Thomas Aquinas Commentary Romans 4:16-25

"For this cause [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace; to the end that the promise may be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, A father of many nations have I made thee) before him whom he believed, [even] God, who giveth life to the dead, and calleth the things that are not, as though they were. Who in hope believed against hope, to the end that he might become a father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, So shall thy seed be. And without being weakened in faith he considered his own body now as good as dead (he being about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah`s womb; yet, looking unto the promise of God, he wavered not through unbelief, but waxed strong through faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was able also to perform. Wherefore also it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was reckoned unto him; but for our sake also, unto whom it shall be reckoned, who believe on him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification." — Romans 4:16-25 (ASV)

1. After showing that the promise made to Abraham and his seed was not to be fulfilled through the law, the Apostle now shows that it is to be fulfilled through faith.

In regard to this, he does three things:

1. He shows through what such a promise is to be fulfilled.
2. He shows in whom it is to be fulfilled, at to all the seed.
3. He shows by whom it is to be fulfilled, at who gives life to the dead.

2. First, therefore, he reaches his conclusion for the proposition, as if by a process of elimination.

It seems necessary that the promise be fulfilled either by faith or by the law. It cannot be by the law, because the promise would then be abolished. Therefore, he concludes, therefore it is of faith, if we are to attain the promise of being heirs of the world: this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith (1 John 5:4).

He then confirms this with a middle term contrary to the one he used above. For it was stated that if righteousness were from the law, the promise would be abolished. But if it is from faith, the promise remains solid by virtue of the power of divine grace, which justifies a person through faith. And that is what he says: that the promise of God might be firm not on actions, which can fall short, but according to grace, which is infallible: my grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9); for all the promises of God are in him, namely, Christ, that is, they are true (2 Corinthians 1:20).

3. Then, when he says, to all the seed, he shows in whom this promise is fulfilled.

First, he proposes what he intends and says that this promise, which is to be fulfilled through faith, is guaranteed by grace to all the seed, that is, to every person who would in any way be descended from Abraham: their prosperity will remain with their descendants, and their inheritance to their children’s children .

4. Second, at not to that only, he explains what he meant by all the seed.

For there is a bodily descendant—we are the descendants of Abraham (John 8:33)—and there is a spiritual descendant: God is able from these stones, that is, from the Gentiles, to raise up children to Abraham (Matthew 3:9). Only the bodily descendants of Abraham kept the law, but the spiritual descendants also imitate his faith.

Thus, if the promise were solely through the law, it would be fulfilled not in all the descendants but only in the bodily ones. But because it is fulfilled through faith, which is common to all, it is plain that it is fulfilled in all his descendants.

5. Third, at who is the father, he proves something he had presupposed: that the descendants of Abraham are not only the children of the law but also the children of faith. He proves this with a text from Scripture. First, he gives its sense, saying that Abraham, who is the father of us all—that is, of all believers, Jew or Gentile—that he might be the father of all them that believe (Romans 4:11); look to Abraham, your father (Isaiah 51:2).

Second, he cites the text, saying, as it is written: I have made you a father of many nations (Genesis 17:4). Another version has, I have appointed you, but it does not change the sense. Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations .

Third, at before God, he explains what he had said. For I have made you seems to imply that something destined to be fulfilled in the distant future had already come to pass. However, things that are future in themselves are present in God’s providence: before the universe was created, it was known to him; so it was also after it was finished . Accordingly, the Apostle says that the statement, I have made you, should be understood as before God, that is, in his presence, whom he believed. For Abraham had believed God promising things to come as if he saw them present, because, as is stated in Hebrews: faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

6. Then, when he says, who gives life to the dead, he shows by whom this promise is to be fulfilled. He says that God, who gives life to the dead—that is, the Jews, who were dead in sin for acting against the law—gives them life with faith and grace to enable them to realize the promise to Abraham: as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son gives life to whom he will (John 5:21).

And calls those things that are not, that is, he calls the Gentiles to grace as those that are, that is, as the Jews: I will call that which was not my people, my people (Romans 9:25).

He refers to the Gentiles as those things that are not because they were completely estranged from God, and it is stated in 1 Corinthians: if I do not have charity, I am nothing (1 Corinthians 13:2). Consequently, through this call the promise to Abraham is fulfilled even in the Gentiles.

