R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 1 Study By: Greg Herrick
A. Introduction
R. Kent Hughes relays a story he once heard from Dr. Bruce Waltke: Apparentl
y, some time ago, there was a man who wanted to cross the frozen St. Lawrenc
e River in Canada. Now the man had his doubts about whether the ice could ho
ld him, so he decided to first test it by placing his hand firmly upon it. A
fterwards, having mustered up a modicum of faith, he got down on his knees a
nd began to shuffle—albeit gingerly—across the ice. When he got to the mid
dle of the frozen river, where he was trembling with fear, he heard a certai
n, familiar noise behind him. When he turned around he saw a team of horses
pulling a carriage and making their way down to the river. And upon reaching
the river, the horses, with carriage in tow, didn’t stop, but bolted right
onto the ice, and past him, while he remained there on all fours, turning a
deep crimson.41
So is the faith of many Christians; it is weak and timid. But the problem is
not that Christianity has been tried and found wanting, but rather that it
has never been tried. Where is the man or woman of faith who will take God a
t his word, trusting in his promises of strength, guidance, wisdom, and prov
ision? Who will cross the ice, so to speak, not on their hands and knees in
fear of the bottom falling out underneath them—that is, with little apparen
t faith in God’s holy faithfulness—but rather with humble confidence, taki
ng a team of horses, a carriage, and passengers as well?
Abraham was such a person and we may be too, by following his example. There
was little, if anything, in Abraham’s experience that might lead him to be
lieve that he would be the father of many nations. Yet the aged patriarch tr
usted in God and committed himself to the promises YHWH had made (Gen 12:1-3
; 15; 17). Here is real faith responding to the revealed will of God. The re
sult was his justification and the fulfillment of God’s wonderful promises
through him.
The same can be said of you. If you have not trusted Christ as your Lord and
Savior, know for certain that attaining salvation by your own merits and en
ergies is futile. It is just as futile as Abraham trying to become a great n
ation when he could no longer father a child and Sarah his wife was barren.
You must not trust in yourself for salvation, but rather look to the Lord wh
o promises to save all those who call upon him (Rom 10:13).
If, on the other hand, you have already realized your spiritual bankruptcy a
nd have not sought to manufacture idols to make your life work, but rather h
ave trusted personally in Christ, you need to know that the “faith” throug
h which you were saved is the same faith through which you will be sanctifie
d. There are not two kinds of genuine faith, only different degrees of genui
ne faith. By following the example of Abraham, and drawing near to God throu
gh his promises (cf. 2 Peter 1:3-4) you can experience deliverance from sin,
strength in the Christian life, and by the grace of God carry out great exp
loits for his name. May God make it so. Let us now listen and learn from the
example of Abraham in Romans 4:13-22. “He who has hears to hear, let him h
ear!” | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 2 B. Translation of Passage in NET
4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit
the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness t
hat comes by faith.
4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is
nullified.
4:15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no tra
nsgression either.
4:16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, with the res
ult that the promise may be certain to all the descendants—not only to thos
e who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, wh
o is the father of us all
4:17 (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). He
is our father in the presence of God whom he believed—the God who makes the
dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they alre
ady do.
4:18 Against hope Abraham believed in hope with the result that he became th
e father of many nations according to the pronouncement, “so will your desc
endants be.”
4:19 Without being weak in faith, he considered his own body as dead (becaus
e he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.
4:20 He did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthe
ned in faith, giving glory to God.
4:21 He was fully convinced that what God promised he was also able to do.
4:22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham as righteousness. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 3 C. Full Exegetical Outline
Idea: The reason the promise to Abraham (or all his descendents)—that he wo
uld inherit the world—was fulfilled not through the law, but through Abraha
m’s sheer faith, in spite of the fact that both he and Sarah were unable to
produce children, is because the law works wrath, empties faith, and nullif
ies the promise, whereas faith is in keeping with grace which alone makes th
e promise certain to all Abraham’s descendents.
I. The reason the promise to Abraham (or to all his descendents)—that he wo
uld inherit the world—was fulfilled not through the law, but through faith,
is because the law works wrath, empties faith, nullifies the promise, but f
aith is in keeping with grace and makes the promise certain to all his desce
ndants (4:13-18).
A. The reason the promise to Abraham (or to all his descendents)—that he wo
uld inherit the world—was fulfilled not through the law, but through faith,
is because the law works wrath, empties faith, and nullifies the promise (4
:13-15).
1. The promise to Abraham and all his descendents was not fulfilled through
the law, but rather through the righteousness that comes by faith (4:13).
