Bible Challenge Day 141: Paul on Abe (Romans 4)

Romans is an incredibly important book. It is Paul’s longest letter, and his most systematic one. Martin Luther had some of his basic Reformation insights while working on a commentary on Romans. Karl Barth inaugurated one of the most important theological movements of the twentieth century while writing a commentary on Romans. But I have always found the book to be dense and a little forbidding. I have to take Romans in small doses and very slowly. A chapter a day is about my speed.

Today’s chapter is Paul using the example of Abraham to make his basic point that people are justified by faith, not by works of the law. He quotes Genesis 15:6. “Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Paul’s point is that Abraham received a promise from God. Abraham trusted that promise. God reckoned Abraham’s trust as righteousness, even though Abraham had not really done anything yet to demonstrate that trust in his life.

Paul then notes that this reckoning Abraham righteous occurred before Abraham received circumcision as a sign of the covenant (4:10). Circumcision was subsequently given as a seal of the righteousness Abraham had by faith but not—this is the key point—as a condition of Abraham’s being reckoned righteous. What is true of circumcision, is true by extension of the entire law. It does not help us to be reckoned righteous. The righteousness comes as a promise from God. All we do is trust God’s promise.

Paul concludes that faith (trusting God’s promise, specifically God’s promise in Jesus Christ), rather than obedience to the law, is what really matters. And this faith is available to those who are not circumcised (non-Jews) as much as to those who are (Jews), since Abraham received the promise in faith and was reckoned righteous apart from circumcision or the law.

I can follow all that pretty well. The Abraham story in Genesis is not about justification, so Paul is using the story to make an argument that is not originally there. But I admire his creative use of the Old Testament, and it does help to illustrate his point.

Fr. Harvey