Romans 4:17-25

Romans 4:17 b – Romans 4:25 . Faith in God the Life-Giver.

Romans 4:17 associates with the scope the quality of Abraham’ s faith. The patriarch’ s world-fatherhood was his “ in the sight of God whom he believed” : God acknowledged and made good that paternity—“ He who makes alive the dead and summons things non-existent as though in being!”

Romans 4:18-Isaiah : . Abraham’ s trust in the power yoked to God’ s promise made his belief efficacious: “ against hope, he believed in hope” ; spiritual hope conquered natural despair. He accepted the assurance respecting Isaac’ s birth, though perfectly aware of its physical impossibility ( Romans 4:19). His “ unhesitating faith honoured God” ( Romans 4:20), and “ brought righteousness to himself” ( Romans 4:22).— In James 2:21-Isaiah : and Hebrews 11:17-Psalms :, the climax of Abraham’ s faith is his consent to Isaac’ s death; here his anticipation of Isaac’ s birth.

Romans 4:24 . In this phase of it the patriarch’ s faith specifically resembles that of Christian believers. Isaac was, in effect, “ be gotten out of the dead” ( Romans 4:19, Hebrews 11:12; cf. Colossians 1:18); and the faith which now brings justification is trust in the life-giving power revealed on Easter Day.

Romans 4:25 a , alluding to Isaiah 53:4 f., presents our Lord’ s death in its vicarious character manwards ( cf. Romans 8:3 ; Romans 8:32, 2 Corinthians 5:21); Romans 3:24 f., in its propitiatory character Godwards. Read prospectively, the “ for (because of)” of Romans 4:25 b signifies “ to effect our (individual) justification” ; retrospectively, “ because our (collective) justification had been effected,” potentially, in Christ’ s death ( cf. 2 Corinthians 5:19): the former construction is preferable as in keeping with Romans 4:24, “ to whom it is to be reckoned.”