BY BRUCE GREEN
Anyone who’s ever been to VBS knows the song, Father Abraham. But what is the song talking about? What is its meaning? That’s the subject matter of Romans 4.
God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3), represented the beginning of the demarcation of the Jewish people from the rest of the world. For that reason, Abraham could be (and was) viewed as a polarizing, divisive figure. Since one of Paul’s purposes in writing Romans was to promote the unity of believers there (Jews and Gentiles), bringing Abraham into the discussion in chapter 4 provides him with the opportunity to flip Abraham’s narrative in this regard.
As such, the chapter is a call for a radical rethinking on the part of first century Jewish people in terms of their understanding of Abraham. It’s no secret that many had seriously overreached in their thinking about the patriarch by viewing their physical connection to him as an entitlement that would always insure the blessing of God (Matthew 3:9-10; John 8:31-58).
Of course, this was not the case and toward that end, Paul opens chapter four with a question that N.T. Wright paraphrases as, “Have we found Abraham to be our ancestor according to the flesh?” Hays offers something similar, “What shall we say then? Have we found Abraham (to be) our forefather according to the flesh?” Looking at the verse this way, the question becomes one of heritage—how should they relate to Abraham? Was he someone only Jewish people could relate to through the flesh—or was there possibly something more—something that had been overlooked?
Paul answers his question of 4:1 about the true basis for relating to Abraham by showing from Genesis 15:6 that Abraham was justified by his faith in God—before his circumcision (Romans 4:9-11) and apart from the works of the Jewish law (i.e., The Law of Moses—which would come centuries later). Because he was justified by his faith rather than works of the Jewish law, Abraham was not to be thought of as a physical descendant, but as a spiritual descendant. He is “the father of all who have believe” in the Lord (v. 11). The basis for one-ness of all people in Christ is embedded in Abraham and his justification.
In making his case, Paul strips away any misunderstandings about Abraham’s status with God and shows how it was independent of anything related to the Jewish covenant that came later through Moses. Furthermore, this all connects with his earlier reference to the folly of boasting (3:27-31. Boasting in this part of Romans is something linked to Jewish national identity (2:17,23,3:27). In the first century Jewish mind, if anyone could boast before God, it would be Abraham. But if he couldn’t boast, then some radical rethinking was necessary. And that’s exactly why Paul introduces Abraham in Romans 4.
“Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7).
Find more of Bruce’s writings at his website: a-taste-of-grace-with-bruce-green.com.
