IV - Abraham's Story in the New Testament - The Prototype

In Romans 4, Paul borrows equity from the life of Abraham to make important doctrinal distinctions. These are not minor elements of the faith.  These are bastions of Christian theology that are irreducible.

Paul obviously uses a technique of question and answer.  In this first section (Romans 4:1-12) Paul asks 4 questions:

1. ¹ What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 
2. ³ What does Scripture say?
3. ⁹ Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? 
4. ¹⁰ Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before?

The first question points back to the context.  "Paul has just firmly established that the righteousness of God is apart from the law (3:21) and that man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law (3:28)." [1]  Because the Jews so highly regarded Abraham it seems that Paul then in response to an unstated question chooses to use Abraham to support the truth that we are justified by faith. 

So question two asks the all-important-question, "What does the Bible say?"  And the answer is: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” [2] Off course this is cited from Genesis 15:6.  Through this quotation, Paul is proving that the basis of Abraham’s righteousness was faith, not works.  Paul uses an example from everyday life making the point that if if get something because of your labor it is not a gift -- you earned it.  Then "Paul introduces David as a second example of righteousness by faith, citing Ps. 32:1–2 to demonstrate that David’s righteousness (“whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered”) was not based on his works." [3]

"Paul now addresses a further criticism of his argument. Even if he has shown that righteousness comes by grace through faith in the case of Abraham, has he forgotten that Abraham was the father of the circumcised (and therefore not of the uncircumcised)?" [4]  But wait a minute  Abraham was justified before he was circumcised. 

It is here we understand the biblical rationale for circumcision.  “And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised . . ..” (Romans 4:11, NIV).  Circumcision was visible evidence of the preceding justification.  And circumcision was God's seal -- His stamp of approval on the individual.

Romans 4:11–12 [5] clarify then that Abraham is both an example to the Jew and the Gentile -- all who will believe.  He is an example of faith -- it is faith that is the instrumental cause of justification.  The circumcision was the sign and seal of that event.  Today in Christian baptism it is the same.  Salvation occurs through faith by grace.  Baptism is the sign of that and the seal of God's approval.

The story of Abraham gives us a living illustration that salvation is by grace through faith.  It is also proof that genuine salvation (the righteousness of God given freely to believing man) brings to pass a true and evident response. "This one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification," insisted Luther, "is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the understanding of all godliness." 

Father apart from your free offer of a righteousness that I could never earn on my own, there would be no salvation -- no hope. As Luther said it gives me understanding of what true godliness is.  I know I can never be enough, do enough, merit enough brownie points to gain your favor.  True godliness is perfect and true godliness is something that You alone have.  So Father if you did not offer it to me on the basis of faith I could never, in a billion years, achieve it.  Thank you for your great, great grace.  Thank you for the true insight into what is righteous and godly.  You alone are holy. May this day be further evidence of my justification as I seek to obey You -- not so that I can be justified, but because I am justified.

______________________________________

1. KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (2223). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

2. The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Ro 4:3). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

3. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2164). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.

4. Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke, B. K., & Silva, M. (1995). The Reformation study Bible: Bringing the light of the Reformation to Scripture: New King James Version (Ro 4:9–12). Nashville: T. Nelson.

5. ¹¹ And he received circumcision as a sign, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. ¹² And he is then also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.