Romans Chapter 4 Breakdown

1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh?  2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Paul is simply declaring Abraham was not justified by his works, but by his faith. He has faith first, then he went on to keep the commands of YHWH. If salvation was simply achieved by works, he would have been able to boast, meaning he would have excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements. That is not the point of keeping the law.

3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Genesis 15:6

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Here we have Paul quoting from Torah, and we see it is clear, even in the Torah, it was the belief, or faith, that granted salvation, not the deeds alone.

4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.

This argument is still directed toward those teaching deeds based salvation. Using works for justification, or salvation, is not the way to go. It is a process, trust and believe His words, believe in the coming kingdom of heaven, and because of this belief, continue in following the commands.

5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,  just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

It is not the works that makes a man justified, but the belief and faith in YHWH. The biggest issue Paul was facing when dealing with the Romans, the Galatians, and the Ephesians was the Jews who kept following the Apostles and teaching salvation by works after they had converts.

7 “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”

Psalm 32:1-2

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.

Paul, yet again, quotes from the Old Testament. We must remember sin is defined by the Law of God. Therefore, to no follow the law would be to sin, or transgress the law. The law of God is spiritual, and to be spiritual means to follow His law, but we are to follow it out of love for Him, and not to achieve salvation.

9 Does this blessedness then come upon the circumcised only, or upon the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

It was Abraham’s faith in YHWH that brought about his salvation and righteousness.

10 How then was it accounted? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised.

Abraham was counted righteous before he was circumcised. Again, the main argument the sect of Jews who taught the deeds based salvation was the gentiles had to first become circumcised in order to be saved. This directly contradicts that belief.

11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised.

Genesis 17:11

and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.

As we can see again, Abraham received the seal of righteousness before he was circumcised. Paul is making his case against the Jews who argue in favor of circumcision for salvation. There is no argument mentioned, here nor in any other book of the Bible, about not keeping the law out of obedience. Believers should not keep the law to earn salvation, but should keep it out of obedience to YHWH.

13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

It was Abraham’s faith which made him the heir to the promise from YHWH.

14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.

Again the argument is against keeping the law for salvation. If those who are “of the law” as in, keeping the law to earn salvation, then there is no need for faith. All anyone would have to do is do is keep the law and be saved. There would be no need for a savior. Here is the deal, no one is righteous based on the law, because we all fall victims to the desires of the flesh at some point. Therefore, we break the law, and breaking the law brings on the wrath of YHWH. If there were no law, there would be no transgression of the law. If there is no transgression of the law, which is sin, there would be no need of a savior.

16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.”

Genesis 17:5

No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.

Genesis 15:5

Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.”

Again, the whole purpose of this argument is to show how Abraham was counted as righteous before he kept the laws given from YHWH, and before he was circumcised. That is the point. We become saved by grace through faith, we believe what YHWH’s word says is true, and then we begin to keep his law out of love for Him. We cannot put the cart before the horse, as is what was being taught.

19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.

Abraham believed YHWH would give him a child, a son. This is what made him righteous. He believed in the promise. Just as we are to believe in the promise. Once we believe in His promise, we then act on it, as in show our belief through our deeds.

20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

He showed his belief in the promise YHWH made to him.

22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”

Genesis 15:6

And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

Paul quotes straight from Torah. This verse gives support to the idea that all believers should be keeping the Law of God. How? Because Abraham was a gentile, as in he grew up in a gentile country. He knew gentile customs. He believed in YHWH and YHWH’s word, became righteous, and then began following what YHWH commanded. Why do we believe Christianity should be different today? Are we not descendants of Abraham once we become saved?

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

Now Paul says right here, this previous verse was not just for Abraham, but for us also. It is because of the sin and breaking of the law of YHWH by both Jews and Gentiles, that Yeshua had to die. In His death the old covenant was annulled making way for the New. But the New Covenant still contains the same laws, but has a new High Priest, and better promises.

Hebrews 7:12

For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

Hebrews 8:6

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

The priesthood has been changed, but the Greek word used for change in “change of the law” should be read as transfer, not change. The first word used for “changed” is Strong's G3346 – metatithēmi and it means to transpose (two things, one of which is put in place of the other). This is literally to replace one thing with another. The second Greek word used for “change” is Strong's G3331 – metathesis and it means to transfer: from one place to another. Therefore, we can conclude, the change occurred in the leadership, but not the law in itself.