Romans 4:4 NIV

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Romans 4:1-25

IV.(1-25) The subject of the chapter is an application of the foregoing to the special (and crucial) case of Abraham, with particular reference to two ideas that are continually recurring throughout the last chapter: (1) the supposed superiority of Jew to Gentile (and, à fortiori, of the great progenitor of the Jews); (2) the idea of boasting or glorying based upon this superiority. Following out this the Apostle shows how even Abraham’s case tells, not against, but for the doctrine of... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Romans 4:4

(4) This, then (the righteousness attributed to Abraham), was an act of grace on the part of God, and not of merit on the part of man. It therefore carries with it no ground of boasting.The proposition is put in a general form. Those who base their claim on works have a right to their reward. It is not conceded to them by any sort of imputation, but is their desert. On the other hand (Romans 4:5), those who rely only upon faith, even though ungodly themselves, have righteousness imputed to... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - Romans 4:1-25

Romans 4:3 In this word faith, as used by St. Paul, we reach a point round which the ceaseless stream of religious exposition and discussion has for ages circled.... It will at once appear that while it can properly be said of Abraham, for instance, that he was justified by faith, if we take faith in its plain sense of holding fast to an unseen power of goodness, yet it cannot without difficulty and recourse to a strained figure, be said of him, if we take faith in Paul's specific sense of... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Romans 4:1-12

Chapter 10ABRAHAM AND DAVIDRomans 4:1-12THE Jewish disputant is present still to the Apostle’s thought. It could not be otherwise in this argument. No question was more pressing on the Jewish mind than that of Acceptance; thus far, truly, the teaching and discipline of the Old Testament had not been in vain. And St. Paul had not only, in his Christian Apostleship, debated that problem countless times with Rabbinic combatants; he had been himself a Rabbi, and knew by experience alike the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Romans 4:1-25

CHAPTER 4 1. The Witness of Abraham to Justification. (Romans 4:1-5 .) 2. As Confirmed also by David. (Romans 4:6-8 .) 3. Circumcision the Sign of the Covenant. (Romans 4:9-12 .) 4. Faith in Him Who Raiseth the Dead. (Romans 4:13-25 .) Romans 4:1-5 Two witnesses are summoned next in whose lives the truth of justification by faith is illustrated. The Jews boasted of Abraham as the father of their nation. “Abraham our father” is still the common phrase used by all orthodox Jews as it was in... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - Romans 4:4

4:4 {4} Now to him that {b} worketh is the reward not {c} reckoned of grace, but of debt.(4) The first proof of the confirmation, taken from opposites: to him who deserves anything by his labour, the wages are not counted as favour, but as debt: but to him that has done nothing but believe in him who freely promises, faith is imputed.(b) To him that has deserved anything from his work.(c) Is not reckoned or given to him. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - Romans 4:1-25

Abraham and David Justified by Faith Now there is deepest patience and grace shown on the part of God through Paul, His instrument in writing this epistle: for it is blessed to see that He gives no mere peremptory statement of truth. There is rather a perfectly ordered reasoning from a basis of known and admitted facts - a reasoning that cannot but appeal to spiritual wisdom. Every objecting argument, whether of Jews or Gentiles, is fully met. Romans 4:1-25 then takes up two test cases to... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - Romans 4:1-25

THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS If a righteousness were not obtainable by the words of the law as we saw in our last lesson, then a Jew especially might well ask in surprise how it were obtainable. To which the apostle replies, that “now apart from the law a righteousness of God is manifested,” (Romans 3:21 RV), i.e., a righteousness which may become man’s without the keeping of the law. This righteousness he describes as: “Witnessed by the law and the prophets,” in other words, taught in the Old... read more

Joseph Parker

The People's Bible by Joseph Parker - Romans 4:1-25

The Promise to Abraham Romans 4:0 Was there ever a heart like the heart of the Apostle Paul? When he argues he argues with his heart. There is no more superficial criticism passed upon the Apostle Paul than that he was a dry reasoner. His logic is bedewed with tears; he wants to show how vast, how measureless is the love of God. Yet there have been minds under such hallucination as to wish to make the Apostle Paul the prince of sectarians, the very sovereign of bigots and exclusionists. If... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - Romans 4:1-5

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (2) For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (3) For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. (4) Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. (5) But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. The Apostle... read more