7. Alternatively, and calls those things that are not refers not to one’s temporal calling but to the call of eternal predestination, because even those who do not yet exist are called and chosen as if they did: he chose us in him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). Concerning this call it is stated below: not of works but of him who calls, it was said to her: the elder shall serve the younger (Romans 9:12).

Or, he is calling God’s simple knowledge a “call,” or the knowledge by which he knows the future as present. This is the way it is taken in the Psalm: he calls the stars by their names (Psalms 147:4). According to this sense, what is said here is mentioned on account of an earlier statement: before God, whom he believed.

8. Two things seem to work against what was said: I have made you a father of many nations. One of these was that Abraham was as good as dead from old age. Against this he says, who gives life to the dead. The other is that those many nations did not exist yet. Against this he says: and calls those things that are not, as those that are.

9. Then, when he says, who against hope, he commends Abraham’s faith.

1. He shows the greatness of his faith.
2. He shows its efficacy or fruit, at and therefore it was credited.

In regard to the first point, he does two things:

1. He shows the greatness of Abraham’s faith concerning the promise of multiplying his descendants.
2. He shows it in regard to the promise to exalt his descendants, at in the promise also.

In regard to the first of these, he does two things:

1. He shows that his faith was great.
2. He shows that it was solid, at and he was not weak in faith.

10. In regard to the first, he does two things. First, he mentions the greatness of Abraham’s faith, saying that Abraham believed in this hope, that he might be made the father of many nations, but against another hope.

Here it should be noted that “hope” implies a certain expectation of a future good. The certainty is based sometimes on a human or natural cause, as in 1 Corinthians: the plowman should plow in hope (1 Corinthians 9:10), or on a divine cause, as in the Psalm: in you, O Lord, have I hoped (Psalms 30:2).

Therefore, in regard to this good of becoming the father of many nations, Abraham had certainty on the part of God who was promising, but the contrary appeared on the part of natural or human causes. Hence, he says, who against hope—the hope of natural and human causes—believed in hope—the hope of the divine promise.

11. Second, this promise is laid out when he says, according to that which was said to him, namely, in Genesis: so shall your seed be as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17).

Both of these are mentioned because they suggest an uncountable multitude. For as to the stars it is stated in Deuteronomy: the Lord your God has multiplied you, and you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude (Deuteronomy 1:10); as to the grains of sand it is stated in 1 Kings: Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea (1 Kings 4:20).

Yet a difference between the two can be noted if the righteous, who were of Abraham’s seed, are compared to the stars—those who turn many to justice are like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3)—and sinners are compared to the grains of sand, because they are overcome by the waves of the world as of a sea: I placed the sand as the bound for the sea (Jeremiah 5:22).

12. Then, when he says, and he was not weak, he shows Abraham’s firmness. For just as temperance is shown not to be weak because it is not overcome by strong temptations, so faith is shown not to be weak but strong because it is not overcome by great difficulties: resist him, firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:9).

13. Second, at neither did he consider, he mentions the difficulties which show that his faith was not weak.

First, on Abraham’s part, when he says, neither did he consider his own body, now dead—that is, he did not consider it in order to question the promise. This was because the reproductive power in it was weakened on account of old age; hence he says, whereas he was almost a hundred years old. For Abraham was a hundred years old when Isaac was born (Genesis 21:15), and it was the year before that a son had been promised to him: the Lord said: I will surely return to you in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son (Genesis 18:10).

14. But it seems that his body was not dead as far as reproductive power was concerned, because even after Sarah died he took another wife, Keturah, who bore him a number of sons, as is recorded in Genesis (Genesis 25:1).

Some answer that the reproductive power in him was dead as far as reproducing from an old woman was concerned, but not as far as reproducing from a young woman. For old men are accustomed to beget offspring from the young but not from old women, who are less fit for conception. However, it seems better to say that Abraham’s reproductive power was miraculously restored in regard to both Sarah and all women.

15. Second, he mentions a difficulty on the part of the wife when he says, nor the dead womb of Sarah; that is, he did not consider it so as to question the promise.

