Paul demonstrates that Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith, not because of circumcision or the law. By this means Abraham set the pattern by which anyone, Jew or Gentile, can similarly be justified by faith. In other words, even an uncircumcised Gentile can be a child of Abraham. So, in this chapter, Paul further develops three of the same key points on which he focused in chapter 3. Point 3.
All humans, Jews and Gentiles alike, are saved and justified only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Point 4. There is no partiality with God. Jews and Gentiles stand as equals before Him. Together, believing Jews and believing Gentiles make up the new people of God. God has not been unfair to the Jews in bestowing grace and salvation on the Gentiles. Romans chapter 4 verses 1 and 2, Abraham and the works of the Law, Romans 4:1. What will we say then that Abraham has found our Father according to the flesh?
Our Father according to the flesh. Since Paul is directing his argument toward the Jews, he wisely uses Abraham as his example. As a fellow Jew, Paul states," Abraham is our Father as to the flesh." As has been said, the Jews looked to Abraham as the father of their nation.
They told Jesus," Our Father is Abraham." John chapter 8:39, Romans 4:2." For if Abraham were justified by works, he has something in which to glory, but not before God." Martin Luther used this verse as a proof text to argue that works play no role in our salvation. This went totally against the historic faith, and Luther had to disparage or minimize entire books of the New Testament to promote his new theology.
The overall impact of Luther's teaching is that works became a negative term among evangelical Protestants. Works righteousness and works salvation became major heresies to carefully avoid. However, minimizing or explaining away entire books of Scripture is no way to arrive at God's truth, nor will we arrive at truth by brushing under the rug the first 300 years of Christianity as though it did not exist.
Romans chapter 4 is one of those parts of Paul's writings that Peter warned us were hard to understand 2 Peter 3:16. On its face, it seems to contradict the very thing that Paul taught in chapter 2, that our ultimate salvation will depend upon our works. Likewise, if taken carelessly, it goes against hundreds of passages of Scripture, such as James 2:21 through 24. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?
You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works. And the Scripture was fulfilled that says," Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called a friend of God." You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.
For if Abraham were justified by works, he has something in which to glory, but not before God, we surely do not want to explain away the subject passage of Romans, nor, at the same time, do we want to explain away James, along with Matthew, Hebrews, Revelation, chapter 2 of Romans, and a whole host of other Scriptures, in some manner, all these scriptures must be given full faith and credit. To do this, we must analyze what kinds of works Paul is speaking about in the present passage.
Paul talks about three different kinds of works in Romans: Works of the Law. These are the ritualistic commandments, like circumcision, animal sacrifices, and dietary regulations. Godly works done before our initial salvation. Godly works done after our initial salvation. As we have already stated, in chapter 2 of Romans, Paul has explicitly stated that our ultimate salvation depends upon our fruit or godly works after our initial salvation.
So Paul can hardly be saying in chapter 4 that these bring us no glory before God. In fact, such works not only bring us glory before God, they also bring glory to God. Jesus has commanded us," Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:16. So Paul must be speaking about either the works of the law or about godly works done before our initial salvation.
This is the very thing the early Christians concluded, some of them thinking Paul is talking about works of the law, and others thinking he is talking about works prior to our initial salvation. And is Paul talking works of the Law? Based on the context of Paul's discussion, Ambrosiaster understands Paul to be talking about works of the Law, particularly circumcision. As has been mentioned, the Bibles of the early Christians were not divided into chapters.
So in their copies of Scripture, there was no artificial break between what we know today as chapter 3 and chapter 4 of Romans. Here is how they read the subject passage. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law, that of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.
Seeing it is one God who will justify the circumcision by faith and uncircumcision through faith. What will we say then that Abraham has found our Father, according to the flesh? For if Abraham were justified by works, he has something in which to glory, but not before God. Romans chapter 3 verses 27 through 30, and Romans chapter 4 verses 1 and 2. When we read the subject verse in the context of the verses that precede it, Paul seems clearly to be talking about works of the law, specifically circumcision.
This interpretation is strengthened when we compare this passage with the parallel passage in Galatians. Therefore, he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does he do it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith? Just as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham.
And the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying," In you, all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is written," Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." Galatians chapter 3 verses 5-10.
It is undeniable that in the parallel passage in Galatians, Paul is speaking about the works of the Mosaic Law. He even quotes Deuteronomy chapter 27:26 about the curse on those who do not keep the law. Ambrosiaster explains Paul's words in this manner. Ambrosiaster explains," Paul has shown that it is impossible for anyone to be justified before God by the works of the law." He adds that not even Abraham could have earned anything according to the flesh. By the flesh, he means circumcision.
