Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
ROMANS 4:1-25
H. 4:1-25 A HISTORICAL PICTURE HOW FAITH JUSTIFIES
1. 4:1-8 HOW ABRAHAM & DAVID BECAME RIGHTEOUS
a. 4:1 QUESTION
Ti oun eROUmen heu-reKEnai [2147] A-braAM,
What then shall we say that Abraham,
ton proPAto-ra [3962] heMON, kaTA SARka?
our :forefather, according to the flesh, has found?
b. 4:2 “GLORY TO GOD” IS EXCLUDED WHEN RIGHTEOUSNESS IS BY WORKS
ei gar A-braAM ex ERgon e-di-kaiOthe [1344],
For if Abraham was justified by works,
Echei KAUche-ma [2745]; all' ou pros TheON.
he has whereof to glory; but not toward God.
c. 4:3a QUESTION
ti gar hegraPHELEgei?
For what says the scripture?
d. 4:3b SCRIPTURE ASSERTS ABRAHAM WAS JUSTIFIED BY FAITH
E-PI-steu-sen de - A-braAM - toTheO,
And he - Abraham - believed :God,
kai e-loGISthe[3049]auTOeis di-kai-oSUnen [1343].
and it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
e. 4:4 RIGHTEOUSNESS IS EARNED - IF BASED ON WORKS
tode er-ga-oMEno[2038],
Now to him that works,
ho misTHOS [3408]ou loGIze-tai kaTA CHArin, alLA kaTA oPHEIle-ma [3783].
the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.
f. 4:5 FAITH IN THE JUSTIFIER: THE BASIS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
tode meer-ga-zoMEno,
But to him that works not,
pisTEUon-ti de ePI ton di-kaiOUNta [1344]ton a-seBE[765],
but believes on him that justifies the ungodly one,
loGIze-tai hePIStis auTOU eis di-kai-oSUnen.
his :faith is reckoned for righteousness.
g. 4:6-7 DAVID FORESAW GOD'S METHOD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
kaTHAper kai DauID LEgei ton ma-ka-risMON [3107]tou anTHROpou,
Even as David also pronounces :blessing upon the man,
hoho TheOS loGIze-tai di-kai-oSUnen choRIS ERgon,
to whom :God reckons righteousness apart from works, 7 saying
MaKAri-oi hon aPHEthe-san [863] hai a-noMIai [458],
7 Blessed they whose :iniquities are forgiven,
kai hon e-pe-kaLUPHthe-san [1943] hai ha-marTIai.
And whose :sins are covered.
h. 4:8 THE BLESSING
maKAri-os aNER hou ou me loGIse-tai KUri-os ha-marTIan.
Blessed the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin.
2. 4:9-12 CIRCUMCISION IS A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH
a. 4:9 ABRAHAM'S JUSTIFICATION AS IT RELATES TO TIME OF CIRCUMCISION
ho ma-ka-risMOS oun HOUtos ePI ten pe-ri-toMEN[4061] ,
Is this :blessing therefore upon the circumcision,
ekai ePI ten a-kro-busTIan [203]? LEgo-men gar,
or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say,
E-loGIS-theto A-braAM hePIStis eis di-kai-oSUnen.
To :Abraham the faith was reckoned for righteousness.
b. 4:10a QUESTION
pos oun e-loGISthe?
How then was it reckoned?
en pe-ri-toME ONti, e en a-kro-busTIa?
when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision?
c. 4:10b-12 CIRCUMCISION: A SEAL THAT FOLLOWS TRUE FAITH
ouk en pe-ri-toME, all' en a-kro-busTIa:
Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision:
kai seMEIon [4592] Ela-ben pe-ri-toMES,
11 and he received a sign of circumcision,
sphraGIda [4973] tes di-kai-oSUnes tes PIste-os
a seal of the righteousness of the faith
tes en tea-kro-busTIa:
which wasthrough the uncircumcision:
eis to EInai auTON paTEra PANton ton pi-steuONton, di' a-kro-busTIas,
that he be father of all them that believe, through uncircumcision,
eis to lo-gisTHEnai auTOIS ten di-kai-oSUnen;
that the righteousness might be reckoned to them;
kai paTEra pe-ri-toMES tois ouk ek pe-ri-toMES MOnon,
12 and father of circumcision to them who not only areof circumcision,
alLA kai tois stoiCHOUsin [4748]tois ICHne-sin [2487] but who also walk in the steps
tes en a-kro-busTIa PIste-os tou paTROS heMON A-braAM.
of our :father Abraham's :faith which he had in uncircumcision.
3. 4:13-15 THE CONTRAST OF LAW AND FAITH
a. 4:13 ABRAHAM'S FAITH: PRECEDED THE GIVING OF LAW
Ou gar diA NOmou he e-pag-geLIa [1860] to A-braAM
For not through law was the promise to :Abraham
eto SPERma-ti [4690]auTOU to kle-roNOmon [2818auTON EInai KOSmou,
or to his :seed that he should be heir of theworld,
alLA diA di-kai-oSUnes PIste-os.
but through righteousness of faith.
b. 4:14-15 LAW AND FAITH: MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE
ei gar hoi ek NOmou kle-roNOmoi,
For if they of thelaw are heirs,
keKEno-tai [2758]he PIstis kai kaTERge-tai [4102]he e-pag-geLIa:
the faith is made empty and the promise is made void:
ho gar NOmos orGEN [3709]ka-terGAze-tai [2716];
15 for the law works wrath;
hou de ouk EStin NOmos, ouDE paRAba-sis [3847].
but where no law is, neither istransgression.
