Why
Did Paul Choose Abraham?
It
is commonly held among scholars that the Epistle to the church of Rome,
from
the Apostle Paul titled "Romans" , is sent to believers in Christ from
both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. The sure evidence of this is
contained
within the context of the Epistle. The damage done by the Judaizers in Galatia may of prompted portions of
the letter in order to head off at the pass the Judaizers who had
started in Galatia. As in
nearly all of Paul's epistles, the
Judaizing problem presents itself because Moses has them which preach Moses in every city (Acts 15:21) and were condemned of the
apostles.
The
first two chapters of Romans present a condemnation of both Gentiles
and
Jews. The Gentiles are first to be shown
their sins of rebellion in Chapter one. But, the Jews who have the law
are then
shown to be no better off than the Gentiles, conclusively in Rom.3:9 9What
then? are we (Jews) better than they (Gentiles)? No, in no wise: for we have before proved
both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all
under sin. Again the Paul confirms "all of have sinned
and come short of the glory of God"
(Rom.3:23). Repeatedly,
throughout Romans chapter 2 and 3 we see the contrast between the
Gentiles, who
did not have the circumcision and the law and the Jews, who did possess
the
covenants of both circumcision of the flesh and the Law of Moses
(Mal.4:4).
In
this light we can begin to see that by "the law" ,
refers to the law of Moses at Mt. Sinai that
God had given to the children of Israel, Mal.4: 4Remember
ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for
all
Israel, with the statutes and
judgments. This point is key for
understanding why Paul would choose Abraham as the example of
righteousness of
faith which saves. The term "the
law" occurs 69 times and circumcision 15 times in the epistle of
Romans. The words "Jew" occurs
8 times, "Jews" 3 times and
"Israel",
12 times. The contrast between the
Jews
who have the law of Moses and circumcision and the Gentiles races who
do not
and did not have any such covenant becomes magnified throughout the
Epistle. It is perfectly
correct to see that the term "the law" the
Epistle of Romans, means all the covenant law of Moses.
Once this is established it becomes
abundantly clear why Paul choose Abraham in Romans 4 as the Model of
Christian
faith.
After Paul
convincingly demonstrates that both Jews, who
had circumcision and the law of Moses and the Gentiles, who did not,
"in
no wise" better the Gentiles (Rom.3:9,23). The
Jews which had taught "Moses in
every city" often had spoken of the covenant of law of Moses and
circumcision of the flesh as a means of obtaining further Grace from
God and a
way of increasing the righteous standing before God over the Gentile. Paul is busily refuting that teaching,
throughout Romans 2-3. These verses have
become most popular among the evangelist, "20Therefore by
the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by
the law
is the knowledge of sin.
Romans
3:20 Salvation by law keeping would require
perfect
obedience. If we offend in a single
point, we become guilty of the whole
(lev.18:5, James 2:10). Therefore, by the law-keeping alone, one cannot
be
justified. The many laws under the covenant with Moses arouses the
knowledge of
sin (7:7-11).
21But now the righteousness of God without
the law is manifested, being
witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even
the righteousness of God which is by
faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for
there is no
difference:
Paul must from here
on out, illustrate for the Jews,
that righteousness which God has ordained is "apart from the law" of
Moses manifested in the books of the law for both Jew and
Gentile, "there is NO difference" having
previously proved, "23For all have sinned, and come
short
of the glory of God; "
24Being justified freely by his grace through
the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set
forth to be a propitiation through faith in
his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that
are
past, through the forbearance of God; 26To
declare, I say, at this time his
righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which
believeth
in Jesus. 27Where is
boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the
law of
faith. 28Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
29Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of
the Gentiles also: 30Seeing it
is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and
uncircumcision through faith.
Rom.3:31Do
we then make void the law through
faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." The covenant of the Law
of
Moses had established the law as a means of showing that "none could be
justified by his works of the law".
It was not empty, void, or without purpose. It prepared the Jew
and the
Gentile, the whole world for the coming of Christ so that they might
accept
Him. That "… that every mouth
may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty
before God. ", Jew and Gentile alike.
