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Lent · Second Sunday in Lent · Year A

Romans 4:1-8, 13-17

Abraham Believed and Was Reckoned Righteous

March 1, 2026

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, The Hague (CC0)
The night of the covenant: the halved animals, the deep sleep, and the smoking furnace passing between the pieces.Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. This is the night Paul is arguing from.Unknown French/Netherlandish illuminatorAn illuminator working in the fourteenth century, when a Bible was still read as a sequence of pictures.Museum Meermanno, The Hague (CC0)Museum Meermanno in The Hague, the house of the book.Museum Meermanno, The Hague (CC0)
LSB Three-Year Lectionary
GospelJohn 3:1-17Jn 3:1-17
EpistleRom. 4:1-8, 13-17Rom 4:1-8, 13-17
Old TestamentGen. 12:1-9Gn 12:1-9
PsalterPs. 121Ps 121

Overview & Insights

“Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)

Chapter 4 is Paul’s scriptural demonstration, and Abraham is chosen because he is the case an opponent would cite. Genesis 15:6 supplies the verb: Abraham believed and it was reckoned, logizomai, an accounting term Paul uses repeatedly through the chapter so that the ledger metaphor stays in view. He then pairs the Genesis text with Psalm 32:1-2 on the man whose sin the Lord does not reckon, linking two scriptures by a shared word in the manner of contemporary Jewish exegesis, which lets the blessing of the ungodly be read into the promise made to the patriarch. A chronological argument follows: the promise came before the law, so the law cannot be its condition (v. 13). The most striking phrase closes the reading, God who gives life to the dead and calls into existence things that do not exist (v. 17), which makes faith a creature of the creator’s word.

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Take it further: Romans 4:1-8, 13-17

Commentary

Commentary on Romans 4:1-5, 13-17Commentary on Rom 4:1-5, 13-17 workingpreacher.org

Luther Seminary's lectionary commentary on the paired reading, unpacking Abraham's faith-righteousness for preaching.

Romans 4 Commentary: Abraham and David DemonstrateRom 4 Commentary: Abraham and David Demonstrate enduringword.com

David Guzik's verse-by-verse walk through the whole chapter, covering both halves of the LSB pericope.

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 CommentaryRom 4:1-5, 13-17 Commentary cepreaching.org

Scott Hoezee's Center for Excellence in Preaching notes on imputed righteousness and preaching angles.

Romans 4 ResourcesRom 4 Resources preceptaustin.org

Precept Austin's index of verse-by-verse notes and cross-references for the chapter.

Romans 4 - Barnes' Notes on the Whole BibleRom 4 - Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible studylight.org

Albert Barnes' close philological reading of Paul's argument from Abraham and David.

Background & Word Study

Romans 4 Interlinear BibleRom 4 Interlinear Bible biblehub.com

Greek interlinear for the chapter, useful for logizomai ("reckoned") and the faith/works contrast.

The Church Fathers

Romans 4 - CatenaRom 4 - Catena catenabible.com

Patristic catena (Origen, Chrysostom, Augustine and others) on Abraham's justification by faith.

Sermons & Reflections

Epistle: Romans 4:1-8, 13-17 (Lent 2: Series A)Epistle: Rom 4:1-8, 13-17 (Lent 2: Series A) 1517.org

1517's preaching-focused reflection on grace apart from law, written for this exact LSB pericope.

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