Romans 4: “Abraham Believed God, and It Was Reckoned to Him as Righteousness”
1. “What Then Shall We Say About Abraham?”
“What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter?” (Rom 4:1)
Paul returns to the patriarch, the root of Israel and type of all the faithful.
Abraham stands as living proof that righteousness comes from faith before law, grace before merit.
St John Chrysostom writes:
“He takes Abraham, the noblest of men, and shows that even he was justified not by works but by faith, that all boasting may cease.”
(Homilies on Romans X.1)
2. “If Abraham Was Justified by Works”
“If Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God.” (v. 2)
Human works, apart from grace, cannot justify.
Even Abraham’s obedience — his leaving his land, his offering of Isaac — flowed from faith, not self-merit.
St Ambrose explains:
“Abraham believed first and acted later; faith begot works, works did not beget faith.”
(On the Duties of the Clergy II.21)
Thus, justification begins with interior trust, not external performance.
3. “Abraham Believed God”
“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.’” (v. 3; cf. Gen 15:6)
This verse is the cornerstone of Paul’s argument.
Faith — trusting God’s promise — is credited as righteousness.
The Fathers understood this not as mere imputation but as real transformation through faith’s union with grace.
St Augustine:
“He believed, and was justified — not because faith itself is a work of merit, but because it opens the soul to the working of love.”
(On Faith and Works 15)
Faith is not a contract but a covenantal trust that allows God to act within us.
4. “To the One Who Works, His Wages Are Not Reckoned as a Gift”
“Now to one who works, his wages are not reckoned as a gift but as his due.” (v. 4)
Salvation cannot be a debt owed by God; it is pure mercy.
Grace is not payment but generosity.
The contrast is not between work and laziness but between self-reliance and trust.
St Bede the Venerable:
“The proud claim reward, the humble receive grace; the first demand wages, the second accept mercy.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
5. “To the One Who Does Not Work but Believes”
“To one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as righteousness.” (v. 5)
God “justifies the ungodly” — the most radical declaration in Scripture.
He does not wait for the sinner to become righteous; He makes the sinner righteous by grace.
St Augustine rejoices:
“He calls the ungodly righteous, not by approving their sin, but by removing it.”
(On the Spirit and the Letter 46)
Faith does not deny sin; it clings to the Redeemer who overcomes it.
6. “David Speaks of the Blessedness”
“David also speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God reckons righteousness apart from works.” (v. 6; quoting Ps 32:1–2)
Paul confirms his argument from another witness: David.
The king who sinned grievously found mercy not through works but confession.
St Ambrose comments:
“David’s righteousness was not in his crown but in his tears.”
(On Repentance I.7)
Blessedness lies not in perfection achieved, but in pardon received.
7. “Blessed Are Those Whose Iniquities Are Forgiven”
“Blessed are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not reckon his sin.” (vv. 7–8)
This is the happiness of the justified: forgiveness.
Sin covered not by concealment but by atonement.
The covering is the Blood of Christ, foreshadowed in sacrifice.
St Bede:
“To cover sin is to clothe it with mercy; God sees not what was, but what He has made new.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
8. “Is This Blessing Only for the Circumcised?”
“Is this blessing pronounced only upon the circumcised, or also upon the uncircumcised?” (v. 9)
Paul dismantles exclusivism: Abraham was justified before circumcision.
Therefore, faith — not ritual — is the foundation of the covenant.
St John Chrysostom:
“He shows that righteousness came not by the knife but by the heart; circumcision was seal, not cause.”
(Homilies on Romans X.3)
So the Gentiles, who share Abraham’s faith, share his inheritance.
9. “Faith Was Reckoned to Abraham before He Was Circumcised”
“We say that faith was reckoned to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it reckoned? Was it before or after he was circumcised? It was not after, but before.” (vv. 9–10)
This sequence is decisive: justification precedes sacramental sign.
The sign confirms, not creates, the righteousness of faith.
In Christian life, baptism replaces circumcision as the sign of covenant — yet, as with Abraham, faith must come first.
St Ambrose:
“Circumcision without faith availed nothing; baptism without faith avails nothing; faith makes the sacrament fruitful.”
(On the Mysteries IV.23)
10. “He Received the Sign of Circumcision as a Seal”
“He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised.” (v. 11)
A seal confirms what already exists.
The sacramental life builds on faith’s foundation.
St Augustine explains:
“The seal does not create the thing sealed but marks it as genuine. Faith is first; the sacrament authenticates it.”
(Letter 98)
Hence Abraham is the father not only of Israel but of all who believe.
11. “That He Might Be the Father of All Who Believe”
“The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised.” (v. 11)
The universality of salvation is prefigured in Abraham’s fatherhood.
The true descendants of Abraham are those who imitate his faith.
St Bede:
“He is father not by blood but by belief; his seed is numbered not by flesh but by faith.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
Thus, the Church is the fulfilment of the Abrahamic covenant.
12. “The Promise to Abraham Did Not Come through the Law”
“The promise to Abraham and his descendants that they should inherit the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith.” (v. 13)
The Mosaic Law came centuries later; the promise was already secure in faith.