2. If Abraham’s descendents become heirs by law, faith is empty and the pro
mise nullified (4:14).
3. Law brings wrath and where there is no law, there is no wrath (4:15).
B. The reason the promise to Abraham, our father before God, was fulfilled n
ot through the law, but through faith, is because faith is in keeping with g
race, which itself makes the promise certain to all his descendants (4:16-18
).
1. Faith is in keeping with grace, which itself makes the promise certain to
all Abraham’s descendents (4:16a).
2. Abraham is the father of us all in the sight of God in whom he believed (
4:16b-17a)
3. God summons things that do not yet exist as if they already do (4:17b).
II. The nature of Abraham’s faith in the promise of God regarding many nati
ons, despite the hopelessness of both he and Sarah’s barrenness, was such t
hat God credited it to him as righteousness (4:18-22).
A. Abraham believed against hope with the result that he became the father o
f many nations (4:18).
B. Abraham’s faith did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of
God but was actually strengthened and gave glory to God (4:19-21).
C. God credited Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness (4:22).
D. Simple Point Outline
Idea: The Promise Comes not through the Law, But through Faith, as Abraham’
s Experience Demonstrates
I. The Promise: Comes not through the Law, but through Faith (4:13-17)
A. The Law Empties Faith, Nullifies the Promise, and Brings Wrath (4:13-15)
1. The Law Empties Faith (4:13-14)
2. The Law Nullifies the Promise (4:14)
3. The Law Brings Wrath (4:15)
B. The Promise Is according to Grace and Therefore by Faith (4:16-17)
1. The Promise Rests on Grace and Is Certain to All the Seed of Abraham (4:1
6a)
2. The Promise Involves the Fatherhood of Abraham (4:16b-17a)
3. The Promise Requires God’s Creative Power (4:17b)
II. The Example: Abraham’s Faith (4:18-22)
A. He Believed against Hope (4:18)
B. He Did not Waver through Unbelief (4:19-21)
1. The Circumstance: Barrenness (4:19)
2. The Response: Faith (4:20-21)
a. No Wavering (4:20)
b. Strengthened in Faith (4:20)
c. Giving Glory to God (4:20)
d. Fully Convinced (4:21)
C. He Was Credited with Righteousness (4:22) | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 4 E. Exposition Proper
Paul has argued in 1:18-3:20 that all men are sinners and that no man will b
e justified before God on the basis of his own works. He carries on in 3:21-
31 to argue that the only way a man can be justified before God is through f
aith in Christ whom God presented publicly as a “satisfaction” for sin (3:
21-31). In 4:1-12 Paul argues that the truth of “justification by faith apa
rt from works,” is evident even in the experience of Abraham, whom most of
Jewry held to be justified by works. Yet the justification of Abraham came a
part from works and before he was circumcised. In 4:13-22 Paul develops the
theme of the promise made to Abraham and argues that the realization of the
promise comes about by the righteousness that comes by faith, not through th
e law.
4:13 Paul begins 4:13 with the term For (gavr, gar). The reason Abraham can
be the father of the uncircumcised as well as the circumcised is because the
promise was not given through the law and, therefore, it is not restricted
to those who had the law, i.e., the Jews.
The law (novmo", nomos) in 4:13 refers to obedience to the Mosaic law, that
is, attempting to secure the fulfillment of the promise by carrying out work
s prescribed in the law.
Paul says that the promise to Abraham was that he would inherit the world (t
oV klhronovmon aujtoVn ei ai kovsmou, to kleronomon auton einai kosmou). Tho
ugh the promise is never spoken as such in the OT, it is clear that this is
Paul’s way of summarizing all the aspects of the promise including the land
, seed, Abraham’s great name, and universal blessing (cf. Gen 12:1-3; 15).
The covenant established with Abraham had far reaching consequences and beca
me the controlling covenant throughout history. The Davidic (2 Sam 7:8-16; P
s 89) and the New covenants (Jer 31:31-33; Luke 22:15-20) are organically re
lated to the Abrahamic as developments of the seed and blessing aspects, res
pectively. The establishment of the millennial kingdom at Christ’s second a
dvent is the final great fulfillment of this covenant in human history. At t
hat time (and indeed on into the eternal state), one will be able to say tha
t our father Abraham has become the heir of the world.
At the end of v. 13 Paul says emphatically, so as to once again remind his r
eaders, that this will come about not through the law, but through the right
eousness that comes by faith (ajllaV diaV dikaiosuvnh" pivstew", dia dikaios
unes pisteos).
