Discovery BoxRomans 4:1
Context4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, 1 has discovered regarding this matter? 2
Romans 4:1--5:21
Context4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, 3 has discovered regarding this matter? 4 4:2 For if Abraham was declared righteous 5 by the works of the law, he has something to boast about – but not before God. 4:3 For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited 6 to him as righteousness.” 7 4:4 Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation. 8 4:5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, 9 his faith is credited as righteousness.
4:6 So even David himself speaks regarding the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
4:7 “Blessed 10 are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
4:8 blessed is the one 11 against whom the Lord will never count 12 sin.” 13
4:9 Is this blessedness 14 then for 15 the circumcision 16 or also for 17 the uncircumcision? For we say, “faith was credited to Abraham as righteousness.” 18 4:10 How then was it credited to him? Was he circumcised at the time, or not? No, he was not circumcised but uncircumcised! 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, 19 so that he would become 20 the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, 21 that they too could have righteousness credited to them. 4:12 And he is also the father of the circumcised, 22 who are not only circumcised, but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham possessed when he was still uncircumcised. 23
4:13 For the promise 24 to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not fulfilled through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 4:14 For if they become heirs by the law, faith is empty and the promise is nullified. 25 4:15 For the law brings wrath, because where there is no law there is no transgression 26 either. 4:16 For this reason it is by faith so that it may be by grace, 27 with the result that the promise may be certain to all the descendants – not only to those who are under the law, but also to those who have the faith of Abraham, 28 who is the father of us all 4:17 (as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”). 29 He is our father 30 in the presence of God whom he believed – the God who 31 makes the dead alive and summons the things that do not yet exist as though they already do. 32 4:18 Against hope Abraham 33 believed 34 in hope with the result that he became the father of many nations 35 according to the pronouncement, 36 “so will your descendants be.” 37 4:19 Without being weak in faith, he considered 38 his own body as dead 39 (because he was about one hundred years old) and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 4:20 He 40 did not waver in unbelief about the promise of God but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 4:21 He was 41 fully convinced that what God 42 promised he was also able to do. 4:22 So indeed it was credited to Abraham 43 as righteousness.
4:23 But the statement it was credited to him 44 was not written only for Abraham’s 45 sake, 4:24 but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. 4:25 He 46 was given over 47 because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of 48 our justification. 49
5:1 50 Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have 51 peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:2 through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice 52 in the hope of God’s glory. 5:3 Not 53 only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 5:4 and endurance, character, and character, hope. 5:5 And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God 54 has been poured out 55 in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 5:7 (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) 56 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 5:9 Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous 57 by his blood, 58 we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. 59 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life? 5:11 Not 60 only this, but we also rejoice 61 in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received this reconciliation.
5:12 So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people 62 because 63 all sinned – 5:13 for before the law was given, 64 sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin 65 when there is no law. 5:14 Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type 66 of the coming one) transgressed. 67 5:15 But the gracious gift is not like the transgression. 68 For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, 69 how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many! 5:16 And the gift is not like the one who sinned. 70 For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, 71 led to condemnation, but 72 the gracious gift from the many failures 73 led to justification. 5:17 For if, by the transgression of the one man, 74 death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!
5:18 Consequently, 75 just as condemnation 76 for all people 77 came 78 through one transgression, 79 so too through the one righteous act 80 came righteousness leading to life 81 for all people. 5:19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man 82 many 83 were made sinners, so also through the obedience of one man 84 many 85 will be made righteous. 5:20 Now the law came in 86 so that the transgression 87 may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 5:21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
[4:1] 1 tn Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).
[4:1] 3 tn Or “according to natural descent” (BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 4).
[4:2] 5 tn Or “was justified.”
[4:3] 7 tn The term λογίζομαι (logizomai) occurs 11 times in this chapter (vv. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 22, 23, 24). In secular usage it could (a) refer to deliberations of some sort, or (b) in commercial dealings (as virtually a technical term) to “reckoning” or “charging up a debt.” See H. W. Heidland, TDNT 4:284, 290-92.
[4:3] 8 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:4] 9 tn Grk “not according to grace but according to obligation.”
[4:5] 11 tn Or “who justifies the ungodly.”
[4:8] 15 tn The word for “man” or “individual” here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which often means “male” or “man (as opposed to woman).” However, as BDAG 79 s.v. 2 says, here it is “equivalent to τὶς someone, a person.”
[4:8] 16 tn The verb translated “count” here is λογίζομαι (logizomai). It occurs eight times in Rom 4:1-12, including here, each time with the sense of “place on someone’s account.” By itself the word is neutral, but in particular contexts it can take on a positive or negative connotation. The other occurrences of the verb have been translated using a form of the English verb “credit” because they refer to a positive event: the application of righteousness to the individual believer. The use here in v. 8 is negative: the application of sin. A form of the verb “credit” was not used here because of the positive connotations associated with that English word, but it is important to recognize that the same concept is used here as in the other occurrences.
[4:8] 17 sn A quotation from Ps 32:1-2.
