Romans 4:9-16 comments: Abraham, the father of all them that believe

 

Romans 4:9 ¶  Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10  How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. 11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12  And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14  For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15  Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 

The possibility of redemption is not just for the Jews. The Jews are not the only receivers of God’s forgiveness. Circumcision was the Jew following in obedience to God’s command through Abraham. Faith was what God wanted and that was what would guarantee the Jew his earthly inheritance.

 

The Christian follows in obedience by being baptized. We follow Christ in baptism for righteousness sake and as a type of His death, burial, and resurrection.

 

Matthew 3:13 ¶  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

 

Romans 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

 

Colossians 2:12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

 

The difference between the dispensations, the Testaments, is made clear in this. The Jew would be circumcised as a baby and, of course, women could not be circumcised but were still Jews. The Hebrew, Israelite, the Jew received a physical kingdom in a physical world and were commanded to obey God to draw all mean without distinction to them to learn of God.

 

The Christian must believe and then be baptized. It is unbelief, not not being baptized, that condemns them.

 

Mark 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 

A baby cannot believe. A parent’s decision that their child will be raised as a Christian does not save them from an eternity of agony if the child themselves at an appropriate age doesn’t receive Christ as their Saviour. Infants and children are not in danger of that suffering whether they are children of non-believers today or in Moses’ time.

 

In any case, Abraham was justified by God by his faith not by his circumcision, although it was commanded. We are not justified by our baptism but by our faith in Christ’s resurrection.

 

God who gave us a sign, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, His Spirit, as our guide and teacher. Both Jew under the Law and Jew and Gentile under grace required faith and our salvation is predicated upon our faith in God and Christ.

 

Circumcision was performed after Abraham believed. He was justified before he responded in obedience but that was the token of his commitment and faith.

 

Genesis 17:10  This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

 

We are saved by God as a response to our faith and sealed by the Spirit which is given to us as a token, a deposit on our salvation from God.

 

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

 

Romans 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

 

2Corinthians 1:22  Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

 

Ephesians 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

 

Ephesians 4:30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

 

We are baptized as type of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection and in our faith Christ separates the sins of our flesh from the guilt of our soul so that the sins of our flesh can no longer condemn us even though we are called to good works. The result of our faith in His resurrection is that spiritual circumcision made not with human hands but by the operation of God.

 

Colossians 2:11  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12  Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 ¶  And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

 

 

Paul’s argument here in opposition to any controversy made by Judaizers is that Abraham was saved when he was uncircumcised. We are saved when we are unbaptized. This fact allows faith to be extended to all without circumcision being an issue.

 

Judaizers, as we saw in Acts, wanted new Christians to be circumcised and follow the Law given to Moses. Paul will argue his point further in the letter to the Galatians which you should read.

 

In verse 13 Paul opens up what Christ had already suggested as He said there were others in His kingdom not of the children of Israel. These would be those such as us who came not by the command of the Law but by faith in Christ to God.

 

Matthew 8:5 ¶  And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6  And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9  For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10  When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11  And I

say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

 

John 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

 

Paul states that the promises to Abraham were not through the Law but through the righteousness of faith. What was the promise to Abraham about inheriting the world? Paul here is referring to;

 

Genesis 17:4 ¶  As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

 

We will see that Christ inherits the world through Abraham’s faith and belief in Galatians but that is a different reference for a different verse in Genesis, a different promise.

 

The Law convicts of sin. The Law is wrath and judgment. Faith by grace is forgiveness, salvation, and the assurance of our entry into eternal life, our eternal inheritance in Christ. This is not only for the believing Jew but for the Gentile who comes to Christ. Once again, then, it is emphasized that salvation is open to all men and women, not just the Chosen People. Such is a denial of the Jews’ self-righteousness exclusion of all but them to God’s favor and even a denial of Calvinism which in its strictest form makes salvation available only to those who were created for the purpose of being saved.

 

Paul has carried his argument to a place that defies the Judaizer’s claim that without circumcision we cannot be justified before God. For Abraham was justified before he was subjected to circumcision. It is faith that saves, God’s response to it, and no physical action of our own, neither circumcision for the Jew or baptism for the Christian, Jew or Gentile.