This paragraph, namely, 4:13-22, may be broken down into two parts. The firs
t part, 4:13-17, gives an explanation of “not through the law. The second p
art, 4:18-22, gives an explanation of “but through the righteousness that c
omes by faith.” The concluding paragraph in 4:23-25 applies these truths to
the readers.
4:14 In verse 14 Paul explains why Abraham and his descendents will become h
eirs through faith and not through obedience to the law. It is because if th
ey become heirs by obedience to the law, then faith is empty and the promise
is nullified (kekevnwtai hJ pivsti" kaiV kathvrghtai hJ ejpaggeliva, kekeno
tai he pistis kai katergetai he epaggelia). What does Paul mean by this expr
ession? Some argue that if obedience to the law is necessary for the realiza
tion of the promise then there is no room for faith, since faith and works o
f the law are mutually exclusive as the controlling or most basic orientatio
n in religion. Further, an emphasis on works nullifies or renders inoperativ
e the promise because faith and promise are correlative; they work together.
This interpretation certainly has much to commend it and as a theological co
mment it is certainly accurate, but it may not be exactly what the apostle m
eans here. There is, however, another solution.
The focus in this text is on the method or means for the realization of the
promise. This colors the passage with a forward looking hue. Given that this
is true, it seems better to understand the phrase “faith is empty” and “
the promise is nullified” to mean that both faith and the promise do not ac
complish their goal of making us heirs of the Abrahamic promise, that is, so
long as we make works the method of achieving the blessing we will not inhe
rit the blessings outlined in the promise. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 5 4:15 In 4:15 Paul gives another reason why Abraham and his descendents will
not become heirs by obedience to the law. It is because the law brings wrath
(oJ gaVr novmo" ojrghVn katergavzetai, ho gar nomos orgen katergazetai). Th
e only thing the law can do is to reveal sin. It cannot help a person overco
me sin and thus avoid the wrath of God.
Paul makes it clear that the law of God incites the wrath of God. But he con
tinues on in this verse to say that where there is no law, there is no trans
gression (paravbasi", parabasis). The best way to understand this comment is
in light of 5:13. There he says: “for before the law was given, sin was in
the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.” What
Paul means then, in 4:15, is that the explicit commands of the Mosaic law re
veal sin to a much greater degree than is otherwise known and understood by
men. When sin is exposed as such, the wrath of God is aroused. But, where th
e Mosaic law is not in force or is not known, there is no knowledge of speci
fic sin among people, at least not to the same degree (cf. Rom 1:19-21, 32).
But why does Paul make this point here? Because he is trying to show why it
is futile to attempt through the law to obtain God’s blessing. It only wind
s up in wrath. The law only reveals what great sinners we really are and obl
iges the wrath of God to flare up against us.
So then, Abraham and his descendents become heirs of the world, not through
obedience to the law, for the law empties faith, nullifies the promise, and
brings wrath. Instead, Abraham and his descendents become heirs through the
righteousness that comes by faith.
4:16 The expression for this reason (DiaV tou'to, dia touto) does not look b
ack to the previous verse and the law, but ahead to the purpose clause “so
that it may be by grace.” Although many refer it backwards, the following “
so that” clause reads quite awkwardly on this interpretation and it is diff
icult to say what the term “it” in “it is by faith” refers to. In short,
we may paraphrase the logic of this verse: God has determined that man’s r
esponse shall be by faith (ejk pivstew", ek pisteos)…so that his response c
an be according to grace. God’s grace (cavri", charis) is his undeserved, u
nmerited favor by which He secures a righteous standing through Christ for t
he sinner who believes (5:1-2).
The result of the promise being according to grace and not works is that it
is certain (bebaivan, bebaion) to all the descendents (pantiV tw'/ spevrmati
, panti to spermati), whether Jew or Gentile. The term “certain” means “f
irm,” “dependable,” “unmovable,” and is used in connection with the fun
ction of an anchor in Hebrews 6:19. If the promise were according to the law
, a person could only be certain of one thing, its non-fulfillment.
4:17 The citation of Genesis 17:5 serves to underscore the previous comment
in v. 16 about Abraham being the father of us all. God had sovereignly place
d the patriarch in this role—a role which includes fatherhood over the Jewi
sh nation, but also fatherhood over Gentile nations as well.
The sense of the term “father,” however, may not be exactly what was meant
in Genesis 17:5 where biological fathering is foremost. Here, in Romans 4:1
7, Abraham is the father of us all in the presence of God (katevnanti ou|, k
atenanti hou) which indicates that he is the spiritual father of all people
who believe, Jew and Gentile.