The Judaizer's often lift verse 31 out the context to imply
that the
Law of Moses is binding upon Jew and Gentile. So far from Paul's mind
is
that. The context demonstrates
that law of Moses was the means used by God to
condemn both Jew and the Gentile, "that every mouth may be stopped and
that the whole world may become guilty before God" (3:19). So,
that they might seek the salvation by the righteousness of faith,
"apart
from the law" by faith in Christ Jesus.
Becoming
righteous by obedience without faith, keeping God's laws, natural or
Mosaic, as
a legal instrument fails. Becoming
righteous is possible through faith that works, apart from
the law (vs 21). Faith has always been
accessible,. But only
now, in Christ is it revealed fully, through faith in Christ (vs 22)
which we
receive as the gift Eph.2:18. Now we are prepared to understand Abraham
as the
model of Christian faith.
Abraham
as Model of the Faith.
Abraham
lived 500 years before the covenant laws of the Jewish Sabbaths, Holy
Days and
meat distinctions for food were given to "the Children of Israel" in the covenant of Mount Sinai. There were no
Jews or Israelites on the earth
during Abraham's time. Abraham is one of
the nations, he is a Gentile from which the Jewish race and the
Israelites will
come. He may therefore be said to be a
Gentile and yet father of the Jewish and Israelite race.
As descendant from Noah, to live righteously
before God, he is required to keep the laws of the covenant with Noah. Gen.9:3 " 9And I, behold, I
establish my covenant with you, and with
your seed after you. ". That is
all the nations, races and all people everywhere on earth after the
flood of
Noah, (See my article on Acts 15 and the Gospel to the Jews and
Gentiles). Abraham knew nothing of
weekly Sabbath, the
Jewish Passover and other Jewish Feasts that were yet to be revealed in
the
covenant with the children of Israel, so
many centuries after him. Abram never
heard of the Ten Commandments written in stone.
Yet, because Abraham is a man of faith and righteousness as
was
Noah, God chose this Gentile to become father of the Jews or Israelites. For this reason, Abraham becomes the model of
faith, not only for the Gentiles, because he was a Gentile, but also
for the
Jew, because he is the father of the Jews or Israelites.
Both, Jew and Gentile are able to learn from
the example of Abraham's faith.
Rom.4: 1 "What
shall we say then that
Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2For
if
Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof
to glory; but not before God. "
First, Paul
declares that Abraham was not able to glory
before God, either by works or by he the deeds none in the flesh. He places Abraham on the footing of the
Gentile and the Jew in the same condition being unable to boast. Paul, then proceeds to write: 3For
what saith the
scripture? Abraham believed God, and it
was counted unto him for righteousness. " This
often debated scripture between
Protestant and Catholic, Jew and Christian becomes the pivotal focus of
first
century gospel of the Church. We shall see that Abram's faith and walk
with God
is incomplete until he believes in the promised seed, Christ. We must
first
look at the life of Abraham.
Abram's Personal Relationship With God.
Beginning
at Gen.12:1, we find the Lord speaking to
Abram (later changed to Abraham) commanding him to leave his country,
his
kindred and his father's house. Abraham
keeps the commandments and charge of the Lord along with the covenant
laws of
Noah (Gen.26:5) and leaves taking Sarah, his wife and Lot his nephew
and all
their belongings based upon the promise from God, that God would make
him a
great nation from which all nations of the world would be blessed. He is at age 75 years old.
Chronologically in scripture, we follow
Abraham, who has victory over Lot's
enemies and redeems Lot and his family.
Abraham then pays a tithe of the spoils of war to the High Priest of
God,
" Melchizedek ". Abraham is
exercising faith in God as when he first did when he left his own
country. Without
stating when, but long before Gen.15, we are already introduced to
Abrams
"personal relationship to God".
In
Genesis 15:1, Again after so many years Abram having
left his country, kindred and family, the Lord appears to him. The Lord
reassures him, that He will defend and shield him and the
Lord will be his exceedingly great reward. From
all that has gone before, we see
Abraham as acting and living in faith.
Long before it is said to him, "his faith is accounted as
righteousness" in Genesis 15:6.
We
come to that pivotal scripture, the foundation to the
faith of Christianity. Abram has not
doubted God but complains that he is yet barren. " 2And
Abram
said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless," thou he
has a personal relationship with God for so many years, he is yet
barren and
childless. Then the Lord makes this
promise; " 5And he (the Lord) brought him forth abroad, and
said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to
number
them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. "
Abraham
is shown the stars, unable to number them, so
shall he bring forth as many as be because of "thy seed" .
