Romans 4:1-25
Romans 4:1-3:
4:1Therefore what will we say to have found2 (regarding) Abraham our father according to flesh? .2For if Abraham was made-righteous from works he has a boast but not towards God; .3for what does the writing say? "But Abraham believed God and it was calculated to him into righteousness."
Following-on logically from what is written in chapter 3…
- what will we say (mindfully tell others) that we have found out about Abraham, who is our father [some Greek texts read “forefather/ancestor”]
- in accordance with flesh (in connection with the flesh category)?
The answer…
- In truth, if Abraham was made-righteous out-from works (if he was caused to be justified originating from deeds, things wrought, effected, or produced by his actions expending his energy but not according the belief that God gave to him)
- then he has a boast (he would have a subject-matter of/for boasting, a theme of/for speaking justifiably loudly)
- but not towards God (emphatically that boast could not be spoken with a purposed reference to God);
- in truth, what does the writing say (what is communicated in the scripture, the words that God previously revealed and were written down)?
- "But Abraham believed God (he had faith-in or trusted that-which God gave him to believe)
- and Abraham’s belief of what God said to him was calculated (reckoned, computed, counted) to him into righteousness (for or resulting-in justness, justification; Abraham was being and doing what was just/right from God's point of view)."
Abraham believed the words that God spoke to him regarding the Christ (the Anointed-one, Messiah, the redeemer, the savior, God's promised seed of Genesis 3:15).
[Reference: Genesis 15:1-6, 22:1-18; John 8:56; Acts 7:2; Romans 1:17, 2:6-11, 3:28; Galatians 3:6, 8 and 16; Hebrews 11:17-19; James 2:21-24. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
A printed paperback book of the complete study of Romans including the Appendix may be purchased at:
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True Bible Study - Romans
