Introduction: A Radical Claim
Paul makes a bold move in Romans 4. He tackles the long-standing assumption that Abraham was justified because he kept the law or because of circumcision. Instead, Paul digs deeper:
Abraham was credited with righteousness before circumcision.
This isn’t just a technicality—it’s a total game-changer for understanding how God relates to people, both Jew and Gentile.
When Was Abraham Justified?
Paul asks the key question: “How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised?” (Romans 4:10).
The answer? Uncircumcised.
- Genesis 15:6 tells us Abraham believed God at about age 85 and was justified.
- Circumcision didn’t happen until Genesis 17, around 14 years later when he was 99.
So long before any religious ritual, Abraham was accepted by God. His righteousness was by faith alone.
Circumcision: Sign, Not Source
Paul says circumcision was just a sign and seal—a symbol of the righteousness Abraham already had by faith (Romans 4:11).
That means:
- Righteousness wasn’t tied to rituals.
- God’s plan has always been faith first, works second.
- Abraham becomes the father of all who believe—circumcised or not.
Spiritual Descendants, Not Just Physical
Here’s where Paul really shakes things up.
According to Galatians 3, anyone who believes is a child of Abraham. That includes Gentiles! Faith, not bloodline, is what matters.
- Romans 9:8 makes it clear: “It is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise.”
- Galatians 6:15–16 describes “the Israel of God” as all believers, Jew and Gentile alike.
Big takeaway: Paul defines “true Israel” not by ethnicity or rituals, but by faith in Christ.
Paul’s Upside-Down Logic
Traditionally, Jews saw Abraham as the father of the circumcised. Paul flips the script:
- Abraham is the father of those who believed before circumcision (Gentiles).
- The circumcised only qualify if they also share that same faith.
Circumcision by itself “is not sufficient to qualify people as descendants. It is their faith that qualifies them” (High Definition Commentary: Romans, p. 84).
This must have hit Paul’s Jewish audience hard—it was a direct challenge to their cultural assumptions.
Law or Faith? No Contest.
Paul doesn’t stop there. He reminds us:
- The promise to Abraham was not through the Law but through the righteousness of faith (Romans 4:13).
- If inheritance comes by law, then faith is useless and the promise is void (Romans 4:14).
- The law only brings wrath because nobody can keep it perfectly (Romans 4:15).
Even today, many fall into the same trap—trying to mix law-keeping with grace. But the truth is:
Righteousness has always been by faith, never by the law.
One Plan, One People, One Promise
This isn’t just about Abraham. It’s about God’s plan from the very beginning.
- God promised Abraham: “Through you all nations will be blessed” (Gen. 12:3).
- That blessing comes not through law but by receiving the Spirit (Galatians 3:14).
- There’s not one blessing for Israel and another for the Church—there’s one plan of salvation for all who believe.
Why This Matters Today
It’s easy to point fingers at Paul’s Jewish contemporaries, but aren’t we tempted to do the same?
- Adding conditions to salvation (“real Christians must also do ___”).
- Treating rituals or traditions as if they make us right with God.
- Confusing cultural identity with spiritual identity.
Paul’s reminder is timeless: we are justified by faith alone. No ritual, no law-keeping, no tradition can add to what Christ has already done.
Conclusion
Romans 4 gives us a crystal-clear picture: Abraham’s righteousness wasn’t about circumcision, the law, or his heritage. It was about faith.
That same faith makes us heirs of God’s promise today. Whether Jew or Gentile, circumcised or not, our righteousness is found only in Christ.
References
- William Hendriksen & Simon J. Kistemaker, Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (Baker, 1953–2001).
- Steven E. Runge, High Definition Commentary: Romans (Lexham Press, 2014).
- The Prayer of Manasseh 8.
- Book of Jubilees 23:10.
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