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Verse Takeaways
1
A Strategic Question
Paul begins with a powerful rhetorical question. Commentators explain that by asking what Abraham 'found according to the flesh,' Paul is challenging the idea that righteousness comes from heritage, personal effort, or religious rituals like circumcision. This question sets the stage for the entire chapter's argument.
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Book Overview
Romans
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Commentaries
10
Albert Barnes
On Romans 4:1
18th Century
Theologian
ROMANS Chapter 4
The main object of this chapter is to show that the doctrine of justification by faith, which the apostle was defending, wa…
AT Robertson
On Romans 4:1
What then shall we say? (τ ουν ερουμεν?). Paul is fond of this rhetorical question (4:1; 6:1; 7:7; 8:31; 9:14,30).
…
Charles Ellicott
On Romans 4:1
19th Century
Bishop
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 …
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Charles Spurgeon
On Romans 4:1–3
19th Century
Preacher
What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof…
Expositor's Bible Commentary
On Romans 4:1
Paul now asks what Abraham had “discovered” about getting into right relation to God. In calling Abraham “our forefather,” he is not addressing Jew…
John Calvin
On Romans 4:1
16th Century
Theologian
What then, etc. This is a confirmation by example. It is a very strong one, since all things are alike with regard to the subject…
John Gill
On Romans 4:1
17th Century
Pastor
What shall we say then
The apostle having proved that there is no justification by the works of the law; to make thi…
Matthew Henry
On Romans 4:1–12
17th Century
Minister
To meet the views of the Jews, the apostle first refers to the example of Abraham, in whom the Jews gloried as their most renowned forefather. Howe…