Romans 4:1 - Exposition

What then shall we say that Abraham our father according to the flesh hath found? The connection, denoted by οὗν , with the preceding argument is rather with verses 27, 28 of Romans 3:1-31 ., than with its concluding winds, νόμον ἱστάνομεν . This appears, not only from the drift of Romans 4:1-25 ., but also from the word καύχημα in Romans 4:2 , connecting the thought with ποῦ οὗν ἡ καύχησις ; in Romans 3:27 . The line of thought is, in the first place, this: We have said that all human glorying is shut out, and that no man can be justified except by faith: how, then (it is important to inquire), was it with Abraham our great progenitor? Did not he at least earn the blessing to his seed by the merit of his works? Had not he, on that ground, whereof to glory? No, not even he; Scripture, in what it says of him, distinctly asserts the contrary. There is uncertainty in this verso as to whether "according to the flesh" ( κατὰ σάρκα ) is to be connected with "our father" or with "hath found." Readings vary in their arrangement of the words. The Textus Receptus has τί οὗν ἐροῦμεν αβραὰμ τὸν πατέρα ἡμῶν εὐρηκέναι κατὰ σάρκα . But the great preponderance of authority is in favour of εὐρηκέναι ἀβραὰμ τὸν προπάτορα ἡμῶν κατὰ σάρκα . The first of these readings requires the connection of κατὰ σάρκα with εὐρηκέναι ; the second allows it, but suggests the other connection. Theodoret, among the ancients, connecting with εὐρηκέναι , explains κατὰ σάρκα thus: "What righteousness, of Abraham's, wrought before he be- lieved God, did we ever hear of?" Calvin suggests, as the meaning of the phrase (though himself inclining to the connection with προπάτορα ) , " naturaliter vel ex seipso." Bull, similarly ('Harmonic Apostolica,' 'Disputatio Posterior,' c. 12.14-17), "by his natural powers, without the grace of God." Alford, following Meyer, says that κατὰ σάρκα is in contrast to κατὰ πνεύμα , and that it "refers to that department of our being from which spring works, in contrast with that in which is the exercise of faith." Difficulty is avoided if (as is the most natural inference from the best authenticated reading) we take κατὰ σάρκα in connection with πάτερα or προπάτορα , in the sense of our forefather in the way of natural descent, the question being put from the Jewish standpoint; and this in distinction from the other conception of descent from Abraham, according to which all the faithful are called his children (cl. Romans 1:3 ; Romans 9:3 , Romans 9:5 , Romans 8:1 , Romans 10:18 ). Among the ancients Chrysostom and Theophylact take this view. For the import of εὐρηκέναι , cf. Luke 1:30 ( εὖρες χάριν παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ) and Hebrews 9:12 ( αἰωνίαν λύτρωσιν εὑράμενος ).