Now we said that the emphasis in Genesis 17:5 is primarily physical (cf. kin
gs will come from you” in Gen 17:6), but this does not mean that in Genesis
17 or within the Abrahamic covenant as a whole, the idea of spiritual fathe
rhood is not at least implied. It is. It is said that through Abraham “all
the nations of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3). This implies some spi
ritual connection between Abraham and the people who are so blessed.
Abraham believed God’s promise for many nations even though he could not as
yet see them and even though he and Sarah were unable to have children. He
nonetheless believed in a God who makes dead things alive, i.e., Sarah’s wo
mb and the bringing back of Isaac if need be (Gen 22). Paul, as he reflects
on Abraham’s experience here, may also have in mind the resurrection—the c
alling to life of the one who had died.
For Abraham, God could summon those promised nations into existence for he s
peaks to them as if they already do exist. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 6 4:18 Verse 18 begins the second part of this paragraph in which Paul will la
y great stress on the nature of Abraham’s faith. There was no hope—i.e., i
t was against [all] hope (par* ejlpivda, par elpida) on a human level—of th
e fulfillment of the promise God gave to Abraham. But the patriarch’s hope
was not in himself or his wife or anything human; it was in God and his powe
r. Abraham believed in hope (ejp * ejlpivdi ejpivsteusen, ep elpidi episteus
en) with the result that the promise was fulfilled and he became the father
of many nations.
The words “so will your descendents be” are from Genesis 15:5. You will re
call that Paul has spent the earlier part of this chapter explaining Genesis
15:6 (4:3ff). The effect of citing Genesis 15:5 here in 4:18, then, is to l
ink the promise for many nations with “justification by faith” from Genesi
s 15:6. In this way the point is clear: Abraham was justified and the promis
ed fulfilled by faith and not works of the law. This will be clear in 4:22 a
s well.
4:19 In vv. 19-21 Paul explains what he meant when he said that Abraham, aga
inst hope, believed in hope. The fact that Abraham was about 100 years old a
nd that Sarah’s womb was dead indicates that against hope really was agains
t all human hope of any kind. There was no way this couple was going to have
one child, let alone that many nations would come from them. It was not goi
ng to happen without God’s intervention, without hope from God via a promis
e only he could fulfill.
The mention of Abraham’s body as dead (nenekrwmevnon, nenekromenon) and the
deadness (nevkrwsin, nekrosin) of Sarah’s womb recalls the use of the same
word, dead (nekrouV", nekrous), in v. 17. Thus, the idea that this hope is
totally from God is strongly emphasized, for he alone is the one who “makes
the dead alive;” he alone is the one who can bring life from the deadness
of Abraham’s body and Sarah’s womb.
4:20-21 Paul says that Abraham did not doubt or waver in unbelief (th/` ajpi
stiva/, apistia) about the promise of God, but in contrast, was strengthened
in faith (th/` pivstei, te pistei). This comment seems to be at odds, howev
er, with the scene depicted in Genesis 17:17:
Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed; and he said in his heart, “Can a
son be born to one who is a hundred years old? or Sarah, can she bear a chi
ld at the age of ninety?” 17:18 And Abraham said to God, “O that Ishmael m
ight live before you.”
This OT passage indicates that Abraham did doubt and did waver in unbelief,
or so it would seem. The question arises, then, since Paul was obviously cog
nizant of this OT passage, how do we reconcile his statement with this accou
nt in Genesis. Calvin argued that Abraham’s reaction was simply an expressi
on of wonder which later contemplated the power of God. But there does seem
to be some doubt—not just wonder—in Abraham’s words, for in the next vers
e, he says, “O that Ishmael might live before you.”
Others argue that Paul is simply focusing on the time from the initial givin
g of the promise in Genesis 12 to the point that Abraham was justified by fa
ith in Genesis 15:6. At that time, when God appeared to him and reiterated t
he promise, Abraham did not waver in unbelief. This suggestion has more to c
ommend it, for in Genesis 15 Abraham genuinely believes that God is able to
do what he promised and God declares him righteous for his faith. Further, R
omans 4:22 focuses again on Genesis 15:6, a fact which makes this suggestion
all the more likely.
We may also note that given the positive picture of Abraham in first century
Judaism, Paul probably intends in these words an overall appraisal of his l
ife as well. Abraham was faithful and trusted God all his life, even though
there were episodes of struggle. Struggle is not exclusive of faith. Indeed,
it was the very promise itself that gave rise to certain tensions within th
e patriarch (cf. Gen 15:1-3).
