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Ordinary Time · Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time · Year A

Romans 4:18-25

Abraham Justified by Faith

Abraham's Vision: the smoking furnace and the flaming torch, Unknown French/Netherlandish illuminator
Abraham's Vision: the smoking furnace and the flaming torch, Unknown French/Netherlandish illuminator, 14th centuryMuseum Meermanno | Huis van het Boek, The Hague, MMW 10 B 23, fol. 22r (CC0)
The night the covenant was cut: Abraham on his knees, the halved animals laid out, and fire coming down out of a dark cloud.He believed, hoping against hope, and it was credited to him as righteousness.Unknown French/Netherlandish illuminatorA manuscript painter whose name is lost, working in a Bible made to be read aloud.Museum Meermanno | Huis van het Boek, The Hague, MMW 10 B 23, fol. 22r (CC0)Museum Meermanno, The Hague.Museum Meermanno | Huis van het Boek, The Hague, MMW 10 B 23, fol. 22r (CC0)

Overview & Insights

“In hope he believed against hope… fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:18, 21)

The general context of Romans 4 is that it continues the discussion of 3:27–31: the latter states that justification is by faith, while the former illustrates that principle from the life of Abraham. We may correlate these two passages in this way: 1. Justification is by faith (3:27–28; 4:1–8) 2. Justification by faith is for Jews and Gentiles (3:29–30; 4:9–17) More specifically, Romans 4:1–8 unfolds the first two of Paul’s arguments that Abraham was accepted by God by faith: 1. Theological argument (4:1–5) a. Negatively, Abraham had no merit before God (4:1–2) b. Positively, Abraham was reckoned righteous by God’s grace (4:3–5) 2. Hermeneutical argument—gezerah shawah (4:6–8) a. Genesis 15:6 (4:6 [cf. 4:3, 5]) b. Psalm 32:1–2 (4:7–8)

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How is Abraham the father of faith?

Against all hope Abraham trusted God's promise, and it was counted to him as righteousness; the same faith is reckoned to us who believe in the God who raised Jesus.

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