WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM ABRAHAM?
Romans 4

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Narrative or Proposition

• Narratives expand
• Propositions reduce
  • This is why we have four gospels
• Abraham’s story is foundational to trust/faith
• Paul is unpacking the story to further his thesis in 1:16-17

Genesis 15

• And Abraham believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
  • Abraham becomes the paradigmatic person of faith.
  • Paul regards him as the forefather of all who believe

Q & A (Romans 4:1-12)
One is justified by faith apart from works of law (3:28)

• But what about Abraham?
  • (4:1-8) – Trust is credited as righteousness.
• Is this limited to the circumcised?
  • Abraham was not circumcised when faith was credited as righteousness (4:9-10).
• So what’s the point of circumcision?
  • A seal of the covenant (4:11-12)

Credit on Account

1. Abraham trusts in God’s promise of offspring and heirs.
2. Confidence and hope – the issue is one of trust.
3. This trust is “booked to his credit” as righteousness.

Source of Metaphor

• Legal or Forensic
• Since Erasmus
• Christ’s Righteousness Imputed
  Imputed or reckoned?
  Erasmus translated from Greek and used forensic terms (imputed).
  This notion of legal substitution is strictly interpreted in Protestant tradition.
  Christ’s righteousness is imputed on the believer.
  Legal fiction opens the door to problems with injustice.

• Financial – Accounting
• In the text
• Historical background
  Greek is commercial/bookkeeping language.
  Awareness of the imagery being used to describe God’s work of justification (no single image base).

Romans vs Galatians

• Romans
  • Paul accepts basic Jewish truths – “Abraham is father of all”
  • Applies it to Gentiles
  • Emphasis on trust and faith
  • The particular Jewish worldview is made universal

• Galatians
  • A polemical letter
  • Paul has relationship with them
  • Crisis situation
  • Legalists imposing circumcision
  • Doing more abandons the sufficiency of the gift

• 2 similar discussions (Galatians 3-4)
  Faith precedes works.
• 2 different situations
  Galatians are practicing circumcision as a way of keeping law and thus being Christian.
  Romans are ignoring the Jewish heritage/story and putting more faith in culture and ethnicity (Gentile).
  Boasting in works and payment due is only Romans; don’t read this into Galatians.

Gift or Law (4:13-17)

• This contrast has everything to do with God’s power
• If we can secure righteousness and justification via the law, then God does not take initiative – rather we do.
• But if it is a gift, then Jew and Gentile both must respond in trust/faith.

Hoping Against Hope (4:18-25)

• Abraham trusts even though the evidence goes against it
• God has power to bring life out of death
  • Isaac (Birth and Sacrifice)
  • Creation
  • Resurrection

Chris Benjamin

West-Ark Church of Christ, Fort Smith, AR
Evening Sermon, 7 December 2008

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