Comments on Romans 4:17-25

Timotheos,

Since, as you have properly indicated that Paul grounds his statement of verse 17 in what he has to say in verse 16, it may be helpful to recall what immediately precedes this segment. But to do so, it is right that we back up to the previous segment. Here Paul says,

13 For the promise to Abraham and to his seed did not come through the Law—the promise that he was heir of the world—but through the righteousness of faithfulness. 14 For if the heirs are from the Law, then this faithfulness is made void and this promise is nullified. 15 For the Law brings wrath to completion, and where the Law is not, there is no transgression. 16 On account of this the promised inheritance is from faithfulness, in order that it might be in keeping with grace, for the purpose that the promise might be confirmed to all the seed, not only to those who are of the Law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith, who is the father of us all,

God fulfilled his promise to Abraham not through the Law of Moses (ou dia nomou) but through the righteousness of faithfulness (dia dikaiosunēs pisteōs). Whose pisteōs is this? Is it Abraham's? Is it those of Abraham's faith(fulness) (ho ek pisteōs Abraam, 4:16)? Is it Christ's faithfulness (pistis Christou; see earlier discussions)? The reading of the text that has convinced me as most likely is the one that takes the reference as Christ's faithfulness. Hence, Paul argues, that if the heirs of the promise are those who belong to the Law, then Christ's faithfulness is rendered void and God's promise to the patriarchs is nullified. Why would Christ's faithfulness be rendered void and the promise be nullified? It is because the Law brings wrath to its accomplishment, and where the Law does not exist neither is there any transgression. This explains why the promise comes from faithfulness, in order that the promise may also be in keeping with grace, for the purpose that the promise might be confirmed to all Abraham's seed, not only to those who are of the Law (Jewish believers) but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith (Gentile believers), Abraham, who is the father of us all.

From this, then, Paul continues by saying,

17 just as it is written “I have appointed you to be the father of many nations” in the sight of him whom he believed, namely God who gives life to the dead and calls non-existing things into existence. 18 Who against hope believed on the evidence of hope, in order that he would become the father of many nations in accordance with what was spoken, “So shall your seed be.” 19 And he did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was already as good as dead, since it was nearly one hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 But he did not waver with unfaithfulness but he grew strong in faith, by giving glory to God 21 and by being fully assured that what God promised he was also able to accomplish. 22 Therefore also “it was reckoned to him for righteousness.” 23 But “it was reckoned to him” was not written for him alone 24 but also for us, to those who will be reckoned, that is to those who believe upon the one who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead. 25 Who was delivered up on account of our trespasses and was raised on account of our being declared righteousness.

As you will notice, I have included verses 23-25 also. The reason for this, I trust, will become evident shortly, after a few preliminary comments.

Paul's "just as it was written" (kathōs gegraptai) equates his explanation (Abraham, who is the father of us all, vs 16) with his OT citation, "I have appointed you to be the father of many nations" (Gen 17:5). Paul's words, in the sight of him whom he believed, reminds one of the words used by the writer to the Hebrews who said, "For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you." Yet, Paul adds a further description of God by saying, namely God who gives life to the dead and calls non-existing things into existence. In other words, Paul is alluding to creation, for what God promised to Abraham was akin to that which he did at the beginning when he called matter into existence. God's promise to Abraham, then, is a promise of new creation.

What follows verse 17, then, from verse 18 through verse 22 underscores the situation into which God spoke his promise, when he said, "I have appointed you to be the father of many nations." What was the situation? It was one of deadness. Abraham against hope believed on the evidence of hope, in order that he would become the father of many nations in accordance with what was spoken, “So shall your seed be.”. Consider Abraham. Though God had made his promise many years earlier, Abraham's faith in the God who promised did not weaken when he pondered his own body which was "already as good as dead, since it was nearly one hundred years old." But Abraham was not the only one who was "already as good as dead." Consider the deadness of Sarah's womb. Instead, of wavering with unfaithfulness, Abraham grew strong in his faith in God who promised as he gave him the glory, being fully assured that God would bring about what he had promised. Hence, Paul says that God's verdict over Abraham, as announced in Genesis 15:6 at the time of the cutting of the covenant, is fittingly spoken over Abraham's perseverance in his trust in God who promised. So, Paul says at this juncture in his account of Abraham: "Therefore also 'it was reckoned to him for righteousness.' So this is the situation of deadness into which God spoke his promise, through which Abraham persevered in believing the God who promised, and at long last God brought forth Isaac as his token of promise concerning the seed.

Now, given this situation of deadness as the backdrop, Paul says, "But 'it was reckoned to him' was not written for him alone but also for us, to those who will be reckoned, that is to those who believe upon the one who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead. Who was delivered up on account of our trespasses and was raised on account of our being declared righteousness." Take note of the correlation Paul has drawn between the one situation of deadness from which Abraham believed in God who spoke his word of promise and the last days situation of deadness out of which we "who believe upon the one who raise our Lord Jesus from the dead." As Abraham believed God who promised life to come from deadness, so we believe God who has delivered life from deadness. Abraham believed the promise God had not yet delivered; we believe the proclamation God has in fact brought forth--life has come out of deadness. Here, the new creation began! Here, at the empty tomb God's new creation began as God fulfilled his promise to Abraham: “I have appointed you to be the father of many nations. . . . So shall your seed be.” Thus, the words 'it was reckoned to him' were not written for Abraham alone but also for us. Belief in the God "who gives life to the dead and calls non-existing things into existence" is reckoned to us for righteousness just as Abraham's faith was reckoned to him for righteousness long ago. The settings have changed. The persons are different. The situations of deadness are not the same. The thing believed is also different. Nevertheless, the God "who gives life to the dead and calls non-existing things into existence" is the same. It is belief in this same God, Abraham's God, that is reckoned for righteousness. For Abraham, the thing believed was the promise of the seed that would come forth from deadness. For us, the thing believed is the proclamation that Abraham's Seed has indeed come forth from deadness, namely the tomb. We believe upon the one who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, and God reckons our faith for righteousness just as he did with Abraham our forefather.

