Charles Ellicott Commentary Romans 4

To come back to the question of Romans 3:1, repeated in Romans 3:9, in what did the superiority of Abraham, the great representative of the Jewish race, really consist?

As pertaining to the flesh.—The construction of these words appears to be determined by their position in the sentence. According to the best manuscripts, they are distinctly separated from “has found” and joined with “our father.” They would therefore mean simply “our father according to the flesh,” i.e., by natural descent, as in Romans 1:3.

Has found.—Has obtained, or gained, by way of advantage.

The subject of the entire chapter is an application of the preceding discussion to the special (and crucial) case of Abraham, with particular reference to two ideas that are continually recurring throughout the previous chapter:

1. The supposed superiority of Jew to Gentile (and, à fortiori, of the great progenitor of the Jews);
2. The idea of boasting or glorying based upon this superiority.

Following this, the Apostle shows how even Abraham’s case speaks not against, but for the doctrine of justification by faith. Indeed, Abraham himself came under it.

Not only that, but those who act upon this doctrine are spiritually descendants of Abraham. It is entirely a mistake to suppose that they of the circumcision only are Abraham’s seed.

The true seed of Abraham are those who follow his example of faith. He put faith in the promise; they must put their faith in the fulfillment of the promise.

We know that he obtained justification. If that justification had been earned by his own works, it would then have been something to be proud of; it would be a point of pride he might fairly hold both toward men and toward God. For to men, he could point to the privileged position he had gained, and in the sight of God, he would be able to plead a certain merit of his own. But he does not have this merit. His justification was not earned but was bestowed upon him, not because of his works, but because of his faith. This is the express statement of Scripture. Therefore, it follows that although his privileged position in the sight of men remains, he has nothing to boast of before God.

But not before God.—This is an instance of the Apostle's rapid and eager dialectic. If the whole train of thought had been given, it would probably have proceeded much as described above; but the greater part of it is suppressed, and the Apostle strikes straight at the one point he intended to highlight. (Whatever there might be before men) there is no boasting before God.

The Apostle gives a proof of this from Scripture. Abraham was not justified by works, and therefore had nothing to boast of in God’s sight. He was justified by faith. His righteousness was not real, but imputed. His faith was treated as if it had been equivalent to a righteousness of works. It met with the same acceptance in the sight of God that a righteousness of works would have done. But—the argument goes on—faith carries with it no such idea of merit or debt as works. It is met by a pure act of grace on the part of God.

Abraham believed God.—The quotation is taken from Genesis 15:6, where it appears as a comment on Abraham’s belief in the promise that he would have a numerous posterity. The same passage is elaborately commented on by Philo and others, so that it would seem to have been a common topic in the Jewish schools.

It should be noticed that the word “faith” is not used in quite the same sense in the original and in the application. In Abraham’s case it was trust in the fulfillment of the divine promise; in St. Paul’s sense, it is rather enthusiastic adhesion to a person. This is part of the general enlargement and deepening of the Old Testament terminology by St. Paul. A writer of less profundity (though marked by striking and elevated qualities), the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, applies the word more strictly (see Hebrews 11:8 and following). In James 2:23, the word has the still thinner meaning of a merely intellectual assent. St. Paul quotes the same passage in the same sense as here in Galatians 3:6 (see Excursus B: On the Meaning of the word Faith).

It was counted unto him.—It should be observed that the same words are translated by the Authorised Version here, “it was counted unto him;” in Romans 4:9, “faith was reckoned to Abraham;” in Romans 4:22, “it was imputed unto him;” in Galatians 3:6, “it was accounted to him;” and in James 2:23, “it was imputed to him.” This is a defect in the translation, which, however, hardly obscures the true meaning.

The sense of imputation cannot be dismissed. It is distinctly a forensic act. The righteousness attributed to Abraham is not an actual righteousness, but something else that is considered and treated as if it were equivalent to such righteousness. It is so treated by God acting as the judge of men (see Excursus E: On the Doctrine of Justification by Faith and Imputed Righteousness).

This, then (the righteousness attributed to Abraham), was an act of grace on the part of God, and not of merit on the part of man. It therefore carries with it no ground of boasting.

The proposition is put in a general form. Those who base their claim on works have a right to their reward. It is not conceded to them by any sort of imputation, but is their desert. On the other hand (Romans 4:5), those who rely only upon faith, even though ungodly themselves, have righteousness imputed to them. This latter was Abraham’s case, and not the former. (The specific application to Abraham is not expressed, but implied.)

The reward.—Literally, his wages. The relation between what he receives and what he does is that of wages for work done. He can claim it, if need be, in a court of law. There is in it no element of grace, or favour, or concession.

But to the one who puts forward no works, but has faith in God, who justifies people not for their righteousness but in spite of their sins, and so on.

The ungodly.—A stronger word is used here than simply “the unrighteous,” “the impious,” or “ungodly.” Their impiety is forgiven them by virtue of their single exercise of faith. It is characteristic of the Apostle not to flinch from the boldest expression, though, as a matter of fact, the two things, faith and positive impiety, would hardly be found together. “The ungodly” clearly belongs to the general form of the proposition, and is not intended to apply to Abraham.