[4:9] 19 sn See the note on “circumcision” in 2:25.
[4:9] 21 sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:11] 19 tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”
[4:11] 20 tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.
[4:11] 21 tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”
[4:12] 21 tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”
[4:12] 22 tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”
[4:13] 23 sn Although a singular noun, the promise is collective and does not refer only to Gen 12:7, but as D. Moo (Romans 1-8 [WEC], 279) points out, refers to multiple aspects of the promise to Abraham: multiplied descendants (Gen 12:2), possession of the land (Gen 13:15-17), and his becoming the vehicle of blessing to all people (Gen 12:13).
[4:14] 25 tn Grk “rendered inoperative.”
[4:16] 29 tn Grk “that it might be according to grace.”
[4:16] 30 tn Grk “those who are of the faith of Abraham.”
[4:17] 31 tn Verses 16-17 comprise one sentence in Greek, but this has been divided into two sentences due to English requirements.
[4:17] 32 tn The words “He is our father” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to show that they resume Paul’s argument from 16b. (It is also possible to supply “Abraham had faith” here [so REB], taking the relative clause [“who is the father of us all”] as part of the parenthesis, and making the connection back to “the faith of Abraham,” but such an option is not as likely [C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:243].)
[4:17] 33 tn “The God” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[4:17] 34 tn Or “calls into existence the things that do not exist.” The translation of ὡς ὄντα (Jw" onta) allows for two different interpretations. If it has the force of result, then creatio ex nihilo is in view and the variant rendering is to be accepted (so C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:244). A problem with this view is the scarcity of ὡς plus participle to indicate result (though for the telic idea with ὡς plus participle, cf. Rom 15:15; 1 Thess 2:4). If it has a comparative force, then the translation given in the text is to be accepted: “this interpretation fits the immediate context better than a reference to God’s creative power, for it explains the assurance with which God can speak of the ‘many nations’ that will be descended from Abraham” (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 282; so also W. Sanday and A. C. Headlam, Romans [ICC], 113). Further, this view is in line with a Pauline idiom, viz., verb followed by ὡς plus participle (of the same verb or, in certain contexts, its antonym) to compare present reality with what is not a present reality (cf. 1 Cor 4:7; 5:3; 7:29, 30 (three times), 31; Col 2:20 [similarly, 2 Cor 6:9, 10]).
[4:18] 33 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:18] 34 tn Grk “who against hope believed,” referring to Abraham. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:18] 35 sn A quotation from Gen 17:5.
[4:18] 36 tn Grk “according to that which had been spoken.”
[4:18] 37 sn A quotation from Gen 15:5.
[4:19] 35 tc Most
[4:19] 36 tc ‡ Most witnesses (א A C D Ψ 33 Ï bo) have ἤδη (hdh, “already”) at this point in v. 19. But B F G 630 1739 1881 pc lat sa lack it. Since it appears to heighten the style of the narrative and since there is no easy accounting for an accidental omission, it is best to regard the shorter text as original. NA27 includes the word in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.
[4:20] 37 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.
[4:21] 39 tn Grk “and being.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:21] 40 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:22] 41 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:23] 43 tn A quotation from Gen 15:6.
[4:23] 44 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:25] 45 tn Grk “who,” referring to Jesus. The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
[4:25] 46 tn Or “handed over.”
[4:25] 47 tn Grk “because of.” However, in light of the unsatisfactory sense that a causal nuance would here suggest, it has been argued that the second διά (dia) is prospective rather than retrospective (D. Moo, Romans [NICNT], 288-89). The difficulty of this interpretation is the structural balance that both διά phrases provide (“given over because of our transgressions…raised because of our justification”). However the poetic structure of this verse strengthens the likelihood that the clauses each have a different force.
[4:25] 48 sn Many scholars regard Rom 4:25 to be poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage.
[5:1] 47 sn Many interpreters see Rom 5:1 as beginning the second major division of the letter.