Timotheos, I think your "aside" is quite close to what I would say concerning why there is no mention of Abraham's lies, of his agreement with Sarah to take Hagar to assist God in fulfilling his promise, or of any other sin. It seems to me that Paul grasped the significance of God's reckoning Abraham's faith for righteousness. This is God's already announcment of his not yet Last Day verdict. Hence, silence concerning any of Abraham's sins and instead the repeated declarations that he did not weaken in faith, he did not waver with unfaithfulness but he grew strong in faith, and being fully assured that what God promised he was also able to accomplish underscore the true nature of God's verdict of the Last Day which is already his verdict for all who believe in the God who gives life to the dead and calls non-existing things into existence. God's verdict of the Last Day is a reality now to all who believe in God who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead.

Paul adds one final statement before transitioning from Abraham. Speaking of Christ Jesus, he says, Who was delivered up on account of our trespasses and was raised on account of our being declared righteousness. In Romans 4:25 Paul seems deliberately to allude to Isaiah’s fourth “servant song” when his unusual phrasing resembles Isaiah’s use in 53:6 and 12. Like Isaiah, Paul uses “being handed over” (paredothē), which is hardly the most natural way to speak of Christ’s sacrificial death. Also, Paul’s expression, “who was raised because of our justification,” seems to allude to Isaiah 53:11 (LXX) which depicts the servant as “justifying the righteous.” Given Paul's use of paradidōmi (being handed over) in Romans 4:25, it is quite reasonable to understand an allusion to his earlier use of the same word, paradidōmi, three times in Romans 1:24, 26, & 28, when Paul said, God handed them over . . . to impurity . . . to dishonorable passions . . . to debased minds. Though N. T. Wright's point of comparison between Romans 4:17-19 with Romans 1:20-27 may have some legitimacy (The New Interpreter's Bible, X, p. 500), it seems to me that the linkage has to be made also through Romans 4:25 with Romans 1:24, 26 & 28, as N. T. Wright later does (NIB, X, pp. 502-507). In other words, it seems to me that Wright placed his comparitive chart too early in his commentary. It seems to me that it should have come at the close of the section because of the too obvious linkage of paradidōmi in 4:25 with paradidōmi in 1:24, 26 & 28.

Addition (11/10/05): Michael F. Bird (Lecturer in New Testament at Highland Theological College, Dingwall, Scotland) raised a question in the comments feature that has prompted me to do some more pondering of Paul's linkage of resurrection and justification.

The focus of my further considerations will be on Romans 4:25 (Who was delivered up on account of our trespasses and was raised on account of our being declared righteousness. ) and the Old Testament backdrop of Isaiah 53:11--"Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the Righteous One, my Servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities" (ESV). However complex the text of Isaiah 53:11 is in its transmission, particularly in the LXX, it seems evident that the Servant of the Lord, the Righteous One, is delivered over on our account and by his sacrifice he justifies many by bearing our iniquities. He will see the result of the suffering of his soul on behalf of others and be satisfied. The DSS and the LXX say that "he will see the light" (cf. NIV).

In Romans 4:25, then, Paul says that Jesus Christ was delivered up on account of our trespasses and was raised on account of our being declared righteousness. This seems to reflect Isaiah 53:11, then, in that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, took upon himself our trespasses and by his knowledge (covenant faithfulness?) justified many. For justifying many by his sin-bearing death, then, the Lord's Righteous One is granted an inheritance, resurrection life, spoken of in the beginning of 53:11 and also in 53:12.

All this, then, prompts me to return to my altogether too brief comments on Paul's thesis statement in Romans 1:16-17, where he cites Habakkuk 2:4. There I said,

So, what then, of pistis in the quotation from Habakkuk 2:4? I take it as a reference to Jesus Christ's faithfulness, his steadfast loyalty to his Father's covenant mission, namely his self-sacrifice that exhibits the ground upon which God shows himself to be righteousness when he justifies sinners.

I believe that Habakkuk 2:4 is messianic, as is obvious from its use in Hebrews 10:37ff. "The Righteous One" is a NT title for Jesus (e.g., Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14; 1 John 2:1). Of course, the title is used in Isaiah 53:11 also, "my Righteous Servant." So, in my estimation, the burden of proof should be on all who reject the titular use of ho dikaios in Romans 1:17.

So, in Romans 1:17, I understand Paul's quotation of Habakkuk 2:4 to be tightly linked to Isaiah 53:11 both through the mention of my Righteous One and through mention of resurrection as the Righteous One's inheritance for faithfulness (shall live by his faithfulness, Hab 2:4; he will see . . . and be satisfied, Isa 53:11). All this, of course, also ties back to Paul's assertion that this Righteous One was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom 1:4). Jesus Christ's resurrection is his own justification (cf. 1 Tim 3:16; "justified by the Spirit") because his sacrifice was our justification. Our justification, then, was accomplished in his bearing our trespasses.