“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh?” (Romans 4:1 ESV).
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul devoted much of Romans chapter three to a crucial argument. The argument established that righteousness and justification do not stem from adherence to the Law, but from faith in Christ and His redemptive sacrifice on our behalf. For instance, Romans 3:21-23 tells us…
“But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (NIV).
To support that argument, Paul will now shift his attention to one of the towering figures in Jewish history: Abraham, the man of faith. Romans chapter four opens with a question regarding Abraham and his experience regarding this concept of justification by faith: “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather… discovered in this matter?” (NET).
Paul clearly had a fondness for this type of rhetorical question; in fact, he will go on to employ this same literary device several more times over the next few chapters as a transitional bridge between subjects. In addition, this reference to Abraham as “our forefather” was more than just an aside, for that word designates the founder of a family, a tribe, or the progenitor of a people (1)
So, in his position as the forefather of the Jewish people, Abraham’s example offered a template or example for his descendants. If Abraham followed a certain path, his descendants were obligated to follow that course as well. This was important because Israel’s first-century spiritual leadership acknowledged Abraham and his role as their ancestral and spiritual father. We find one such example in John 8:33 and 39 in a volatile exchange between Jesus and Israel’s religious leaders.
Because of this, Abraham’s example was certain to end all debate regarding the means of justification. The following source alludes to Abraham’s pivotal role as a spiritual example…
“Abraham is remembered as the man who believed that God would do what He said He would do (Rom. 4:3)—a remarkable thing when we consider that at the time of the promises, Abraham had very little evidence that God would follow through, certainly far less than the NT writers or we who live today.” (2)
So, what was Abraham’s experience regarding justification by faith? Paul will answer that question by highlighting what Abraham lacked, rather than what he possessed.
(1) G3962 – pater – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g3962/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1430.