Tu‘apulelulu Novema 18, 2021
pea na‘e tui ‘a ‘Epalahame ki he ‘Otua
“Abraham believed God,
Loma 4 (Romans 4)
(v. 1-3)PEA ko ‘emau fakaka‘anga ai koā ‘a e Lao, he fai‘aki ‘a e tui? Molekemama‘o! kaekehe, ‘oku mau poupou ‘a e Lao. Pea kapau ko ia, pea ko e hā ‘etau lea ‘ia ‘Epalahame, ko hotau ‘ulumotu‘a fakasino? Ko e hā ha me‘a kuo lava ‘e ia? Seuke, kapau na‘e fakatonuhia ‘a ‘Epalahame mei he‘ene ngāue, tā ‘oku ‘i ai ha‘ane me‘a ke pōlepole ai. Ka tala‘ehai ‘oku ‘i ai ha‘ane me‘a pehē ke fai ki he ‘Otua: he ko e hā ‘a e lau ‘a e Tohitapu? ‘a ‘eni, pea na‘e tui ‘a ‘Epalahame ki he ‘Otua, pea na‘e lau ia ma‘ane mā‘oni‘oni.
(v. 1-3) What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
*Commentary: David Guzik Study Guide on Romans*
What then shall we say: In building on the thought begun in Romans 3:31 Paul asks the question, “Does the idea of justification through faith, apart from the works of the law, make what God did in the Old Testament irrelevant?”
What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found: In answering that question, Paul looks at Abraham, who was the most esteemed man among the Jewish people of his day – even greater than the “George Washington” of the Jewish people.
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about: If anyone could be justified by works, they would have something to boast about. Nevertheless such boasting is nothing before God (but not before God).
This boasting is nothing before God because even if works could justify a man, he would in some way still fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
This boasting is nothing because before God, every pretense is stripped away and it is evident that no one can really be justified by works.
For what does the Scripture say? The Old Testament does not say Abraham was declared righteous because of his works. Instead, Genesis 15:6 says that Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Paul makes it clear: Abraham’s righteousness did not come from performing good works, but from belief in God. It was a righteousness obtained through faith.
Generally, the Jewish teachers of Paul’s day believed that Abraham was justified by his works, by keeping the law. Ancient passages from the rabbis say: “We find that Abraham our father had performed the whole Law before it was given” and “Abraham was perfect in all his deeds with the Lord.” The rabbis argued that Abraham kept the law perfectly before it was given, keeping it by intuition or anticipation.
The Apostle Paul does not say that Abraham was made righteous in all of his doings, but God accounted Abraham as righteous. Our justification is not God making us perfectly righteous, but counting us as perfectly righteous. After we are counted righteous, then God begins making us truly righteous, culminating at our resurrection.
“Counted is logizomai. It was used in early secular documents; ‘put down to one’s account, let my revenues be placed on deposit at the storehouse; I now give orders generally with regard to all payments actually made or credited to the government.’ Thus, God put to Abraham’s account, placed on deposit for him, credited to him, righteousness... Abraham possessed righteousness in the same manner as a person would possess a sum of money placed in his account in a bank.” (Wuest)
Genesis 15:6 does not tell us how other men accounted Abraham. Instead, it tells us how God accounted him. “Moses [in Genesis] does not, indeed, tell us what men thought of him [Abraham], but how he was accounted before the tribunal of God.” (Calvin)
Remember that righteousness is also more than the absence of evil and guilt. It is a positive good, meaning that God does not only declare us innocent, but righteous.
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