When
Abram believes fully in his heart in the promised "seed" that shall
come and produce as many as the stars in the heavens, it is then
"accounted to him for righteousness".
6And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it
to him
for righteousness. Though, Abram had
a
personal relationship with the Lord for the many years, it is not until
he is
thoroughly convinced in his heart that the promise of
"His Seed" is the means of the
furnishing of so many innumerable children. We see that Abram's faith
and walk
with God is incomplete until he believes in the promised seed, Christ. So will those who refuse to believe be
incomplete in the walk with God, until they believe in the promised,
"seed" . The promise of the
seed, was not through the covenant of the law of Moses, but through the
action
of faith in the promise, 500 years before Moses and the law. Romans 4: 13For the promise, that
he should be the heir of the world, was
not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the
righteousness
of faith. 14For if they which
are of the law be heirs, faith is
made void, and the promise made of none effect: ". The coming of the
covenant law of Moses, the ten commandments and the feasts of the Jews
is
another 500 years later and would not contribute to the promise of the
fruit of
faith in Christ because the promise was 500 years before the covenant. The law would only show both Jew and Gentile
the need for Christ.
From
the epistle of Galatians we read:3: " 16Now
to Abraham and his seed were the
promises made. He saith not, And to seeds,
as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. " Paul
interprets, "thy seed" to mean Christ. And
the inheritors obtain not a piece of land
in the middle east but "the world" (Rom.4:13). Again,
Paul continues to show that the Mosaic
covenant with its laws for Israel or the Jews, 430 years later, has no
part one
way or the other in the fulfillment of the promise of salvation to the
Christian whether, Jew or Gentile.
Gal.4:17And this I say, that
the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law,
which was
four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should
make the
promise of none effect. 18For
if the inheritance be of the law, it is
no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by
promise. " .
The belief in the promised seed, is the means
by which
all men are justified and accounted righteous, whether Jew or Gentile,
under
the law or without the law. Even
though, Abram had a personal
relationship with God for so many years before, Genesis 15, it was not
until he
fully believed in his heart in the promised seed, Christ that his faith
was
"accounted for righteousness" .
Returning
to Romans 4, Paul begins to show that those who are laboring under the
law to
attain righteousness, shall not receive it until they receive it by the
grace
promised through Christ. Rom. 4:4Now
to
him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But
to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his
faith is counted for righteousness.
Because, the law has shown that all men have sinned and fallen
short of
the glory of God, it was not through the covenant of law, that men
would be
saved, but through the promised seed, Christ.
That through belief in him, Grace and mercy would abound. Rom.4: 6Even as David also
describeth the blessedness of the man, unto
whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7Saying, Blessed are they whose
iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8Blessed is the man to
whom the Lord will not impute sin."
Paul
uses the King David, who reigned over Israel,
indeed a man after God's own heart, yet one whom had sinned and fallen
short as
going outside the covenant of Moses to seek the promise of the
forgiveness of
sin, by which all men would be justified in Christ Jesus.
After seeking forgiveness for sin in the
promised seed himself, King David expresses the righteousness which is
found in
Christ as "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not
impute sin" .
This
faith not only predated the Mosaic Law (Rom4:1-5) it was active during
the time
of the law. King David made the same
discovery that Abraham had, that being forgiven of sins comes from God
by
repentance and faith (Ps.32:5, 10), and the resulting righteousness
(v.6) is as
real as the forgiveness of sin. And so
it is that everyone, Jewish or Gentile must come to believe in
everlasting life
and forgiveness of sin in Christ, the promised seed of Abram, before
his faith
can be accounted as righteousness. 16Therefore
it is of faith, that it might be by
grace; to the end the
promise might be sure to all the seed;
not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the
faith of
Abraham; who is the father of us all,
Returning
to Romans. 4: 9Cometh this
blessedness then upon the circumcision only,
or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to
Abraham
for righteousness. 10How was it then reckoned? when he was
in
circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in
uncircumcision.
11And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the
righteousness of the faith which he had
yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them
that
believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be
imputed
unto them also: 12And the father of circumcision to them
who are not
of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith
of our
father Abraham, which he had being yet
uncircumcised."
