Romans 4:11-17 - Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

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Bible Comments

Romans 4:11 b - Romans 4:17 a. Abraham's Relation to Mankind. With Abraham's faith a great prospect opened for humanity.

Romans 4:11 b, Romans 4:12. According to Genesis 17 the patriarch received the Covenant-sign to the end he might be father of all that believe while in uncircumcision like himself,. and father, to be sure, of circumcision in the case of those who do not rely upon the fleshly token (cf. Romans 2:26-29), but who keep in the track of our father Abraham's pre-circumcision faith.

Romans 4:13. The antithesis of Law and Grace becomes that of Law and Promise; God's grace toward Abraham was charged with blessing for future ages. The men of faith, circumcised or not, are Abraham's sons (Romans 4:11 f.; cf. Galatians 3:7). Such filiation implies that the world-embracing promise, whether considered as made to Abraham or to his seed, was given simply on terms of the faith-righteousness common to Abraham with believing Gentiles.

Romans 4:14 f. Had law conditioned the inheritance, it must have lapsed for want of qualified heirs, faith being thus reduced to an empty word and the promise being nullified; for the law breeds transgression (see Romans 5:20; Romans 7:7-23), which entails God's anger (Romans 1:18 ff., Romans 2:8 f.). The negative form of Romans 4:15 b suits Abraham's case, in which the fatal sequence of commandment, transgression, wrath, was obviated.

Romans 4:16. Two purposes are answered by conditioning the promise upon faith: it devolves by way of grace, which is God's delight (cf. Romans 5:20, Ephesians 1:6; Ephesians 2:7, etc.); and the fulfilment is secured to all the seed to Gentiles along with Jews.

Romans 4:17 a supports Abraham's title to ecumenical fatherhood, by quoting the oracle attached to the Covenant of Circumcision (p. 151).

Related Commentaries of Romans 4:11

Romans 4:11-17

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 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 faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might 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,

17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.