Romans 4:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Apostle said much in praise of Abraham, and someone might object: What is this to us? Therefore he states that this was written for us also. Faith will be accounted to us also as righteousness, if only we possess it, believing in Him who raised Jesus. If you doubt how you can be justified, then set before your soul Jesus, who blotted out all your sins. He died not for His own sin, but for the sin of the world. Since He died without having sin, He rightly rose. For how could He who had no sin be held in Hades? Therefore He died and rose for this purpose: to free us from sins and to make us righteous. As Abraham believed that his body, already deadened, would become fruitful, so you too must believe that Jesus died and rose. Then it will be accounted to you as righteousness, as it was to your forefather Abraham.

Abraham's merit before God is great, because he believed God contrary to his own knowledge. He did not doubt that God can do what is impossible for the wisdom of the world. He surely knew that God surpasses the wisdom of the world. For, as it is said, no one existed before He created. There would be no value if all thought the same thing. Yet by the doubt of many, the faith of believers is confirmed before God. Therefore Paul summons the nations to such firmness of faith, that they may receive God's promise and grace without any wavering, following the example of Abraham's assurance. For the believer's praise increases when he believes what is incredible and foolish to the world. The more foolish what he believes appears, the greater is his honor. Yet true foolishness is belief in what is said to occur without God's participation.

"Therefore it was also accounted to him for righteousness," namely, faith. Having thus proved that faith flourished both among those who lived under the law and among those who existed before the law, the Apostle turns his discourse to the present subject.

The Apostle next sets forth, in the form of a dilemma, that Abraham could not have received the promise of being heir of the world except through the righteousness of faith. Indeed, this great promise could be received either by faith or by fulfilling the law. But “the law produces wrath, for where there is no law there is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith,” the Apostle concludes, “that it might be according to mercy” (Rom 4:15-16). By this very mercy the immutability of God's promise is secured for all “the descendants of Abraham according to faith, who is the father of us all” (Rom 4:16). Lest Abraham's faith seem to anyone a small feat, the Apostle reveals its whole greatness.

As if explaining the greatness of the promise given to Abraham and fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the Apostle points to the special depth and power of Abraham's faith. Abraham saw in God the almighty Creator, able to create out of nothing and restore from death to life. Therefore, having no ordinary hope of begetting children because of his own great old age and that of his wife Sarah, he placed all his hope in God. This hope was so firm that he regarded the promised thing as already accomplished. Therefore he gave praise to God for so wondrous a work of His love and power. The Jews, rejecting the significance of faith, thought it was too easy a thing. But faith too, as is clear from Abraham's example, has its difficulties. By what, then, was Abraham strengthened? By giving glory to God.

It was not without cause that it was accounted. Faith too is an ascetic labor, and a greater labor than works. It embraces the whole nature of man, while works, without losing their value, may be confined to the active side alone. Therefore “everything proper to works, such as having praise from God, requiring effort and labor, and glorifying God, belongs in greater measure to faith” (Chrysostom). Justification is given to faith as a reward. “Faith is so precious before God, because it believes contrary to its own knowledge. It does not doubt that God can do even what cannot occur in the course of created things. Therefore recompense from God is rightly assigned to such a man, since he believes God, his Creator, more than he comprehends by his own mind.