Rom.4:11,
12 Abraham was living by faith when he
was 75 but not circumcised until he was 99 (Gen.12:4, 17:24). Abraham was the father of
the Gentiles who without circumcision and the law of Moses, and the ten
commandments cast in stone, lived by faith before
he became the father of the Jews.
Circumcision was the sign and seal for Israel and the Jewish Sabbaths the
sign of the covenant with Israel through Moses (Exodus
31:12-19). But Abraham was saved by
faith without circumcision of the flesh and without keeping the Jewish
Sabbaths. Yes, 500 years before a Jewish
Sabbath had been ever introduced to the Jewish people.
Romans
4:13-18, Righteousness is not through physical descent. For if one has
to be
come Jew or Jewish to inherit the world (God's Kingdom v.13) Abraham's
salvation, based on his faith and God's promise is made void (v.14). The covenant of law which requires physical
descent or circumcision of the flesh and the vow to keep all the
commandments
brings wrath (v.15); only grace has the power to satisfy the law, so
there is
"no transgression". The
righteous, then are those of faith, not those of the law (v.14) that is
those
given the law under Moses, physical descendants of Abraham. Abraham's
true
offspring are spiritual, he is the father of ALL who believe, Jew and
Gentile
like, with or without the law of Moses.
Thus,
Paul chose Abraham to be the model of faith both for the Jew and for
the
Gentile. Abraham was a Gentile, one the
righteous among the nations, that became father of the Jews, who first
believed
in Christ the promised seed, 500 years before the laws of the covenant
of
Moses, the ten commandments and the Jewish Sabbaths, New Moons, and
meat
distinctions were ever given. Before, I
leave this subject, I think it right to also to say, that Paul as with
Abraham,
by no means thinks that a Christian then has a right to live lawlessly
under
grace. The natural laws given orally by
God to Noah (Gen.9:10) and passed down to Abraham to keep were there to
prevent
any idea of man being able to walk according to the lusts of the flesh
and claim
the promise of inheritance through Christ. Repeatedly, throughout the
Epistle
of Romans and Galatians, the Apostle Paul warns men not to live
according to
the lusts of the flesh. Rom.6:
11Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
God
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should
obey it in the lusts thereof. To the Apostle Paul,
sin consists of "obeying the lusts of the flesh".
Paul
writes further, "13Neither yield ye
your members as instruments of unrighteousness
unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from
the dead,
and your members as instruments of
righteousness unto God. 14For
sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but
under
grace. 15What then? shall we sin, because we are not under
the law,
but under grace? God forbid. 16Know
ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants
ye are
to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto
righteousness?
17But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form
of doctrine which was delivered you. 18Being
then made free from sin, ye
became the servants of righteousness. 19I
speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh:
for as ye
have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto
iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto
holiness. 20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye
were free
from righteousness. 21What
fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the
end of
those things is death. 22But
now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your
fruit
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23For the
wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord. "
The
yielding of the members unto uncleanness and unto
iniquity, isn't speaking of breaking of Jewish Sabbaths or meat
restrictions,
but it is speaking of the immoral uses of the lusts of the flesh and
the actual
members of our body. Sin is not to reign in "our mortal
body".
That is where sin actually resides and may reign if we so let it. It
comes out of the heart of man, Mk. 7:19 "
That
which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed
evil
thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an
evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these
evil things come from within, and defile the man." With the promise of the salvation through
Christ was also the promise of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is to be used to overcome the fleshly heart of
man and
its wickedness that truly defiles him which leads to death. Gal.5:22But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, 23Meekness, temperance: against such there
is no
law. 24And they that are
Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25If we live in the Spirit, let us
also walk in the Spirit. " Abraham
who had no Ten Commandments cast in stone, nor Jewish Feasts days,
walked by
righteousness of faith trusting in the promised seed, Christ. He lived
a
righteous life, through the Spirit and faith, apart from the law of
Moses which
was yet five hundred years a far off.
Thus, he became the model of both Jew and Gentile, circumcised
and
uncircumcised that looked for the blessed hope in the promised seed,
Christ and
walked by faith and not by sight.
Abraham did indeed, become the father of the true spiritual Israel, the
nation called, the church consisting of both Jews and Gentiles all one
in the
promised seed of Christ.