He says dead on account of sterility as well as old age. For it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women (Genesis 18:11). Hence in Isaiah, where it is written, look to Abraham your father and to Sarah who bore you (Isaiah 51:2), the preceding passage says, look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the quarry from which you were dug out, in order to show the feebleness and frigidity of both.

16. Then, when he says, in the promise also of God, he commends Abraham’s faith in the repeated promise that his descendants would be exalted.

First, he mentions the firmness of faith.

Second, he mentions the cause of the firmness, at giving glory to God.

17. First, therefore, he says: in the promise also of God, that is, the promise that his descendants would be exalted or that they would be multiplied, which was repeated: look toward heaven and number the stars. . . . So shall your descendants be (Genesis 15:5); you shall be the father of a multitude of nations (Genesis 17:4); I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven (Genesis 22:17).

Alternatively, in the promise of God can refer to the exaltation of his descendants, because when he had said, I will multiply your descendants, he at once added: and your descendants shall possess the gates of their enemies and by your descendants shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

Concerning this promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief; that is, he did not doubt the truth of the divine promise: he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind (James 1:6). Instead, he was strengthened in faith, that is, he clung firmly to his belief: resist him, firm in your faith (1 Peter 5:9).

18. Then, when he says, giving glory to God, he gives the reason why Abraham’s faith was firm, for he grew strong in his faith by giving glory to God and considering his omnipotence: great is his power (Psalms 147:5).

Hence he continues: most fully knowing that whatsoever he has promised, he is able also to perform: you have power to act whenever you choose .

From this it is clear that whoever is not firm in faith detracts from God’s glory, either in regard to his truthfulness or his power.

19. Then, when he says, and therefore it was credited to him, he commends Abraham’s faith in regard to its effect.

First, he mentions the effect it had in Abraham himself, saying, and therefore—that is, because Abraham believed this so firmly—it was credited to him as righteousness: and it was reckoned to him as righteousness .

20. Second, he shows the effect which his faith had on others. In regard to this he does three things.

First, he shows the likeness between the effect it had in him and in others, saying, now it is not written only for him, that it was credited to him as righteousness, so as to make us think that for Abraham alone faith was reckoned as righteousness, but also for us, to whom it, namely, faith, shall be credited as righteousness: what things soever were written were written for our learning (Romans 15:4).

Therefore, it was written for him that he might be an example to us, and for us that it might raise our hope for righteousness.

21. Second, at if we believe in him, he shows a likeness in faith.

For what was credited as righteousness was Abraham’s faith in believing that his body, as good as dead, and the barren womb of Sarah could be given life for procreating children. It shall be credited also to us if we believe in him that raised up Jesus Christ, our Lord, from the dead and in God the Father, to whom he says in a psalm: but do you, O Lord, be gracious to me and raise me up (Psalms 41:10). And because the power of the Father and of the Son is the same, he also rose by his own power.

That this faith justifies is shown below: if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised him up from the dead, you shall be saved (Romans 10:9).

22. Third, at who was delivered up for our sins, he assigns the reason why faith in the resurrection of Christ justifies. He says that Christ, who was delivered up to death, was delivered up by God the Father: he that spared not even his own Son, but delivered him up for us all (Romans 8:32); by himself: he gave himself up for us (Ephesians 5:25); by Judas: he who delivered me to you has the greater sin (John 19:11); and by the Jews: they will deliver him to the gentiles to be mocked (Matthew 20:19).

And rose again for our justification, that is, to justify us by rising: that, as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).

That he was put to death for our sins seems plain from the fact that by his death he merited the remission of our sins. However, he did not merit by rising, because in his risen state he was not a pilgrim but one who had arrived at his destination.

Therefore, it must be said that Christ’s death was saving for us not only by way of merit but also as an effective cause. For since Christ’s human nature was, in a sense, the instrument of his divinity, as Damascene says, all the acts and sufferings of his human nature were saving for us, seeing that they flowed from the power of his divinity. But because an effect must have some similarity to its cause, the Apostle says that Christ’s death, by which mortal life was extinguished in him, is the cause of extinguishing our sins. His resurrection, however, by which he returns to a new life of glory, is called the cause of our justification, by which we return to the new life of righteousness.