Biblion Bible Commentary
Read the introduction to Romans · About this commentary
Abraham Believed God
Romans 4:1-8
1 What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? · WEB
The test case is the nation's father, the argument turns on one verb of accounting, and David is called to second it.
What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh?
The doctrine now faces its decisive test. If justification is by faith apart from works, it must be true of the best case works ever produced — and no résumé outranks Abraham's. If Abraham was justified by works, verse 2 concedes, he has something to boast about — and boasting has just been excluded Romans 3:27, so the two claims collide exactly where Paul wants them to.
The verdict is a single sentence of Scripture, and everything hangs on its grammar: for what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" Romans 4:3.
The quoted verse is Genesis 15:6 — spoken over a childless old man who had just been shown the stars. What Abraham did was believe; what God did was account — the bookkeeping verb, a credit entered. Righteousness was not observed in Abraham and certified; it was reckoned to him, on belief.
Verses 4 and 5 draw the distinction that makes the verb decisive: now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. Wages are not gifts; an employer who calls payday grace insults the worker. So if righteousness were earned, accounted would be the wrong word — Scripture would have said paid. Instead: to him who doesn't work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness Romans 4:5.
Justifies the ungodly — the sentence is deliberately scandalous. Israel's law forbade judges to do exactly this Exodus 23:7; Proverbs calls it an abomination. Paul writes it of God, because the cross has just shown how the Judge can do it and remain just Romans 3:26.
Then the second witness, and the choice is pointed: even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works — quoting the psalm of a man whose works at the relevant moment were adultery and murder: blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven... blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin Romans 4:7–8.
Abraham shows the credit entered; David shows the debit withheld. Two operations of the same accounting — righteousness counted, sin not counted — witnessed by the law and the prophets exactly as promised Romans 3:21.
settled What this mark means