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Verse Takeaways
1
Faith or Law, Not Both
Paul presents salvation through faith and salvation through law-keeping as two incompatible systems. Commentators explain that if being an heir to God's promise depends on perfectly following the law, then faith becomes meaningless and unnecessary. You cannot simultaneously trust in God's grace for salvation while also trying to earn it through your own obedience. Choosing one system makes the other one void.
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Book Overview
Romans
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Commentaries
10
Albert Barnes
On Romans 4:14
18th Century
Theologian
For if they which are of the law. These are those who seek justification and acceptance by the law.
Faith is made void. Fa…
AT Robertson
On Romans 4:14
Be heirs (κληρονομο). No predicate in the Greek (εισιν). See on Ga 4:1. If legalists are heirs of the Messianic promise to Abraham…
Charles Ellicott
On Romans 4:14
19th Century
Bishop
Is made void.—Literally, emptied of its meaning, it becomes an empty name, and the promise is rendered invalid. …
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Charles Spurgeon
On Romans 4:13–14
19th Century
Preacher
For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of…
Expositor's Bible Commentary
On Romans 4:14
The thought moves on to consider that Abraham’s justification was apart from any law or legal considerations. Paul speaks of a promise received by …
John Calvin
On Romans 4:14
16th Century
Theologian
For if they who are of the law, etc. He takes his argument from what is impossible or absurd: that the favor Abraham obtained fro…
John Gill
On Romans 4:14
17th Century
Pastor
For if they which are of the law be heirs
That is, if the Jews who are under the law, and are seeking for righteousn…
Matthew Henry
On Romans 4:13–22
17th Century
Minister
The promise was made to Abraham long before the law. It points to Christ, and it refers to the promise in Genesis 12:3: In Thee shall all famil…