The question immediately comes up then "Is this blessing on the circumcised or on the uncircumcised also?" (Romans 4:9) And it is a fair question. To the Jews, circumcision was the outward and physical sign of the covenant. No one would dare to declare that they shared in the covenant unless they too had been circumcised. And even proselytes were seen as second best. For instance in synagogue, proselytes were not allowed to say "our father," when referring to Abraham, but had to say, "your father," even in light of their now proselytized, circumcised state.

Paul however already has an answer. When was Abraham's faith reckoned as faith? Fourteen years before the institution of circumcision. Circumcision was only a physical sign of a spiritual reality that had happened long before. This then is the light and hope of the Gentiles: circumcision is irrelevant to a man's status before God.

And the Law? If Abraham was justified 14 years before circumcision, then how much more irrelevant (to justification) is the law that was given 430 years later (cf. Galatians 3:17)! What then is the purpose the Law? "The law brings about wrath…where there is no law, there also is no violation" (Romans 4:15). Blessing was given to Abraham in Genesis and fulfilled in the Gospel. The punishment was given in the Law. Though each person may have a sinful tendency, it takes a written down, official law to make those sinful deeds actual transgressions. In other words the Law is given as instruction and a pointer to not only our own faults but also our justification. Therefore it is faith - in accordance with grace - that justifies us. And not just Jews, for Abraham was a father of many nations, and therefore his "descendants" are those who follow his example of faith.

Verse 13 points out that being made righteous has nothing to do with being a part of a certain nation or owning a certain piece of land (i.e. the promised land). Abraham and his descendants (by faith, not by flesh) are heirs to the whole world. Therefore Paul, with a few strokes of a pen, reinterprets all of Old Testament prophecy about what the promised land is and will be. It has nothing to do with the land between Egypt and the Euphrates. The Gospel cannot be contained to a geographic location. It is worldwide (cf. Hebrews 11:16, "a better country, a heavenly one). This however was not necessarily new to Jewish minds. The Hebrew word for "land" can also be interpreted "world," and therefore rabbis has long taught that the Jews would inherit the earth. Paul tweaks this to mean "the descendants of Abraham." It would be in the best interest of Christian Fundamentalists to realize this in terms of their interpretations of "end times" events.

Verse 16 serves as the central thesis or summary statement of the whole passage chapter.

Verse 17 uses a few titles of God that were used in Jewish liturgy: "He Who gives life to the dead," and "He who calls into being that which does not exist." The first refers in this passage to the old body of Abraham which was "as good as dead," (4:19) and Sarah's dead womb (4:19). The second title refers to the "multitudes (abhamon) of nations" that Abraham was yet to have. It also is in reference to God creating ex nihilo, out of nothing.

In verse 18, Paul and James show agreement on what faith is. Faith is more than just a passive assent to what God says. He staked his life on it.

Verse 25 may have been an early creed based on Isaiah 53 (the Hymn of the Suffering Servant).

Romans 4:9-25