Hence salvation cannot depend on law-keeping but on divine grace.
St John Chrysostom:
“The Law entered not to give the inheritance, but to teach the need of faith.”
(Homilies on Romans XI)
13. “If It Is the Adherents of the Law Who Are to Be Heirs”
“If it is the adherents of the law who are to be heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.” (v. 14)
If inheritance depended on law, grace would cease to be gift.
The Law exposes sin; faith receives mercy.
St Augustine:
“To make law the condition of grace is to deny both law and grace; for the Law points to faith, and faith fulfils the Law.”
(On the Spirit and the Letter 20)
14. “The Law Brings Wrath”
“For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression.” (v. 15)
Law cannot heal; it can only reveal.
Transgression arises when commandment meets rebellion.
Grace, however, transforms the heart.
St Ambrose notes:
“The Law terrifies, but grace pacifies; the Law strikes, grace embraces.”
(On the Holy Spirit II.17)
15. “That Is Why It Depends on Faith”
“That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants.” (v. 16)
Faith alone guarantees universality, because grace alone guarantees certainty.
What is earned can be lost; what is given in mercy endures.
St Bede:
“Faith receives what works could never secure; mercy makes firm what merit could not hold.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
16. “As It Is Written: I Have Made You the Father of Many Nations”
“As it is written, ‘I have made you the father of many nations’—in the presence of the God in whom he believed.” (v. 17)
Abraham believed the impossible because he trusted the God who creates ex nihilo.
Faith is participation in divine omnipotence.
St Augustine:
“He believed in Him who calls what is not as though it were; therefore he became father of all who would be born not of flesh but of faith.”
(On the Spirit and the Letter 31)
17. “He Hoped against Hope”
“In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations.” (v. 18)
This is faith at its purest: believing when all seems impossible.
Human reason saw only barrenness; faith saw God’s promise.
St Ambrose beautifully writes:
“When human hope fails, divine hope begins; the womb of Sarah becomes the cradle of faith.”
(On the Duties of the Clergy I.23)
18. “He Did Not Weaken in Faith”
“He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead.” (v. 19)
Abraham’s realism strengthens, not diminishes, faith: he looked at impossibility and still believed.
Faith does not deny nature but entrusts it to grace.
St Bede:
“He believed not because he was ignorant of weakness, but because he knew the power of the Almighty.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
19. “He Did Not Doubt God’s Promise but Grew Strong”
“No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.” (v. 20)
Faith glorifies God because it acknowledges His fidelity.
Praise perfects trust; worship strengthens belief.
St Augustine:
“He grew strong by giving glory, for faith increases by praise as fire by wind.”
(Sermon 78)
20. “Fully Convinced That God Was Able”
“He was fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised.” (v. 21)
Here lies the essence of faith: conviction of God’s ability, not our worthiness.
Abraham trusted divine omnipotence, and God counted it as righteousness.
St Ambrose:
“Faith is the measure of divine power; as much as you trust, so much you receive.”
(On the Faith III.8)
21. “That Is Why His Faith Was Reckoned as Righteousness”
“But the words ‘it was reckoned to him’ were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.” (vv. 22–23)
The story is universal: every believer stands in Abraham’s line, justified by the same faith in the same God.
St Bede:
“What was written of him was written for us; his faith begot our faith.”
(Homilies on the Gospels, I.32)
22. “It Will Be Reckoned to Us Who Believe in Him Who Raised Jesus”
“It will be reckoned to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.” (vv. 24–25)
The Gospel climax: justification through the death and resurrection of Christ.
The Cross cancels sin; the Resurrection declares victory.
St Augustine explains:
“He died to destroy our sins; He rose to restore our life. His death is our payment, His resurrection our acquittal.”
(Sermon 233)
Here faith finds its content — not vague optimism but belief in the saving acts of Christ.
23. Theological Summary
| Theme | Revelation |
| Abraham’s faith | Model of justification by grace |
| Faith before works | Trust precedes obedience |
| Circumcision as seal | Sign, not source, of righteousness |
| Promise through grace | Covenant based on mercy, not law |
| Faith and hope | Trust in the God who raises the dead |
| Christ’s death and resurrection | Foundation of our justification |
St Augustine summarises:
“In Abraham we see faith; in Christ we see fulfilment. The one believed, the other accomplished; both are one mystery of grace.”
(On the Spirit and the Letter 42)
24. Moral and Spiritual Application
Imitate Abraham’s trust. Believe God’s word even against reason and fear.
Live by faith, not merit. Let grace, not pride, be your confidence.
Glorify God in every trial. Praise strengthens belief.
Trust in the power of the Resurrection. The God who raised Jesus can raise your soul.
Rejoice in forgiveness. Blessed are those whose sins are covered by mercy.
25. Closing Prayer
O God of Abraham, Faithful and True,
who raised up Your servant to be father of many nations,
grant us the faith that does not waver,
the hope that endures,
and the love that glorifies You in all things.
Count our trust as righteousness through Jesus Christ,
who was delivered for our sins and raised for our justification.
Make us children of Abraham, heirs of promise,
and witnesses of Your mercy to every generation.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
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