Chapter 4:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Acts 1 Corinthians
Romans 4
Having proved it by argument, he now proves by example, and
such example as must have greater weight with the Jews than any
other.
Verse 1. That justification is by faith:
Verse 2. That it is free for the gentiles.
1. That our father Abraham hath found - Acceptance with God.
According to the flesh - That is, by works.
2. The meaning is, If Abraham had been justified by works, he
would have had room to glory. But he had not room to glory.
Therefore he was not justified by works.
Verse 3. Abraham believed God - That promise of God concerning the
numerousness of his seed, Gen. xv, 5, 7; but especially the
promise concerning Christ, Gen. xii, 3, through whom all nations
should be blessed. And it was imputed to him for righteousness -
God accepted him as if he had been altogether righteous. Gen. xv,
6.
Verse 4. Now to him that worketh - All that the law requires, the reward
is no favour, but an absolute debt. These two examples are
selected and applied with the utmost judgment and propriety.
Abraham was the most illustrious pattern of piety among the
Jewish patriarchs. David was the most eminent of their kings. If
then neither of these was justified by his own obedience, if they
both obtained acceptance with God, not as upright beings who
might claim it, but as sinful creatures who must implore it, the
consequence is glaring It is such as must strike every attentive
understanding, and must affect every individual person.
Verse 5. But to him that worketh not - It being impossible he should
without faith. But believeth, his faith is imputed to him for
righteousness - Therefore God's affirming of Abraham, that faith
was imputed to him for righteousness, plainly shows that he
worked not; or, in other words, that he was not justified by works,
but by faith only. Hence we see plainly how groundless that
opinion is, that holiness or sanctification is previous to our
justification. For the sinner, being first convinced of his sin and
danger by the Spirit of God, stands trembling before the awful
tribunal of divine justice; and has nothing to plead, but his own
guilt, and the merits of a Mediator. Christ here interposes; justice
is satisfied; the sin is remitted, and pardon is applied to the soul,
by a divine faith wrought by the Holy Ghost, who then begins the
great work of inward sanctification. Thus God justifies the
ungodly, and yet remains just, and true to all his attributes! But let
none hence presume to "continue in sin;" for to the impenitent,
God "is a consuming fire." On him that justifieth the ungodly - If
a man could possibly be made holy before he was justified, it
would entirely set his justification aside; seeing he could not, in
the very nature of the thing, be justified if he were not, at that very
time, ungodly.
Verse 6. So David also - David is fitly introduced after Abraham,
because be also received and delivered down the promise.
Affirmeth - A man is justified by faith alone, and not by works.
Without works-That is, without regard to any former good works
supposed to have been done by him.
Verse 7. Happy are they whose sins are covered - With the veil of divine
mercy. If there be indeed such a thing as happiness on earth, it is
the portion of that man whose iniquities are forgiven, and who
enjoys the manifestation of that pardon. Well may he endure all
the afflictions of life with cheerfulness, and look upon death with
comfort. O let us not contend against it, but earnestly pray that
this happiness may be ours! Psalm xxxii, 1, 2.
Verse 9. This happiness - Mentioned by Abraham and David. On the
circumcision - Those that are circumcised only. Faith was
imputed to Abraham for righteousness - This is fully consistent
with our being justified, that is, pardoned and accepted by God
upon our believing, for the sake of what Christ hath done and
suffered. For though this, and this alone, be the meritorious cause
of our acceptance with God, yet faith may be said to be "imputed
to us for righteousness," as it is the sole condition of our
acceptance. We may observe here, forgiveness, not imputing sin,
and imputing righteousness, are all one.
Verse 10. Not in circumcision - Not after he was circumcised; for he was
justified before Ishmael was born, Gen. xv, 1-21; but he was not
circumcised till Ishmael was thirteen years old, Gen. xvii, 25.
Verse 11. And - After he was justified. He received the sign of
circumcision - Circumcision, which was a sign or token of his
being in covenant with God. A seal - An assurance on God's part,
that he accounted him righteous, upon his believing, before he
was circumcised. Who believe in uncircumcision - That is, though
they are not circumcised.
Verse 12. And the father of the circumcision - Of those who are
circumcised, and believe as Abraham did. To those who believe
not, Abraham is not a father, neither are they his seed.
Verse 13. The promise, that he should be the heir of the world - Is the
same as that he should be "the father of all nations," namely, of
those in all nations who receive the blessing. The whole world
was promised to him and them conjointly. Christ is the heir of the
world, and of all things; and so are all Abraham's seed, all that
believe in him with the faith of Abraham
Verse 14. If they only who are of the law - Who have kept the whole
law. Are heirs, faith is made void - No blessing being to be
obtained by it; and so the promise is of no effect.
Verse 15. Because the law - Considered apart from that grace, which
though it was in fact mingled with it, yet is no part of the legal
dispensation, is so difficult, and we so weak and sinful, that,
instead of bringing us a blessing, it only worketh wrath; it
becomes to us an occasion of wrath, and exposes us to
punishment as transgressors. Where there is no law in force, there
can be no transgression of it.
Verse 16. Therefore it - The blessing. Is of faith, that it might be of grace
- That it might appear to flow from the free love of God, and that
the promise might be firm, sure, and effectual, to all the spiritual
seed of Abraham; not only Jews, but gentiles also, if they follow
his faith.
Verse 17. Before God - Though before men nothing of this appeared,
those nations being then unborn. As quickening the dead - The
dead are not dead to him and even the things that are not, are
before God. And calling the things that are not - Summoning them
to rise into being, and appear before him. The seed of Abraham
did not then exist; yet God said, "So shall thy seed be." A man can
say to his servant actually existing, Do this; and he doeth it: but
God saith to the light, while it does not exist, Go forth; and it
goeth. Gen. xvii, 5. 18-21. The Apostle shows the power and
excellence of that faith to which he ascribes justification. Who
against hope - Against all probability, believed and hoped in the
promise. The same thing is apprehended both by faith and hope;
by faith, as a thing which God has spoken; by hope, as a good
thing which God has promised to us. So shall thy seed be - Both
natural and spiritual, as the stars of heaven for multitude. Gen. xv,
5.
Verse 23. On his account only - To do personal honour to him.
Verse 24. But on ours also - To establish us in seeking justification by
faith, and not by works; and to afford a full answer to those who
say that, " to be justified by works means only, by Judaism; to be
justified by faith means, by embracing Christianity, that is, the
system of doctrines so called." Sure it is that Abraham could not
in this sense be justified either by faith or by works; and equally
sure that David (taking the words thus) was justified by works,
and not by faith. Who raised up Jesus from the dead - As he did in
a manner both Abraham and Sarah. If we believe on him who
raised up Jesus - God the Father therefore is the proper object of
justifying faith. It is observable, that St. Paul here, in speaking
both of our faith and of the faith of Abraham, puts a part for the
whole. And he mentions that part, with regard to Abraham, which
would naturally affect the Jews most.
Verse 25. Who was delivered - To death. For our offenses - As an
atonement for them. And raised for our justification - To empower
us to receive that atonement by faith.
Chapter 4:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Luther
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Acts 1 Corinthians
This version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible is a derivative of an electronic version, Copyright 1997, by Sulu D. Kelley. All rights reserved. Used by permission. It may not be modified or used commercially without permission of Wesleyan Heritage Publishing and Sulu Kelley. A special thanks to Mr. Kelley and Wesleyan Heritage Publishing for permission to create and post this version of Wesley's Notes on the Bible.
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