For Abraham sought to gain nothing by circumcision, for he had already been justified before he was circumcised. In fact, Abraham did have glory before God. But his glory was through faith by which he was justified. For no one is justified by the works of the law in such a way as to have glory before God. Those who keep the law are justified only in the present age. Paul says," If Abraham were justified by the works of the law, he has glory, but not before God. His glory would be before mankind.
For under the law in this present age, no one would hold him guilty. In contrast, the faithful have glory before God. Theodoret adds," The blessed Abraham did not obtain the divine attestation by living according to the law. Rather, he enjoyed the riches of justification by believing on Him who called Him." There is another reason to interpret this verse as applying to the Law of Moses. It seems to be the only interpretation that fits the truth of Paul's statement.
Even if we limit Paul's words to godly works before we are saved. Is it true that such works do not bring glory before God? Cornelius was one such person who had godly works prior to his conversion. The scriptures describe him as a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave alms generously to the people, and always prayed to God. Acts chapter 10 verse 2. Did God view these works negatively? Not at all.
In fact, God selected Cornelius to be the first uncircumcised Gentile to receive Christ's salvation precisely because of his works, in addition to his faith. The angel told him that he had been chosen because your prayers and your alms have gone up for a memorial before God, Acts 10:4.
In fact, after the Holy Spirit was poured out on Cornelius in his household, Peter declared," Truly, I perceive that God does not show favoritism, but in every nation, he who fears Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him." Acts chapter 10 verses 34 and 35. So the understanding that here Paul is speaking about works of the law seems to be the best explanation. Nevertheless, Paul soon afterwards transitions into all works prior to our salvation.
For that reason, Origen and Chrysostom connect this verse with the verses that follow rather than with the verses that precede. Is Paul talking about works prior to salvation? Chrysostom frankly acknowledges that this is a difficult verse to understand, saying," What is said here is not clear." Nevertheless, based on what Paul says in Romans 4:6-8, Origen and Chrysostom understand Paul to be talking about pre-baptismal works in the subject verse.
However, they interpret the Greek differently than do modern Bible translators. They do not understand Paul to be disparaging works as something useless. They certainly do not think that the works we perform before our salvation are displeasing to God. Rather, they understand Paul to be saying that between faith and works, faith is the greater attribute. Chrysostom writes," To abstain from stealing and murdering is a trifling sort of requirement.
But to believe that it is possible for God to do things impossible requires a soul of no ordinary stature. It requires a soul that has earnest affection towards him. For such faith is a sign of sincere love. To be sure, he who fulfills the commandments honors God. However, he who follows wisdom by his faith honors God in a much greater degree. The first man simply obeys him. But the second man embraces that opinion of God that is fitting. He glorifies God and feels wonder at him beyond that, demonstrated by works.
Origen focuses on the fact that God alone sees the faith that dwells in our hearts. He writes," Only God knows the hidden things of the heart. He sees if the warmth of faith dwells in a person. So the one who is justified by faith has glory with God alone, for God has knowledge of hidden things, and he alone can examine our faith. Origen adds," Yet do not think that the faith which God counts for righteousness can exist in a person alongside injustice or any evil.
For if everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God," 1 John 5:1," And if those who are born of God do not sin," 1 John 5:18, then obviously a person who believes that Jesus is the Christ does not sin, and the person who sins does not believe. Does Paul mean rejoice or boast?
Similarly to most modern translations, the New King James Version translates this verse," For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God." However, until 1952, virtually all English translations rendered this verse in the following manner: If Abraham were justified by works, he has something in which to glory, or something similar.
The Geneva Bible translated this verse," For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath wherein to rejoice." The Tyndale Bible renders it similarly. These translations are right on the mark. In this verse, Paul uses the Greek word" kauchema", which is normally translated as" glory" or" rejoicing." It is almost always used in a positive sense. However, beginning with the revised Standard Bible in 1952, most English Bibles began translating this word as something in which to boast, or with similar expressions.
These are not mistranslations per se, but they do not necessarily reflect what Paul is saying. As I have mentioned, "kauchema" is normally a positive word. In contrast," boast" is almost always a negative word. So modern translations associate works with boasting, something negative. If this verse is talking about godly works performed prior to salvation, then rejoice or glory are better translations. Paul is not maligning such works as something bad.
In fact, he says that Abraham would rightfully have something in which to glory or rejoice. Nevertheless, Paul declares that faith is something even better. To be sure, Paul dismisses works of the law as having little value. However, Paul never attacks godly works, whether they are done before our initial salvation or after it. He only explains that we cannot be saved merely by doing good works. We can only be saved by grace through the blood of Christ. Nevertheless, good works must follow our initial salvation.