Abraham gave glory to God, that is, he praised God for his power and faithfu
lness. He reached a point where he had become fully convinced (plhroforhqeiV
", plerophoretheis) that God was capable of doing that which he had promised
. Abraham realized by faith—since his circumstances afforded no visible con
firmation—that God does not make promises he cannot live up to.
4:22 In v. 22, with another citation from Genesis 15:6 (albeit partial) Paul
brings to a conclusion both this section regarding the nature of Abraham’s
faith (vv. 18-22) as well as the entire paragraph (4:13-22). But, in broade
r perspective, it is likely that v. 22 is also intended to bring a conclusio
n to all that has been said up to this point beginning in 1:18: Man is a sin
ner and he will not be justified by works of the law, but by faith. Abraham
is the classic example of this truth and he stands as the father of all thos
e who so believe. In 4:23-25 Paul will apply this truth to his readers. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 7 F. Homiletical Idea and Outline
Idea: A Right Relationship with God…
I. Comes about not by Works, But by Faith (4:13-17)
A. The Peril of Works (4:13-15)
B. The Primacy of Faith (4:16-17)
II. The Kind of Faith We Need Is One That…(4:18-22)
A. Holds Up against All Odds and Is Characterized by…
1. Understanding the Circumstances (4:18-19)
2. Not Wavering (4:20)
3. Being Strengthened (4:20)
4. Giving Glory to God (4:20)
5. Full Confidence in God’s Power (4:21)
B. Leads to the Crediting of Righteousness (4:22)
G. Contribution of Passage to Systematic Theology
This passage contributes greatly to our bibliology or doctrine of the bible
and in particular the relationship of the testaments, Old and New. Since Pau
l uses the example of Abraham, the means through which they were saved in th
e OT has not changed in the new; it is by faith apart from works. This demon
strates that the demand for righteousness is the same in both eras and that
man has always been unable on his own to meet that demand. He must rely on G
od and His provision. There is, then, an essential soteriological connection
between the Old and New Testament. People were not saved in the OT by obeyi
ng the Mosaic law any more than we are saved in the New Testament era by our
good deeds.
This passage implies that the promise to Abraham is fulfilled (4:13) and tha
t it is fulfilled in Abraham’s spiritual seed, both Jew and Gentile in the
church. But the nature of this fulfillment, according to Romans 11:25-32; 15
:12, must in the nature of the case be inaugural. There is more to come en r
oute to becoming heirs of the world. | R*o
发帖数: 3781 | 8 H. Contribution of Passage to Discipleship and Church Mission
There are many principles that could be gleaned from this passage for discip
leship and church mission. We will mention only one: the idea of a deep, abi
ding faith in God. The kind of faith that pleases God is a faith that takes
him at his word and trusts in his promises without question (Heb 11:6). Abra
ham did not have any human assurance that what God promised was actually goi
ng to happen. He didn’t have the assurance of an inscripturated revelation—
a record of saints from bygone eras and how they walked with God (cf. Heb 11
). He didn’t have the assurance of knowing his wife could conceive either,
or that he was able to father a child for that matter. He had no earthly hop
e whatsoever, and yet he trusted in God. Indeed, as Paul says, he was streng
thened in faith and gave glory to God. Here, indeed, is an example for us to
follow. Often times there is little in this world that directly helps us pe
rceive the ways of God and trust in him more completely. But, we must trust
the promises of God whether there is any visual cue as to their means of ful
fillment or not. Habakkuk said it best:
3:17 When the fig tree does not bud, and there are no grapes on the vines, w
hen the olive trees do not produce, and the fields yield no crops, when the
sheep disappear from the pen, and there are no cattle in the stalls, 3:18 I
will rejoice because of the LORD, I will be happy because of the God who del
ivers me. 3:19 The sovereign LORD is my source of strength. He gives me the
agility of a deer, he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain. (NET)
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41 R. Kent Hughes, 1001 Great Stories and Quotes (Wheaton: Tyndale, 1988), 1
55.
【在 R*o 的大作中提到】
: F. Homiletical Idea and Outline
: Idea: A Right Relationship with God…
: I. Comes about not by Works, But by Faith (4:13-17)
: A. The Peril of Works (4:13-15)
: B. The Primacy of Faith (4:16-17)
: II. The Kind of Faith We Need Is One That…(4:18-22)
: A. Holds Up against All Odds and Is Characterized by…
: 1. Understanding the Circumstances (4:18-19)
: 2. Not Wavering (4:20)
: 3. Being Strengthened (4:20)
|
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