4. 4:16-22 ABRAHAM: AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FAITH ACTS
a. 4:16-17 FAITH'S BASIS
DiA TOUto ek PIste-os, HIna kaTA CHArin;
For this cause it isof faith, that it beaccording to grace;
eis to EInai beBAIan [949]ten e-pag-geLIan panTI to SPERma-ti;
to the endthat the promise be sure to all the seed;
ou to ek tou NOmou MOnon, alLA kai to
not to that only of the law, but to that also
ek PIste-os A-braAM (hos es-tin paTER PANton heMON
which is of Abraham's faith (who is father of us all
kaTHOS GEgrap-tai, [HOti],
17 as it is written [that],
PaTEra polLON ethNON TEtheiKA [5087]se),
I have made you father of many nations),
kaTEnan-ti hou ePIsteu-sen, TheOU,
before him whom he believed, God,
tou zo-o-poiOUNtos [2227]tous neKROUS [3498],
who makes alive the dead,
kai kaLOUNtos [2227]ta meONta, hos ONta.
and calls the thingsthat are not, as though they are.
b. 4:18 FAITH'S BATTLE
hos par elPIda ep' elPIdi ePIsteu-sen,
Who in hope believed against hope,
eis to geNESthai auTON paTEra polLON ethNON,
to the endthat he become father of many nations,
kaTA to ei-reMEnon, HOUtos EStai to SPERma [4690]sou.
according to what had been spoken, So shall your :seed be.
c. 4:19-21 FAITH'S METHOD
kai meas-theNEsas [770]tePIstei ka-teNOe-sen [2657]to he-auTOU SOma
And without weakening in the faith he considered his own :body
Edene-ne-kroMEnon [3499](e-ka-ton-taEtes pou huPARchon),
now as good asdead (being about a hundred years old),
kai ten NEkro-sin tes MEtras [3388]SARras;
and the deadness of the womb of Sarah;
eis de ten e-pag-geLIan tou TheOU,
20 yet, looking unto the promise of :God,
ou di-eKRIthe[1252]tea-pisTIa [570],
he doubted not through :unbelief,
alLA e-ne-du-naMOthe[1743]tePIstei, dous DOxan toTheO,
but waxed strong through :faith, giving glory to :God,
kai ple-ro-pho-reTHEIS [4135]HOti ho ePEGgel-tai,
21 and being fully assured that what he had promised,
du-naTOS es-tin kai poiEsai.
he was able also to perform.
d. 4:22 FAITH'S RESULT
di' HO kai e-loGIStheauTOeis di-kai-oSUnen.
Wherefore also it was reckoned to him for righteousness.
5. 4:23-25 EAMPLE OF ABRAHAM SET FORTH FOR US TO FOLLOW
Ouk eGRAphede di' auTON MOnon,
Now it was not written for his sake alone,
HOti e-loGIStheauTO;
that it was reckoned to him;
alLA kai di' heMAS, hois MELlei loGIzes-thai,
24but for ours also, to whom it shall be reckoned,
tois pisTEUou-sin ePI ton eGEIran-ta [1453]'I-eSOUN ton KUri-on heMON ek neKRON,
who believe on him that raised Jesus our :Lord from the dead,
hos pa-reDOthe[3860]diA ta pa-rapTOma-ta [3900]heMON,
25 who was delivered up for our :trespasses,
kai eGERthe[1453]diA ten diKAIo-sin [1347]heMON.
and was raised for our :justification.
NOTE: This is one of the richest portions of the first 4 chapters of Romans - and one of the most practical.The Outline for 4:16-22 - “How Faith Acts” - is from a sermon I heard W. J. Ern Baxter preach in 1944 in Victoria BC. Look at it in this context:
a. 4:16-17 - Faith's Basis
b. 4:18 - Faith's Battle
c. 4:19-21 - Faith's Method
d. 4:22 - Faith's Result
Then look at the example of Abraham for Faith's Battle. Would he believe his senseknowledge - or would he stick to what God's Word had said to him - Faith's Basis? He chose the latter.
Now see the steps in the methodAbraham chose to exemplify faith in God's Word, and how he let this triumph over the knowledge of the 5 senses:
1. He didn't weakenin his faith.
2. He consideredhis body and realized the impossibility of fathering the covenant child Isaac.
(He was 99, and impotent.)
3. He recognizedSarah was in the same situation.
4. Yet - he gazed steadfastlyat what God had promised him - a child through Sarah!
5. He refusedto let doubt rise through unbelief.
6. He let his faithsteadily grow!
7. He gave glory to Godby praising and thanking Him beforethe answer came to pass!
(Smith Wigglesworth and Billy Bray walked this same walk - not just a talk!)
Then - Faith's Result. God looked down on Abraham, and counted his living faith as “Righteousness!” - before the fulfillment of the promise! He had become like God, who calls the things that are not, as if they already are!
E. W. Kenyon's 24 various books all acclaim triumphantly the above truth. Of course he has been greatly maligned! Did not the Holy Spirit through Paul say, “He that lives godly in Christ Jesus, shallsuffer persecution?” At least 3 books have been written against him. The enemy Satan, the devil, doesn't want believers strengthening their faith through this author of faith-fostering books! He died in the late 40's, at the same time as Dr. Charles S. Price and Smith Wigglesworth.
But Pastor Joe McIntyre felt the Holy Spirit motivating him to write a defensefor this man who was no longer here todefend himself. Joe's book,“E. W. Kenyon: the TrueStory,” is one of the finest Apologetics and Defenses ofa wrongly-maligned man I have read. Do a Google-search on the Kenyon's Gospel Publishing Society <www.kenyons.org> and purchase this book. You will find yourself living in the reality of Abraham's faith in Romans 4:16-22. It works! Jim Watt
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