Romans 4:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

After saying many great things about Abraham, about his faith, righteousness, and honor with God, the Apostle does not let the hearer object, “What is this to us? Abraham alone was justified.” Instead, he again places us near the patriarch. Such is the power of spiritual sayings. He said that the man from the Gentiles who recently came to faith and has done nothing himself lacks nothing in comparison with the believing Jew. He lacks nothing even in comparison with the patriarch. Better still, if something astonishing must be said, he even has an advantage over him. Our nobility is so great that the patriarch's faith was only a type of ours.

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.

That the gift of justification in faith does not belong to Abraham alone, though the promise was given to him also, but extends as it were to all who have believed, wise Paul again confirms for us. To what I have just said he adds: “It was not written for his sake alone that it was accounted to him, but also for our sake. It will be accounted also to us who believe in Him who raised from the dead Jesus Christ our Lord, who was delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification.” Therefore the grace that justifies us through faith is a gift of heaven and mercy from above. Not only those descended from Abraham according to the flesh may be numbered among his children.

"And not only," he says, "for his sake was it written that it was accounted to him for righteousness, but also for" you, since it will be accounted to you for righteousness just as it was to him. For you have believed in Him "who raised up our Lord Jesus Christ, who was delivered up for our transgressions and raised for our justification."

In Abraham, Paul says, an example was given to Jews and Gentiles of how we are to believe in God, and Christ, and the Holy Spirit, so that it may be accounted to us for righteousness.

The patriarch, seeing the deadness of his wife's womb, believed that it was not hard for God to fulfill the promise. And we, hearing that the Jews call our Master dead, believe that He is risen. Therefore we also shall reap the fruits of faith and acquire the righteousness cultivated by faith. For it was not written in vain what the Master God did with the patriarch Abraham, but so that we, looking upon this, might show a faith equal to Abraham's. And this phrase, "who raised Jesus Christ our Lord," the Apostle said concerning His humanity. For by that by which He suffered, by that also He rose. Suffering belongs to the flesh, not to the impassible Godhead.

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.

The Apostle's whole discourse about Abraham was given to show the meaning of faith in the salvation of all men. In Abraham's example of faith he found features that made him close to all believers. Thus, striking the arrogance of the Jews with their own weapon, the Apostle applies Abraham's beneficial example of faith to all Christians. He proclaims that all who believe in Christ will likewise receive justification through faith. Here the object of faith is more beneficial than there, for here men believe in Him who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Jesus Christ died for our sins. Therefore His resurrection is clear proof of our salvation from sins. “Abraham believed in the power to give life to the deadness of his flesh, and that deadness came to life and bore fruit.

Having portrayed Abraham's faith from every side, he applies it to those who believe in Christ the Lord. It was not written for Abraham alone that faith was accounted to him as righteousness, merely to proclaim his faith and glorify him among his descendants. It was written for us also. What happened with him is a prophetic prefiguration of what was to happen with us and is now being fulfilled. Chrysostom says: “After much had been said in praise of Abraham, concerning his faith, righteousness, and honor with God, the hearer might object: What is this to us? Abraham alone was justified. Therefore the Apostle again places us on a level with the patriarch. Such is the power of spiritual sayings.