[5:1] 48 tc A number of important witnesses have the subjunctive ἔχωμεν (ecwmen, “let us have”) instead of ἔχομεν (ecomen, “we have”) in v. 1. Included in the subjunctive’s support are א* A B* C D K L 33 81 630 1175 1739* pm lat bo. But the indicative is not without its supporters: א1 B2 F G P Ψ 0220vid 104 365 1241 1505 1506 1739c 1881 2464 pm. If the problem were to be solved on an external basis only, the subjunctive would be preferred. Because of this, the “A” rating on behalf of the indicative in the UBS4 appears overly confident. Nevertheless, the indicative is probably correct. First, the earliest witness to Rom 5:1 has the indicative (0220vid, third century). Second, the first set of correctors is sometimes, if not often, of equal importance with the original hand. Hence, א1 might be given equal value with א*. Third, there is a good cross-section of witnesses for the indicative: Alexandrian (in 0220vid, probably א1 1241 1506 1881 al), Western (in F G), and Byzantine (noted in NA27 as pm). Thus, although the external evidence is strongly in favor of the subjunctive, the indicative is represented well enough that its ancestry could easily go back to the original. Turning to the internal evidence, the indicative gains much ground. (1) The variant may have been produced via an error of hearing (since omicron and omega were pronounced alike in ancient Greek). This, of course, does not indicate which reading was original – just that an error of hearing may have produced one of them. In light of the indecisiveness of the transcriptional evidence, intrinsic evidence could play a much larger role. This is indeed the case here. (2) The indicative fits well with the overall argument of the book to this point. Up until now, Paul has been establishing the “indicatives of the faith.” There is only one imperative (used rhetorically) and only one hortatory subjunctive (and this in a quotation within a diatribe) up till this point, while from ch. 6 on there are sixty-one imperatives and seven hortatory subjunctives. Clearly, an exhortation would be out of place in ch. 5. (3) Paul presupposes that the audience has peace with God (via reconciliation) in 5:10. This seems to assume the indicative in v. 1. (4) As C. E. B. Cranfield notes, “it would surely be strange for Paul, in such a carefully argued writing as this, to exhort his readers to enjoy or to guard a peace which he has not yet explicitly shown to be possessed by them” (Romans [ICC], 1:257). (5) The notion that εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν (eirhnhn ecwmen) can even naturally mean “enjoy peace” is problematic (ExSyn 464), yet those who embrace the subjunctive have to give the verb some such force. Thus, although the external evidence is stronger in support of the subjunctive, the internal evidence points to the indicative. Although a decision is difficult, ἔχομεν appears to be the authentic reading.
[5:2] 49 tn Or “exult, boast.”
[5:3] 51 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:5] 53 tn The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ (Jh agaph tou qeou, “the love of God”) could be interpreted as either an objective genitive (“our love for God”), subjective genitive (“God’s love for us”), or both (M. Zerwick’s “general” genitive [Biblical Greek, §§36-39]; D. B. Wallace’s “plenary” genitive [ExSyn 119-21]). The immediate context, which discusses what God has done for believers, favors a subjective genitive, but the fact that this love is poured out within the hearts of believers implies that it may be the source for believers’ love for God; consequently an objective genitive cannot be ruled out. It is possible that both these ideas are meant in the text and that this is a plenary genitive: “The love that comes from God and that produces our love for God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (ExSyn 121).
[5:5] 54 sn On the OT background of the Spirit being poured out, see Isa 32:15; Joel 2:28-29.
[5:7] 55 sn Verse 7 forms something of a parenthetical comment in Paul’s argument.
[5:9] 57 tn Grk “having now been declared righteous.” The participle δικαιωθέντες (dikaiwqente") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.
[5:9] 58 tn Or, according to BDF §219.3, “at the price of his blood.”
[5:9] 59 tn Grk “the wrath,” referring to God’s wrath as v. 10 shows.
[5:11] 59 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[5:11] 60 tn Or “exult, boast.”
[5:12] 61 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
[5:12] 62 tn The translation of the phrase ἐφ᾿ ᾧ (ef Jw) has been heavily debated. For a discussion of all the possibilities, see C. E. B. Cranfield, “On Some of the Problems in the Interpretation of Romans 5.12,” SJT 22 (1969): 324-41. Only a few of the major options can be mentioned here: (1) the phrase can be taken as a relative clause in which the pronoun refers to Adam, “death spread to all people in whom [Adam] all sinned.” (2) The phrase can be taken with consecutive (resultative) force, meaning “death spread to all people with the result that all sinned.” (3) Others take the phrase as causal in force: “death spread to all people because all sinned.”
[5:13] 63 tn Grk “for before the law.”
[5:13] 64 tn Or “sin is not reckoned.”
[5:14] 66 tn Or “disobeyed”; Grk “in the likeness of Adam’s transgression.”
[5:15] 67 tn Grk “but not as the transgression, so also [is] the gracious gift.”
[5:15] 68 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
[5:16] 69 tn Grk “and not as through the one who sinned [is] the gift.”
[5:16] 70 tn The word “transgression” is not in the Greek text at this point, but has been supplied for clarity.
[5:16] 71 tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.
[5:16] 72 tn Or “falls, trespasses,” the same word used in vv. 15, 17, 18, 20.
[5:17] 71 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
[5:18] 73 tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.
[5:18] 74 tn Grk “[it is] unto condemnation for all people.”
[5:18] 75 tn Here ἀνθρώπους (anqrwpou") has been translated as a generic (“people”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.
[5:18] 76 tn There are no verbs in the Greek text of v. 18, forcing translators to supply phrases like “came through one transgression,” “resulted from one transgression,” etc.
[5:18] 77 sn One transgression refers to the sin of Adam in Gen 3:1-24.
[5:18] 78 sn The one righteous act refers to Jesus’ death on the cross.
[5:18] 79 tn Grk “righteousness of life.”
[5:19] 75 sn Here the one man refers to Adam (cf. 5:14).
[5:19] 77 sn One man refers here to Jesus Christ.
